At a recent event in Rome, Captain America: Brave New World star Anthony Mackie made a comment about the film and the US that drew some flak from the audience. He stated, "Captain America represents a lot of different things and I don’t think the term ‘America’ should be one of those." He added, "It’s about a man who keeps his word, who has honour, dignity and integrity. Someone who is trustworthy and dependable."

Now, Mackie has offered a clarification about his comment as he called himself a "proud American" and described playing Captain America as "the honour of a lifetime." On his Instagram story, the actor wrote, "I have the utmost respect for those who serve and have served our country. (Captain America) has universal characteristics that people all over the world can relate to."

Captain America: Brave New World is slated for a February 14 release in theatres. The film also stars Harrison Ford as Red Hulk, Giancarlo Esposito as Seth Voelker, Rosa Salazar as Diamondback, Liv Tyler as Betty Ross, Danny Ramirez as Falcon, and Shira Haas as Ruth Bat-Seraph. Julius Onah directed the film from a screenplay by Rob Edwards, Dalan Musson, and Malcolm Spellman.