By Draven Copeland, Editor in Chief
Contrary to what seems to have been the popular sentiment, I’ve been excited for Captain America: Brave New World for quite some time. Now it’s finally here.
But, how does it shape up against the previous three Captain America films? What Marvel movies do you have to watch to know what the hell is going on? And, most importantly, how does Anthony Mackie embody the role?
Well, let me hit you with a spoiler-free review with answers to all these questions, and, as a bonus, my thoughts on the newest installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
As many are likely aware, it’s been quite some time since Captain America has had his very own film. It’s been nearly a decade since 2016’s Civil War, and while Chris Evans’ iteration of the mantle continued to be a large part of the MCU until Endgame, the role of Cap has been relatively dormant outside of the season finale of 2021’s television series, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
All of this to say, there is a lot of weight on this newest film’s shoulders not only to bring back the character, this time embodied by Anthony Mackie’s portrayal as former Falcon Sam Wilson, but also to continue paving the way forward for post-Endgame Marvel.
Because of all this, comparing Brave New World to the previous Captain America films is somewhat difficult. There are a lot of the same espionage/political subversion vibes we saw in The Winter Soldier and Civil War, leaving Cap to discern who to trust like Evans’ Steve Rogers did in those previous films. The problem is, the stakes just seem smaller in this one… more on that later. In terms of quality, I would say it’s about on the level of The First Avenger, not as great as the second and third films but still perfectly enjoyable and featuring a clear good vs. bad (even the villains are matching colors, Red Skull and Red Hulk).
This difficulty in comparison actually brings up one of my issues with the film: it really feels more like a sequel to 2008’s The Incredible Hulk than a sequel to any Captain America film. Don’t get me wrong, I loved The Incredible Hulk, but I was constantly asking myself why getting a direct follow-up to that story came in the form of the fourth Captain America movie 17 years later.
So, you definitely need to see that movie to know what the hell is going on. While that’s honestly the only “required” watching, the film also follows up on plotlines from 2021’s Eternals and, of course, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. You’ll notice I didn’t mention any of the previous three Captain America movies, something that irked me as a longtime Marvel fan.
Being a comic book fan first and comic book movie fan second, I find it interesting that the films still have yet to consistently crack the code on keeping stories that are centered on a character sequential to one another. In the comic books there are crossovers between characters and plotlines almost constantly, yet, if you read every Captain America book, you’ll still understand what’s going on in the next one. Even if you’ve watched every Captain America movie, you won’t have the context needed for Brave New World, which is something I’m both not crazy about and feel like should be known before going into the movie.
All of this aside, the acting was truly very good. I honestly enjoyed every performance from both old characters and new, which really gave strength to Mackie’s portrayal as the titular character. The symbolic nature of the character’s mantle is not lost in the slightest, and I feel like Mackie perfectly balanced following in Evans’ footsteps with creating a unique and new iteration of the character. It was also fun to see him portray Sam Wilson’s transition from sidekick Falcon to the main hero in a way that was believably smooth and natural. Steve Rogers’ trust in him was clearly well-placed, as it’s clear that Sam has learned from Steve’s time with the mantle and is wanting to live up to the legacy that Captain America holds.
Surprisingly, Brave New World had not only one but two roles being taken over by new actors. Another stand-out performance I was worried about going in was Harrison Ford’s portrayal as General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, a.k.a. Red Hulk, taking up the role after the tragic passing of William Hurt. Hurt had given life to the character in multiple MCU films prior, and Ford’s interpretation of the character very much honors Hurt’s decisions with the role while adding a deeper emotional core, something that I think really helps carry the film in some of its more fantastical sequences.
Overall, I thought it was a pretty good time, definitely not the best film we’ve gotten in either the Captain America or larger MCU franchises, but definitely not the worst either. With a few twists and turns I can’t go into without spoilers, a truly interesting/unique story in the Marvel universe and a stacked cast of great performances, Brave New World has a lot going for it. If only you didn’t have to watch a combined 9 hours of content from films and a TV show that aren’t Captain America-focused to know what’s going on.
I’ll go with a strong 6/10 on this one, and I wish I could tell you more about why without spoiling the movie. Go see it for yourself and get back to me; after all that’s the only way you’ll really know what you think about it!
