Score: A-/B+
Directed by
Starring Anthony Mackie, Harrison Ford, Danny Ramirez, Shira Haas, Giancarlo Esposito
Running time: 118 minutes
Rated PG-13
Long Story Short: Captain America: Brave New World is the fourth Captain America movie - but the first starring Sam Wilson (Mackie) in the role - and a very solid entry in the overall Marvel superhero world. Mackie's Wilson is a worthy successor to the shield and red-white-and-blue, even if he needs more time to become an icon of his own. The story has a gripping (fake) political element that carries over from earlier movies, and the action is top-notch (and fortunately, less fantasy-based). Highly recommended for theater viewing, Marvel fans or otherwise.
Sam Wilson (Mackie) is getting used to his new status and responsibility as Captain America, a role he has taken up from his old friend, Steve Rogers. Complicating the transition is a new President, the former General Thaddeus Ross (Ford) who has long been opposed to superheroes operating outside of government control. So Wilson cautiously decides to work with President Ross, but an attack on the White House causes an international crisis. Both Wilson and Ross have long histories in major world events, and in Ross's case, many skeletons in his closet, some of which are threatening to come out into the open. Not superpowered like Rogers, and without a team of Avengers around him, Wilson must rely on his wits and courage to avert all-out war.
Captain America: Brave New World is a solid return to a more standard superhero movie for Marvel; not as good as some of the originals, but entertaining and well-made. Even though it replaces Evans's Rogers for Mackie's Wilson in the title role, this sequel retains much of the tone and style of the earlier movies: political intrigue-based story with more grounded stakes yet pleasingly hard-hitting action. It's a nice change of pace since much of post-Avengers Endgame (2019) Marvel has emphasized more of the fantasy or sci-fi elements. The story also continues Marvel's interconnected themes: among others, Ross was first introduced seventeen (!) years ago in The Incredible Hulk and there is an artifact from Eternals (2021). You'll get more out of movie if you have followed Marvel's oeuvre, but it's not essential. The most interesting idea in Brave New World is making Ross - an ordinary man trying to keep the peace and order in a superhero/villain-filled world - a complex, nuanced figure, neither good nor bad though quite flawed. Wilson's character, unfortunately, doesn't get quite the same attention but is still intriguing as both a Black man taking on an iconic white hero's role, not to mention being a "normal", one-time sidekick trying to do so. Again though, if you've seen previous works (especially Disney+'s The Falcon and the Soldier), you'll have a very good foundation for the character. Mackie is very good as Wilson in a tough role. He has developed a distinct persona and has grown to meet his new role, but he's not (yet) as brilliant as the original cast of heroes (RDJ's Iron Man, etc.). Ford is great too, of course; while it feels a little odd since Ross was previously played by William Hurt (who died 2022), it's also somewhat appropriate since the character is different and more central here. Esposito is unsurprisingly awesome as a minor villain (who could and should return!); Lumbly is still excellent as an old veteran/super-powered mentor (a great partner for Wilson); and Haas is interesting as head of security, and neat that she's a former Black Widow assassin (another callback). My only gripe with the cast is Ramirez as Torres. He's OK at best, but the movie really could have used a great new sidekick for Wilson, someone much funnier and/or more distinct; too often Torres is merely kind of annoying.
Brave New World's action is very high-quality and creative, with several different varied set pieces that don't blur together or drag on so long as to get numbing or boring. Wilson's Captain America is an interesting hybrid who is his own hero: he still has Falcon wings (now with Black Panther's vibranium metal), plus an Iron Man-lite suit for tech/armor, and of course the shield. This setup is versatile for fight scenes both high-flying and hand-to-hand, powerful but not ridiculously so. The first fight shows off his abilities and skills, but also gives him a serious challenge and we see more of this later sprinkled throughout, just the right amount.The final fight against Hulk - which is frequently shown in ads/ previews - is better than I expected, as it effectively reminds us how powerful Hulks are and leads to a tense showdown with Captain America that features plenty of damage but not utter disaster-level. Humor, another Marvel trademark, is not as good here, though the movie provides some chuckles. The writing just isn't quite as snappy as the originals with their great banter and memorable one-liners; the dramatic dialogue isn't fantastic, either, but at least it manages to avoid being bad or cheesy. Overall, this is a strong Marvel film: one that stands on its own with a self-contained story, yet is also strengthened by movies/shows that came before it and provides seeds for future development.
***
Captain America: Brave New World met my hopes for Marvel's "return" in 2025 (2024 had Deadpool & Wolverine, which was fantastic, but felt separate from the rest of the so-called MCU). I already had confidence in Mackie and his ability to be the new Captain America, but I wasn't sure if the movie around him would do him justice. Fortunately, in just about every way, it did. I'll admit that it feels like it comes up a bit short to movies like Iron Man and the first Captain America, though part of that could just be my nostalgia. Now that we (at least, I) can rest assured that Marvel is just fine still on the fundamentals of movie making, I do hope that they'll continue pushing forward with new stories, themes, and ideas, like it did here with a Black man taking up Cap's shield. With two more Marvel movies to come this year plus probably at least a series or two, we shall soon see. In other movie news, I saw One of Them Days recently (very entertaining!) but haven't written a review yet; I hope to do a mini-review sometime soon. With the fallout from the pandemic and the 2023 writers' and actors' strike well behind us now, I'm optimistic for the rest of 2025. Until next time!
* By https://dam.gettyimages.com/thewaltdisneystudios/allaccess/#!asset/28ks3rpv49gp7cmxc48t8rt, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=73349947
