Captain America: Brave New World – Review

Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson is Captain America. If you didn’t get the memo at the end of Avengers: Endgame (2019) when Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) passed Wilson the shield and named him as the successor to the mantle, or missed out on Wilson’s transition from the flying Avenger, The Falcon, to the shield slinger in Disney+’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021) series, then Captain America: Brave New World will show you why a former soldier turned superhero deserves to fill the legacy.

From the moment he appears on screen, soaring through the air in his vibranium enhanced garb as he takes down mercenaries to retrieve a package, to his mano a mano showdown with every military veteran who wants a shot at the title of taking down Captain America, Wilson proves that he’ll never give up fighting for the regular man, and do what’s right.

Even when newly minted American President Thaddeus ‘Thunderbolt’ Ross (Harrison Ford) – who once tossed Wilson in the high-security prison, The Raft, for breaking the Sokovia Accords – calls on him to fight for his country, especially during a time where the mighty Avengers are no more, half of the world’s population have returned after a five year absence post-Snap, and the world is on the brink of a new era due to the appearance of a literal Celestial  body emerging from the depths of the planet, in the Indian Ocean.

It’s a lot to absorb but for longtime fans of the massive Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), this 35th outing, and penultimate entry in the current Phase 5 of the MCU, things cannot be clearer. The world has to move forward together, and who better to lead the way than a regular man without a super soldier serum, donning the star spangled banner.

Joining him on this journey is a new Falcon, Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez), as well as Black Captain America Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly), both introduced in the 2021 Disney+ series and have prominent presence in this sequel. Director Julius Onah (The Cloverfield Paradox, Luce) has his work cut out for him, juggling a huge cast of characters in one of the shortest MCU films, while also having to introduce new characters and elements, some with long-lasting repercussions in the MCU.

Onah spends a lot of time on Wilson, not in the heroics, but in the man’s continued journey and dedication to do what’s right, even in the face of resistance by his Commander-in-Chief. There’s also the question of Wilson’s human ability, and if he should take the serum that built, but not define Captain America. His extended fights with the Serpent Society, led by Sidewinder, played with grimacing menace by Giancarlo Esposito, and Copperhead (Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson) show his vulnerability but also his unwavering dedication to help. He also serves as a mentor to Torres, who’s eager to suit up and take flight, not unlike the hotshot pilot eager to help Steve Rogers.

But in many ways, this film also marks a rebirth, not only because there’s a new man behind the mask in this fourth outing of the Captain America film series, or that it serves as a high point in an otherwise lacklustre Phase 5, but that it also serves as a semi-sequel to 2008’s The Incredible Hulk, giving closure to Ross, who made his debut in that movie, but played then by William Hurt, who died in 2022, as well as wrapping up some of the loose threads left behind in that film.

Ford effortlessly steps into the role of Ross and fans following his character in the last 17 years know how controversial the character can be. Ross is rarely the hero in the story, and more often a representative of the unbending authority guided by blind duty, not loyalty. Yet, he’s now President and on the cusp of a new global treaty that can put the rare element adamantium in the hands of all man, and if history has shown, he always has an agenda. There’s also the fact that comic book fans also know that Ross becomes the Red Hulk, and while there is some shaky narrative here that shows how Ross becomes his own worst enemy, Onah manages to turn Brave New World into a revitalised outing for Captain America and the MCU, while setting things up for more.

Still, there’s no denying that the film suffers from some technical issues, mainly in the action department. Fight scenes are a tad slow, maybe to show that Wilson isn’t a super soldier, and the special effects, other than that of the Red Hulk, are rather muddy, with messy flight scenes that don’t represent the awe of an armoured Avenger taking flight. Maybe Tony Stark never shared his tech, but why would an advanced Wakandan’s vibranium suit look so much flimsier than an Iron Man Mark XX? 

The pacing revs up in the second half, even if some of the pauses between the action could use refining. The introduction of the movie’s real villain doesn’t come as a surprise nor satisfying because much of the set-up wasn’t there. Mind control has been used far too often in the MCU such that it becomes lazy, and that includes the cameo in the film – you knew he would show up, just not when and when he does, it doesn’t do much except raise more questions.

Despite some faults, Captain America: Brave New World serves as the second most important and fun move of Marvel’s Phase 5, and the non-superhuman Wilson narrowly dodges the superhero fatigue that has plagued its recent predecessors.

HSALS

Hsals needs more space in his house, and more money in his bank account to pay for all the toys, collectibles and other geek related items that companies are churning out. Free-time? Girlfriend? Who’s got time for those?