Actor Samuel L. Jackson’s decision to liken President Trump to a Civil War-era “plantation” owner is not likely to thrill movie producers who are dealing with a public relations nightmare for the upcoming “Captain Marvel” movie.
The man who plays “Nick Fury” for Marvel Studios waded into racial politics on Monday while controversy swirls around “Captain Marvel” lead Brie Larson for comments she made about “white men” and “the patriarchy.”
“[Trump] said that he’s done more for African-Americans than almost any other president,” a TMZ reporter told Mr. Jackson as he walked through Los Angeles International Airport.
“Yeah, he’s got a bigger plantation,” Mr. Jackson replied.
The comments came hours before the movie aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes took down its “Want to See” category as interest in “Captain Marvel” plummeted below 30 percent.
“[Our goal is to] more accurately and authentically represent the voice of fans, while protecting our data and public forums from bad actors,” editors said on the website’s blog.
The move erased the feedback of over 45,000 people who responded to the “Want to See” tab for “Captain Marvel.”
Long-time Marvel fans are upset, in part, over racial comments Ms. Larson has made while promoting the movie and while attending other industry events.
“I do not need a 40-year-old white dude to tell me what didn’t work for him about ’[A] Wrinkle in Time.’ It wasn’t made for him,” the actress said last June at the Crystal + Lucy Awards.
She also gave an InStyle interview in which she responded to a doorbell by joking that “the patriarchy” had arrived to begin “ringing … on my parade.”
Feedback to Mr. Jackson’s comments echoed similar sentiments over his co-star’s activism.
“This guy is in the new Feminist movie Captain Marvelette, isn’t he?” asked a reader on the conservative website The Daily Wire. “That seals it: I’m watching Shazam! Which looks like it’s going to be funnier and I can take my daughter to it too!”
“Keep it up Jackson, and people like me will stop going to see your movies because of your big, hateful mouth,” added another.
“Just one more reason to avoid seeing Captain Marvel,” wrote a third person.
“Captain Marvel,” directed by Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck, premieres in North America on March 8.
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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