Anthony Mackie had long been in the entertainment industry before debuting in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and his position as the new Captain America further cemented his position as one of the most talented actors in Hollywood. Soon, his solo movie as the respective character, Captain America 4, will be hitting the screens, only to elevate his stardom even more.
But while he holds many commendable acting credits to his name, Mackie has also gotten entangled with some controversial works. Like the racist drama The Banker, which saw him lead. But as good as the movie was, it got itself under the wrong limelight after getting bogged down by the wildest s-xual abuse scandal by none other than the film’s protagonist’s very own daughter.
Anthony Mackie’s The Banker Was a Whirlwind of Offscreen Controversy
Back in 2019, Anthony Mackie was all set to appear in and lead the drama The Banker as Bernard Garrett, the film’s protagonist. Distributed by Apple TV+, the film encompassed the story of two African-American entrepreneurs, Garrett and Joe Morris (Samuel L. Jackson), who embark on the journey to successfully try and circumvent a racist establishment.
For this, they convinced and used a working-class white man, Matt Steiner (played by Nicholas Hoult), to act as the rich and privileged head of their tremendously burgeoning real estate and banking empire. And yet, as outstanding as this storyline, the real problem posing a barrier to its success came from within as the drama got caught up in a s-xual abuse scandal.
What’s surprising is that this drama was initiated by none other than Cynthia Garrett, the daughter of the real individual on whom the film’s leading character is based. According to Variety, Cynthia accused Bernard Garrett Jr., her half-brother and one of the producers of this drama, of s-xual abuse. Adding to this, she also accused Jr. of “altering history” and “whitewashing.”
Of course, all of this came with further reported allegations by Cynthia that “the film does not accurately portray her family’s story” either, as per Variety. Due to all of this controversy, Apple had to take severe measures to save the piece. This included not only pulling the movie from being screened at AFI Fest 2019 but also delaying its release due to the same reasons.
If that wasn’t enough, Mackie and the rest of the team – including the film’s director, writer, and producer George Nolfi – also signed a statement to stress that they stand by the film and “its positive message of empowerment.”
The Banker Team’s Statement Seemingly Saved the Drama’s Release
Since the reported allegations were truly wild – enough to make Apple rethink its decisions about letting the film make its splash at the film festival – the cast and crew of the same decided to release an official statement to address this controversy and allegations. Signed by nearly all the people working on the masterpiece, this letter read (via Variety):
We set out to tell a story we were very passionate about, recounting the remarkable lives of Bernard Garrett Sr and Joe Morris, and their ground-breaking achievements combating racial inequality in the 1950s and 60s.
Continuing, this statement also extended sympathy to Cynthia and all the alleged affected by the real story of how it all happened, reading:
Though we have no way of knowing what may have transpired between Mr. Garrett’s children in the 1970s, including the allegations of abuse we have recently been made aware of, our hearts go out to anyone who has suffered.
The concluding paragraph was a powerful message as the creators emphasized just how much of a “positive message of empowerment” this movie is expected to deliver through its release, while sharing the source material on which it has been based. It read:
The film itself is not based on the recollections of any of Bernard Garrett Sr’s children, but rather, on recorded interviews with Bernard Garrett Sr himself, conducted in 1995, supported by congressional transcripts, court rulings, and other media articles from the era. We stand by the film, and its positive message of empowerment.
Following the release of this statement and what felt like an eternity later, the drama finally made its way to the screens for a limited theatrical release in the States on the 6th of March, 2020. And, of course, the creators made sure to live up to the mark and their promise as both Mackie and Jackson delivered one of the best performances of their lifetimes in the racist drama.
The Banker is currently available to be streamed on Apple TV+, while Mackie’s Captain America: Brave New World hits the screens on February 14, 2025.
