Marvel Studios’ latest film Captain America: Brave New World hit theaters this past weekend, and although the film had a decent debut at the box office, the film has received a mixed reception from critics and audiences alike. With a 51% approval rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes and a lackluster B- CinemaScore from audiences, Sam Wilson’s cinematic debut as the new Captain America is not the slam dunk the character deserves.
Captain America: Brave New World is not without its merits. Anthony Mackie is a more-than-capable actor, whose work both within and outside of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is a testament to his versatility as a performer. Mackie tries his best to carry the film and he certainly has the charisma and commanding screen presence to carry on the mantle following Chris Evans’ initial run from 2011-2019. But the routine shortcomings of modern franchise filmmaking including studio indecisiveness and a lackluster script underserved Mackie’s talents. It doesn’t help that the biggest element of the film’s marketing campaign ended up becoming Marvel’s biggest mistake for the film as a whole.
Every Captain America Villain In The MCU, Ranked
From Red Skull to Red Hulk, Captain America has fought a plethora of villains in his various movies and shows in the Marvel Cinematic Universe
Big Red SPOILER Warning
The biggest selling point within the marketing campaign of Captain America: Brave New World was not on Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson taking on the mantle as the titular patriotic superhero, but rather on the specific antagonist he faces off against: President Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, whom eventually transforms into Red Hulk. Harrison Ford steps into the role previously played by the late William Hurt, who, much like Mackie, does the best he could with weak material.
Marvel Studios essentially marketed Captain America: Brave New World as a Cap vs. Red Hulk movie. After all, the first poster released for the film featured the iconic Vibranium shield firmly held in the hands of Red Hulk. Every trailer and TV spot has prominently featured Red Hulk, specifically the appeal of having Harrison Ford, one of the most iconic movie stars in Hollywood history, in the role. While it’s understandable that Marvel Studios chose to promote that aspect to audiences, this particular marketing decision ultimately guts the film of any dramatic tension. The lack of tension is because Red Hulk’s total onscreen presence is exclusively featured in the film’s climax.
The central conflict driving Captain America: Brave New World is between Sam Wilson and President Ross. Given the two have had their tumultuous history with one another as seen in the events that transpired in Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War, naturally much of that baggage would be carried into Brave New World. The film barely brushes on that aspect within their first meeting, as depicted in the initial teaser trailer. It doesn’t help that the trailers give away the majority of the film’s conflict and that the film itself treats the emergence of Red Hulk as some sort of epic reveal, ignoring the fact that audiences already knew of this inevitability, given that this face-off was at the center of all the promotional material.
A Stealth The Incredible Hulk Sequel
Captain America: Brave New World is the 35th film in the MCU and the fourth film in the Captain America series. Of course, it’s meant to kickstart a new era within the MCU given that Sam Wilson is officially carrying on the shield that Steve Rogers famously passed on to him in Avengers: Endgame so in a way, it’s a bit of a soft-reboot for Captain America overall. Fans got a chance to see Sam’s journey in embracing the mantle through the Disney+ series The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, so his having a standalone film was a welcome addition to the ongoing Multiverse Saga which desperately needs a strong leader for the eventual new Avengers roster.
Unfortunately, Captain America: Brave New World is not interested in further developing Sam Wilson’s character other than just giving him some standard action sequences that somehow feel less exciting and cinematic than what was shown in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. Whatever potential narrative growth Sam should have in his first solo film as Cap is overshadowed by some of the weakest world building and fan service featured within the MCU to date. And unfortunately, much of this is related to specific beats introduced in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk.
Yes, The Incredible Hulk, the Louis Letterier-directed film that starred Edward Norton as Dr. Bruce Banner is explicitly acknowledged for the first time in the MCU in 17 years (nine if you count Thunderbolt Ross’ appearance in Captain America: Civil War). Captain America: Brave New World not only features Thunderbolt Ross, but also the return of two characters that have been absent since The Incredible Hulk: Betty Ross (Liv Tyler), who only appears onscreen briefly in the film’s final scene, and Samuel Sterns/The Leader (Tim Blake Nelson). Ultimately, Samuel Sterns serves as the true antagonist of the film, and his presence works in tandem with the underwhelming nature of Red Hulk as perhaps the biggest issue that plagues the film, and is indicative of the MCU’s biggest narrative shortcomings in the post-Endgame era.
Sam Wilson Underserved
By basing much of the narrative conflict of Captain America: Brave New World on unresolved plot points from one of the MCU’s most-forgotten films, director Julias Onah along with his fellow co-screenwriters Rob Edwards, Malcolm Spellman, Dalan Musson and Peter Glanz give audiences a story that is more concerned with broader cinematic universe world-building and fan service than it is on the further development of Sam Wilson as a character. Besides the routine action sequences, near-death experiences and predictable political dilemmas he endures throughout the film, Sam Wilson is never challenged in any meaningful way. While those defending the film may claim that this is because Sam’s character development was already handled in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, that defense falls short given that Sam himself acknowledges that it’s been three years since the events of that series, and this film should have served as a linchpin moment for his development as a character. Sure, Sam endures some slight narrative tension regarding the danger that Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez) and Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly) find themselves in, but those characters’ own stories remain under-explored within the film to leave any meaningful impact.
In both Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War, Steve Rogers is challenged on his own political philosophies and personal convictions in ways that truly break him down to his core. In both of those films, we witness the choices he makes, and how they end up affecting his standing within the Avengers and the political climate of the world at that time. In Thor: Ragnarok, while the addition of Bruce Banner/Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) alongside Thor (Chris Hemsworth) was heavily promoted in the promotional material and can be interpreted as fan service, the film did not coast on the Hulk’s allure but used his appearance to inform Thor’s own character development and vice versa. These films featured stories that served the characters’ growth while Captain America: Brave New World uses Sam Wilson to serve the MCU’s future narrative while subduing any meaningful development for Sam himself.
A Middling MCU Movie
Ultimately, Captain America: Brave New World fails to ignite any excitement for the ongoing narrative of the MCU, which is disappointing given that Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars are upon us sooner than we realize. With an uncompelling story that is more concerned with fulfilling Kevin Feige’s world-building than any concrete character development as well as showing its hand too early by centering the film’s marketing on Red Hulk, the film is yet another underwhelming entry in the post-Endgame era of Marvel Studios.
The biggest bummer of this film’s lackluster final product is that this will always be the debut standalone cinematic solo film for Sam Wilson as Captain America. When Anthony Mackie was first introduced in Captain America: The Winter Soldier 11 years ago, his magnetic charisma and remarkable screen presence were a refreshing addition to the MCU. The moment old man Steve Rogers gave Sam the shield at the end of Avengers: Endgame became an iconic moment in comic book film history. Unfortunately, Captain America: Brave New World is a weak headlining vehicle, and Mackie deserves so much better than this.
Captain America: Brave New World
- Release Date
-
February 14, 2025
- Director
-
Julius Onah
- Writers
-
Dalan Musson, Malcolm Spellman
- Prequel(s)
-
Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War
-
Anthony Mackie
Sam Wilson / Captain America
-
Harrison Ford
Thaddeus ‘Thunderbolt’ Ross / Red Hulk
-
-
Giancarlo Esposito
Sidewinder
