The following may contain spoilers for the Marvel movie Captain America: Brave New World. By reading this, you acknowledge and accept the risk of being spoiled by this review. This review is a personal reflection of the film and does not represent the opinions of every Journalism II staff member.
Captain America: Brave New World is the most recent addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Released Friday, February 14, this is the fourth Captain America movie and the first to feature Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) as the namesake character and Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez) as the new Falcon. Following the immersion of Tiamat, the Celestial featured in Marvel’s Eternals, Captain America faces new threats and government conspiracies surrounding the acquisition of adamantium. I believe the movie stands as a solid continuation of Sam Wilson’s story from The Falcon and The Winter Soldier show, which featured Wilson as one of its main protagonists. Brave New World showcases the trials and tribulations following Wilson’s acceptance of the mantle previously held by Steve Rogers. The movie differentiates the two characters and their approaches to the mantle by reminding the audience that Wilson is not a super soldier; therefore, he cannot rely on his physical strength the way Rogers could. Wilson relies more on his speech and history as a veteran counselor to resolve conflict. His past provides him with a unique perspective on the struggles of other individuals, allowing him to utilize his empathy and experience when his strength fails. We’ve seen this previously during his interactions with Karli Morgenthau in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. This characterization is why he appeals to Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford) emotionally during Brave New World’s falling action rather than persisting against the insurmountable threat.
Choosing characters we have seen in previous MCU installations to act as the villains of this movie connects the new film to those Marvel fans have come to know and love. I believe this to be a step in the right direction for Marvel. Many fans, myself included, have felt that recent Marvel projects have remained disconnected from one another, which defeats the purpose of establishing a connected universe by not showing or building upon additions to that universe in a tasteful manner. By following through on existing characters and unresolved plot lines, Brave New World offers a taste of the deeper story that has made the MCU what it is.
Various aspects of the film set up future MCU projects. The cameo appearance of James “Bucky” Barnes (Sebastian Stan) serves to sustain the character’s ongoing friendship with Wilson and prepare for his appearance in the upcoming Thunderbolts*, releasing in theaters Friday, May 2. Furthermore, the official introduction of adamantium lays the groundwork for the MCU to present the Mutant Saga sometime after Avengers: Secret Wars, which is expected to release May 7 of 2027. This saga will focus on rebuilding Marvel’s X-Men characters within its ongoing cinematic universe.
Captain America: Brave New World is not a perfect film, nor is it a perfect Marvel film. There are some aspects in which the movie does not follow through, specifically regarding some of its supporting characters. The minor villain “Sidewinder” (Giancarlo Esposito) and the Serpent Society organization were not utilized to their potential established in the Marvel comics. The inclusion of Sabra (Shira Haas) was forced and unnecessary even though they changed the character’s backstory to fit within events shown in the MCU thus far. Controversies surrounding the Israeli actress also contributed to the movie’s hindered success.
Despite all of its shortcomings, the movie feels reminiscent of early Infinity Saga films in the way the story connects to existing projects while introducing new characters and situations. For this reason, I enjoyed the movie more than I anticipated. I believe much of the hate surrounding Brave New World is unfounded and targeted somewhere other than the movie itself. Anthony Mackie specifically has received a myriad of hate from fans since his character was set on course to be the next Captain America in the 2019 movie, Avengers: Endgame. Mackie has faced hostility and backlash with grace and kindness over the last six years. This movie is a testament to both the actor and his character’s worthiness to wield the iconic shield and all that it has come to represent.
If you have not seen the movie quite yet, I can not recommend it enough. The new Captain America and Falcon have made their first film an exciting and memorable addition to the MCU, and I look forward to the upcoming projects Marvel has to offer.
