Anthony Mackie is making his film debut as the first Black Captain America decades after Marvel’s initial “resistance” to the change.

Anthony Mackie is officially making his film debut as the first Black Captain America in Captain America: Brave New World. The new Marvel film hit theaters on Valentine’s Day and opened with $100 million in the U.S. and $192 million globally.

The achievement is a significant milestone for Mark Waid, 62, who first introduced the concept of a Black Captain America in the 1998 comic book Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty. Reflecting on Sam Wilson’s initial donning of the Captain America mantle, Waid recalls encountering “a little bit of resistance” from Marvel when he first pitched the idea in the ’90s, NBC News reports.

“Not because anybody disbelieved the message,” Waid explained to TODAY.com. “Not because anybody at Marvel was on the wrong side of history here, but just because when you’re dealing with a corporate character like that, it’s going to go through many creators’ hands over his 80 years of existence.”

Captain America was originally introduced in March 1941 as a blonde-haired, blue-eyed white male with a chiseled jawline and muscular build, embodying the idealized image of America at the time. In the MCU, Chris Evans’ Captain America passed the mantle to Anthony Mackie’s Falcon in the 2019 film Avengers: Endgame.

Within Marvel, Waid remembers his story of Falcon taking on the role of Captain America, which was “very well received.” However, outside the company, he faced “a little bit of pushback” from fans and readers, some of whom questioned the decision, saying, “Well, this is not Captain America. I don’t know what you’re trying to say.”

“There’s been a lot more trolling, a lot more blowback,” Waid says of critics who have an issue with a Black Captain America. “A lot of organized fandom full of angry white guys who are not happy that they are being quote, unquote, eclipsed by people of color, which is bulls–t.”

Waid hopes that Captain America’s fight for inclusion “gets easier” since the fictional character was created to represent “the best part of all of us.”

“Captain America can be an Asian man. Captain America can be a woman. Captain America could be anyone who stands for the ideals that Captain America stands for,” Waid explains.

“As long as they’re an American at heart and fight for the American way … the way we wish truly was the dream as opposed to what racism and bigotry has sort of poisoned that well.”

Mackie agrees, noting that his Captain America leads with two important things: “Compassion and empathy.”

“I feel like today, we could all use a little compassion and empathy,” he adds.