The Russo Brothers Respond To Anthony Mackie’s Disappointment With Diversity At Marvel
Avengers: Endgame directors Joe Russo and Anthony Russo have responded to recent comments made by Anthony Mackie about the lack of diversity behind the scenes at Marvel Studios. The Captain America: The Winter Soldier actor recently revealed that almost everyone behind the camera at Marvel was white, except for one Black producer named Nate Moore. This ranges from costume designers to production assistants to stunt coordinators. Mackie commented that this fact had always “really bothered” him. The directors agreed with the star of more than one of their films, saying there needs to be more inclusion in their films, according to Movie Maker.
“I think we can always all do better at diversity, constantly in this business, and in every facet of every industry — so he’s not wrong at all,” Joe noted. “I think that we all have to work harder to keep endorsing and supporting diversity on both sides of the camera.”
The Russos have directed four films for the MCU, debuting with the studio at the same time as Mackie with The Winter Soldier. His character, Falcon, appeared in all of their subsequent films, including Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame.
The directors then commented about the respect they have for 41-year-old, who is currently working on his Disney Plus show, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
“We have a ton of respect for Anthony Mackie. He is not only an amazing actor, but he’s an amazing person, and we’ve loved our collaboration with him.”
Back in 2018, Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige made promises that the future of the MCU was all about diversity. The comments came after the massive success of Black Panther and casting at the studio moving forward has been more racially inclusive. Feige’s comments suggested there would be more inclusion across the board, so Mackie’s concerns are hopefully being addressed behind the scenes as well.
As far as casting goes, The Eternals has the most diverse cast in the MCU’s history. The film, which has been pushed back to 2021 due to COVID-19, has Black, Mexican, Chinese, Korean, Lebanese, and Pakistani cast members, in addition to three White leads.
Women are also being included more in the MCU both in front of and behind the camera. Captain Marvel’s success proved women-led films could bring people to the box office. Black Widow, which has also been delayed due to the pandemic as well, is expected to also be a box-office success when it hits theaters on November 6.
