DISCLAIMER: This review might contain spoilers. Well, kinda. 

DESPITE being the fourth Captain America movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Captain America: Brave New World challenges its own legacy by presenting a new bearer of the shield. 

Former avenger and Falcon, Sam Wilson (played by Anthony Mackie) steps up as the new face of the titular character. If we are to remember in Avengers: Endgame (2019), an elderly Steve Rogers, having traveled back in time to live a full life, returned and entrusted the shield to Sam Wilson, expressing his desire for him to be the next Captain America. 

In Captain America: Brave New World, Sam Wilson, the new Captain America, becomes embroiled in an international incident after meeting with U.S. President Thaddeus Ross. He must uncover the truth behind a conspiracy orchestrated by the villain of the story. 

The anticipation for a new MCU film is palpable among Marvel fans, especially following the character development of Wilson in Disney Plus’ miniseries, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. I, myself, was curious about the possible internal struggles that would challenge Wilson and his character arc. 

However, after seeing the film, I realized that Brave New World is not really Captain America’s story— at least not entirely. The dominant theme of the movie doesn’t center around his character… not quite. 

What I liked about the film

But before we delve into the nitty-gritty of this review, I first want to enumerate the things that I really liked about the movie. 

First, we have to acknowledge that Captain America: Brave New World is primarily targeted to the Marvel fanbase. And for someone who grew up watching the standalone superhero movies back in the late 2000s, this film did good in connecting its universe to its predecessor and the larger Marvel universe. It gave more than a nod to the Hulk (2008) movie, where it was Edward Norton— and not yet Mark Ruffalo— who played the green, smashing hero. In fact, its plot is intertwined with the events and aftermath of the 2008 film. 

The next thing that really stood out to me while watching the film was its cast. There’s no doubt that Chris Evan’s Captain America is a huge shoes to fill in, but Anthony Mackie stepped into the role and did a great job. He was charismatic on-screen— from his stance to the way he delivers his lines, there’s really no doubt that he’s a superhero. 

His humor also worked well with the other cast, particularly with Danny Ramirez (playing Joaquin Torres as the new Falcon) and Carl Lumbly (who played Isaiah Bradley), who themselves were fun to watch on-screen. Danny Ramirez was an eye-candy throughout the movie even when he was beaten to a pulp, and it didn’t hurt that he was able to deliver his dialogues with charm. Carl Lumbly was also great, especially during the scene where he was caught and blamed for the attempted assassination of the president. 

But it was Harrison Ford who truly stole the spotlight with his depiction of Thaddeus Ross. It was interesting how the story took a more in-depth look at his character’s psyche, which was brilliantly brought on screen by Ford. Ford’s acting prowess were really in full display during the dialogue-ridden quiet scenes, where only his eyes convey to you his inner struggles. 

Of course, since this is a Marvel movie, a cameo is a must— and Brave New World did not disappoint. Fans hooted and cheered when another marvel character appeared on screen (I won’t tell who!) to comfort Wilson during his downpoint. 

This is not Captain America’s story

Critics like to roast the MCU films. They tend to categorize it as only a ‘popcorn movie’ that should not be taken seriously. While I disagree with this perspective and think that it’s an elitist view, I couldn’t help but agree with some of their points, especially after watching Brave New World. 

What I appreciated most about Marvel films from the early 2000s and 2010s was that, although their protagonists were superheroes, they weren’t entirely invincible. The stake in the story is still high because the protagonists have visible character flaws that could cause them what they want the most. Their superpowers could be a double-edge sword that could make or break them. 

For example, in Iron Man 2, Tony Stark struggled with the possible repercussions of the palladium core to his survival. Although he was Iron Man with his powersuit and his big brain and his empire, the stake was still upped when his life was threatened by the very source of his superpower. 

A similar struggle was presented in Hulk (2008) as Bruce Banner tries to get his superpower under control. 

In both these films, the protagonists were powerful but they were also vulnerable. This vulnerability allows suspense to permeate the plot. You find yourself asking: what would happen next? Would Tony Stark survive? Would Bruce Banner get his superpower under control or would he hurt someone innocent and it would be too late then? 

This is what Brave New World is lacking. Sam Wilson as Captain America has virtually no vulnerability! If there is, it wasn’t showcased in the film quite well. 

When he got attacked by Seth Voelker (Giancarlo Esposito), the knife barely grazed his chest. He even got stabbed in the abdomen, but the next scene was him and Joaquin already on a mission to investigate a military prison out in the woods.

The fight scenes in the movie were action packed and not overly complex in the sense that you don’t get confused over who’s fighting who, but they are not the kind that would have you on the edge of your seat. You don’t worry about Captain America— not at all— you knew he would survive! 

Maybe the closest we’ve come to having a little suspense was when Wilson’s armor was ripped off of him and he was (literally) in the mercy of his final enemy— a rampaging red Hulk. But the way Wilson survived this fell short of satisfying because the possible characteristics that were supposed to help him in the situation (e.g. his wit) were not established early on in the beginning of the film, leading to a flat effect among the audience. 

And I think, this not being able to establish Wilson’s defining characteristics, was a symptom of a much bigger problem in the story— that it was not his. He might be the titular character of the film, but he was just another pawn in the development of another character. 

And that character was the US President Thaddeus Ross. 

Just when the film opens, we are greeted by the internal struggle of Ross’ character: his daughter Betty (Bruce Banner’s romantic interest) doesn’t want anything to do with him after the stunt he pulled in his pursuit of the Hulk. 

Over the course of the film, Ross’ struggle with his character is the motif. He was trying to achieve a redemption arc which is hindered over and over again. 

Now, don’t get me wrong. I like this take on the story. I love the deep dive into Ross’ psyche as someone seeking redemption. But it was a shame that the movie’s attention was confused on who it needed to focus on: Ross or Wilson? 

Wilson’s internal struggle throughout the film was almost similar to the miniseries— he was grappling with the responsibility of being the new Captain America. He’s doubting himself and his ability to follow the legacy left by Steve Rogers. But since this area was explored in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, it would become redundant for the film to follow suit. 

So its solution is Ross’ story. 

It’s not bad— not really— but it would have been more cohesive and better for the story if Ross and Wilson had parallel internal struggles that mirror each other. Instead, it was Wilson and Joaquin Torres’ story who threaded this line. 

The Verdict

Captain America: Brave New World might not be a perfect film— but the thing is, it’s not aiming to be! If you’re a Marvel fan who’s keen to see the expanded cinematic universe, then I’m pretty sure you’re going to have a lot of fun. 

It’s also a promising start for the Avengers 2.0, which was touched on in the plot. It surely would be an interesting sight to have the new Captain America put the Avengers back together.