Anthony Mackie has insisted he’s a “proud American” after facing backlash for a viral comment.

The Marvel star is currently promoting his film Captain America: Brave New World, which marks his first full outing as the titular superhero after Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) bestowed the iconic shield upon him in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame.

On Tuesday, however, Anthony made a remark that raised eyebrows from some critics.

“To me, Captain America represents a lot of different things, and I don’t think the term ‘America’ should be one of those representations,” he said onstage in Rome, as seen in a clip on social media. “It’s about a man who keeps his word, who has honour, dignity and integrity.”

“Someone who is trustworthy and dependable,” Anthony continued at the time.

The comment, widely shared in footage that does not include the question Antony was originally asked, prompted the need for some immediate damage control.

“Let me be clear about this, I’m a proud American and taking on the shield of a hero like CAP is the honour of a lifetime,” the actor wrote on Tuesday evening in an Instagram Story. “I have the utmost respect for those who serve and have served our country.”

“CAP has universal characteristics that people all over the world can relate to,” he continued.

Antony’s initial comment was widely interpreted as a criticism of US president Donald Trump instead of the U.S. as a whole. The actor previously told HipHollywood ahead of the 2016 presidential election that “there’s a dumbing down of American politics on the Republican side”.

He also shared an image of himself as Captain America on Instagram in November to celebrate the armed forces and wrote: “Happy Veterans Day America. To all of our men and women in uniform, thank you for your service and sacrifice!”

Anthony’s comment on Tuesday nonetheless sparked backlash from right-wing commenters, many of whom slammed him as being too “woke”.

Some went as far as making the racist suggestion that Anthony was only cast due to federal diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives — which Trump is currently attacking.

Captain America: Brave New World hits cinemas on Friday 14 February.