Anthony and Joe Russo respond to the Falcon depicter, saying he is not wrong about the lack of diversity in Marvel and agreeing that they 'can always all do better.'
- Jul 13, 2020
AceShowbiz - "Avengers: Endgame" directors Anthony and Joe Russo accept they have to work harder on diversity issues after coming under fire from one of their leading men, Anthony Mackie.
The brothers admit the actor was spot on when he called out Marvel movie bosses for failing to create roles for black actors and crew members, telling Variety last month (Jun20) he has mostly worked with all-white crews on the seven blockbusters, in which he has portrayed Sam Wilson and his alter ego, Falcon.
"It really bothered me that I've done seven Marvel movies where every producer, every director, every stunt person, every costume designer, every PA, every single person has been white," Mackie said, noting that the only Marvel film to feature a large black cast and crew was "Black Panther".
"If you only can hire the black people for the black movie... are you saying they're not good enough when you have a mostly-white cast?" Mackie asked.
And his "Endgame" directors are backing his outburst - Joe Russo tells MovieMaker, "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. I think that we all have to work harder to keep endorsing and supporting diversity on both sides of the camera."
Brother Anthony adds, "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."
