Anthony Mackie has revealed that his Captain America speech in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier almost included a Donald Trump slogan. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was the second miniseries of Marvel's phase 4 to debut on Disney+ this year. The series sets up Falcon to claim the shield and title of the next Captain America, as him and the Winter Soldier tackle a global mission to stop the anti-nationalist group called the Flag Smashers.

In a similar fashion to the Captain America films, the premise of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is subtly political. The films and show tackle topics of patriotism, extremism, race, equality, and the justification in rebelling against a corrupt government. In fact, the Flag Smashers' ideals strongly paralleled Steve Rogers' ideals in Captain America: Civil War. Similar to how Rogers rebelled against the repression of the Sokovia Records, the Flag Smashers rebel against the loss of their freedom due to the Global Repatriation Council (GRC). However, the Flag Smashers differ from Rogers and Wilson in that they resort to violence and terrorism to make their point, raising the debate of how one appropriately instigates change. The series reaches its political climax when Wilson, after taking up the shield, gives a fiery speech asking the government to do better.

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As reported by ComicBook, Mackie revealed at Marvel's Drive-In FYC that he wanted to insert a Trump slogan into his Captain America speech. He wanted to conclude his speech by referencing "Make America great again" - a campaign slogan that was popularized by Trump during the 2016 election. Wilson's Captain America speech emphasized the necessity for change and was particularly fitting following the protests and political unrest in America in 2020. Thus, Mackie wanted to conclude the speech by stating that if we want to make America great again, it has to be done by Americans. Check out his statement below:

With all of the protests and everything that went on in 2020, there were just as many Brown people as Black people as white people as Asian people. Everyone, everyone in this country at this time wants to see a change, and that monologue sums that up in a beautiful way. One thing I wanted to put at the end of the monologue — and it got shot down — was if we’re going to ‘make America great again,’ it has to be done by Americans. And no matter what your race, creed, color or sexuality is, you’re an American. And that’s what I think the new Captain America captures.

The slogan was ultimately cut from the final speech, though Mackie did not elaborate on the studio's reason for cutting it. However, it does gives us insight into the Captain America that Mackie wants to portray. Mackie has indicated that he may want to play Captain America for the next 20 years, which raises the major question of how Wilson's Captain America will differ from Steve Rogers. From Mackie's statement, he wants a Captain America that represents change and inclusivity and that encourages individuals to see each other all as Americans with shared goals. He wants America to come together in a way that supersedes race, gender, or sexuality, and he wants to represent a Captain America that will be more progressive than patriotic.

The politics of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier very artfully tackle current debates in America. As more Americans are becoming vocal with their dissatisfaction of America's handling of immigration, refugees, and racial tensions, the series offered a surprisingly powerful discussion on the duties of the government. Wilson's speech was very much a message to America to listen to the needs of the people and to simply do better. While the slogan didn't make it into the speech, it is quite powerful that Mackie wanted to redeem the true connotations of a slogan that has lost its potency due to its association with Trump. It illustrates the wishes of Falcon's Captain America to initiate a new phase in America and to turn what has been corrupted pure again, strongly paralleling the fight for justice in American society today.

More: Captain America's First MCU Costume Foreshadowed His Real Replacement

Source: Marvel's Drive-In FYC (via ComicBook)

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Rachel Ulatowski (42 Articles Published)

Rachel Ulatowski is a Freelance Movie/TV News Writer for Screen Rant. She works to bring readers the latest news on the shows and movies that are important to them. She is an aspiring writer and self-starter, with a pending historical publication and experience working for a mass media company. In her free time, she enjoys watching Marvel, DC, Star Wars, and Doctor Who, writing, reading, and spending time with her Yorkie, Jobi.

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