Anthony Mackie is set to make his directorial debut with an upcoming biopic. The film will center around the Civil Rights pioneer, Claudette Colvin. Having starred in the Disney+ series, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, and following the announcement of his starring role in the upcoming Captain America 4, Mackie is getting behind the camera for the upcoming Colvin biopic.
Prior to the events surrounding Rosa Parks, Colvin was arrested at the age of 15 for refusing to give up her seat to a white woman on a segregated bus in 1955. Colvin testified before the judge panel in the Browder v. Gayle case, in which the judges agreed that bus segregation in the state of Alabama was deemed unconstitutional under the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. Although she championed for the end of segregation, many of her efforts remained unrecognized as Civil Rights campaigners dismissed her achievements due to her having a pregnancy out of wedlock.
According to Deadline, in recognition of Colvin’s pioneering efforts during the Civil Rights Movement, MCU star Mackie has decided to honor her legacy with his upcoming film, Spark, starring King Richard star Saniyya Sidney. After a brief visit to the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Mackie came across the under-appreciated story of Colvin. Respectively, Mackie expressed his genuine interest in wanting to pursue her story as he considered her to be a real superhero amongst everyone. The film is slated to be co-produced with Gravy Productions, Mansa Productions, and Mandalay Pictures in Association with Ambergreen Entertainment. Read his quote below:
“Not only was I moved, I was inspired,” he said. “It’s great to be a superhero in movies but she’s a real live one living amongst us and I’m honored to tell her story.”
In response to the news of Mackie’s film, Colvin has also shared her gratitude and happiness towards Mackie for honoring her through retelling her story. In conjunction with Mackie's directorial debut, Colvin's family will also be involved behind the scenes for the upcoming biopic film. This film follows the success of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, starring Mackie as Sam Wilson and Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes. Similarly, in the fictional series, Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly) was kept hidden from the public, and his efforts were unrecognized, whereas Captain America was glorified as the heroic icon for the super-soldier serum, despite Bradley also operating with the same formulated serum during the Korean War.
After embracing the mantle as MCU's latest Captain America, Mackie will retell the story of Colvin, a real-life hero, for the big screen. Now at 82 years old, Colvin will finally be recognized for her bravery and efforts against racism and campaigning for the end of segregation. Currently, there is minimal information in regards to the release of Spark, but it shouldn't be long before Colvin’s monumental achievements will be seen on screen.
Source: Deadline