Anthony Mackie recently called Marvel, the company that hired him to star in seven movies, "more racist" for only allowing its smash box office hit "Black Panther" to have an all-black cast, director and crew.
“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 told actor Daveed Diggs in a Variety interview. “But then when you do ‘Black Panther,’ you have a Black director, Black producer, a Black costume designer, a Black stunt choreographer. And I’m like, that’s more racist than anything else.”
Mackie added, “Because 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?”
However, in 2015, Mackie said he didn't think Black Panther needed a black director.
“I don’t think it’s important at all,” Mackie said. “As a director your job is to tell a story. You know, they didn’t get a horse to direct Seabiscuit! The thing is I don’t think the race of the director has to do with their ability to tell a story.”
“I think it’s all about the director’s ability to be able to relate to that story and do it justice,” added the actor. “I think men can direct women, and two of my greatest work experiences were with female directors. So I think it all depends. May the best man — or woman — win.”
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.