It’s been a hot minute since we’ve had some Captain America goodness from the MCU. After The Falcon and the Winter Soldier established Sam Wilson as the new Captain America in 2021, we assumed his solo film would be coming soon after. That wasn’t the case, and we had to wait nearly half a decade for the new Captain America to make his theatrical debut in Captain America: Brave New World. This film has been neck-deep in controversy, reshoots, recasts, and everything in between, but it has finally seen the light of day and hit cinemas worldwide. Was this film worth the wait, or was it just another MCU project that failed to meet expectations?
Following the events of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Sam Wilson has stepped into the role of Captain America. Alongside the new Falcon Joaquin Torres, this new superhero duo is taking care of business. But things are about to get a whole lot more complicated when Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross becomes the President of America. With talks of a treaty between world leaders over a mysterious new substance, an increase in activity from the terrorist group Serpent, and dealing with a President with anger issues, it won’t be an easy first outing for the new Captain. On top of all this, something, or someone, is pulling the strings from the shadows and is looking to make some big moves. Will Sam and Joaquin be able to rise to the challenge, or will their wings get clipped?
For what it was, I enjoyed this story. It was an engaging enough political thriller that I didn’t find myself bored throughout the 118-minute runtime. The overall story was interesting and had the potential to be one of the better MCU films (Winter Soldier, Black Panther). Alas, this is where the constant reshoots and rewrites take their toll the most. There are certain plot points that show up for a scene and then go nowhere. At other times, you can tell that reshoots had to be done to fill in the plot gaps created when the original story got chopped up.
It isn’t the most egregious example of this (The Flash still holds that title), but I do think it harmed the film in the long run. Even with these issues, I think the film still told a good story; it’s just a shame that it wasn’t able to live up to its full potential.
Something that I wasn’t disappointed with in this film was the performances. They are all fantastic, Anthony Mackie in particular. He once again does great as Sam Wilson, and he is the heart and soul of the entire film. Whether it was the calmer moments of talking, tense stare-downs, or action set pieces, Mackie felt like Captain America. His chemistry with the rest of the cast was also great, particularly with Danny Ramirez, who played Joaquin Torres. They felt like a proper team, and I’m very much looking forward to seeing them work together in future projects. Speaking of Joaquin, he was the funniest character in the film. Some might say that he comes across as a bit annoying and too talkative, but that’s why I enjoyed the performance so much. It was a different type of quippiness than the MCU is used to, which I really appreciated.
One of the big changes in terms of the cast of this film was the recast of Thaddeus Ross, who is now portrayed by Harrison Ford, taking over from the late William Hurt. Initially, I thought the change would be too off-putting, but I was immediately put at ease. Ford’s portrayal was stellar and made me feel bad for the guy who, up till now, has been an antagonist in the MCU. There are even a few moments that tugged at the heartstrings, and it mostly has to do with Ford. I do wish they didn’t spoil that he becomes Red Hulk in the trailers and marketing because the film is structured as if you don’t know it’s going to happen. If they had kept Red Hulk under wraps, then the final act would’ve hit so much harder. Still looked cool as shit.
Giancarlo Esposito is also in the film and plays the leader of Serpent, Sidewinder. He honestly doesn’t do much in the film outside of two fight scenes and one conversation, but I love Giancarlo, so I enjoyed it nonetheless. I also enjoyed seeing Carl Lumbly back as Isaiah Bradley, and his part in the film was one of the emotional pillars that I think was executed well. His story does hit harder if you’ve seen The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, but it’s not essential to understand his journey.
Like a lot of blockbuster action films these days, the visual effects are wildly inconsistent. For every jaw-dropping action scene of Sam and Joaquin flying through the sky, there is a very obvious green screen background. There aren’t as many dodgy effects here as other films, but it’s still noticeable. But those action set pieces made me forget all about the visual inconsistencies. Hand-to-hand fights feel impactful and brutal, dogfights feel very much like Top Gun, and the fight between Captain America and Red Hulk, while shorter than expected, was still visually impressive. It’s a bit of a shame, then, that the score doesn’t match the epicness of these scenes. It does the job and isn’t bad, but I was hoping for something more grandiose.
Captain America: Brave New World is another decent MCU film and is reminiscent of the early years of the franchise. While a little lacklustre, the story has enough intrigue and mystery that I was engaged throughout. Anthony Mackie cements himself as the new Captain America, and Harrison Ford does an excellent job as Ross. And while there are a few visual inconsistencies, the spectacle of the fights makes it way more palatable. If you are burnt out with the MCU or superhero films in general, this will do little to change your mind. But if you go in with an open mind, you’ll have a good time with this film.
Have you seen Captain America: Brave New World? What did you think? Are you still interested in the MCU? Let us know in the comments where we can talk about all things Marvel.
