By Seb Jenkins - February 13, 2025
Anthony Mackie and Harrison Ford shine but the latest Captain America outing is neither brave nor new nor world-shattering.
With a CV like Steve Rogers, Sam Wilson was always going to struggle to follow in the footsteps of his super serum buddy. Ironically, that weight hangs heavier on the Captain American franchise as a whole. Let us remember – Captain America: Brave New World is the 35th instalment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a sequel to 2008 movie The Incredible Hulk, a continuation of the events of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and in some ways a follow on from The Eternals. And breathe! That’s a whole lot of baggage to carry around behind you, even with Sam’s brand-new vibranium wingsuit. Unfortunately, while the actors shine and add great life to their on-screen characters, Brave New World can’t escape the frustrating old bog of Marvel fatigue.
Captain America: Brave New World picks up months after the events of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Sam Wilson, now universally accepted and well-loved as the new era Captain America is now taking orders from the US Government – specifically President of the United States Thaddeus ‘Thunderbolt’ Ross. Remember the moustachioed man who tried to gun down Edward Norton’s Hulk back in 2008, while the real world was reeling from The Great Recession? Yeah, that guy!
Ross is seeking the path to redemption and wants to strike a global accord to share the adamantium newly-discovered on Celestial Island – AKA, the giant man sticking out of the Indian Ocean as per The Eternals. Old Ross even wants Sam to get the old gang back together and re-form The Avengers! Great news seeing as we are indeed expecting an Avengers film in 2026 – fantastic timing. There is just one problem, an old friend turned enemy is lurking in the shadows and plots to turn America against Japan in all-out war. Of course, it’s up to Sam Wilson and Joaquin Torres – the new Falcon who is still a little wet behind the wings – to save the day.
Brave New World is at its best when it plays into the small-scale boots-on-the-ground action that made the original First Avenger movie so entertaining. The whole idea behind Sam Wilson as the new cap is that he is very much human, unaided by the super serum and fragile in a way that Steve never was. While the film references that over and over again, they never really play up to it. Sam gets rag-dolled around every corner of the screen without ever picking up more than a scratch, while once again Marvel makes the mistake of going too big. The opening scene shines as it shows off Sam’s unique fighting style with a combination of Cap’s shield, Wakandan wings, and advanced combat training. Unfortunately, Brave New World arguably never reaches those opening-scene heights again.
Marvel fatigue is very much real, no matter how much the MCU tries to fight it. If you come into a franchise as the 35th film – not even including the multitude of TV shows – you have to bring something fresh to the party. What Brave New World does – ironically- is rehash the storyline of Captain America: Civil War, only with a placeholder villain that has 10 minutes of screen time and a cast of heroes we just aren’t as invested in. Instead of Helmut Zemo turning Captain America and Iron Man against one other to destroy the Avengers by pulling the strings from the shadows, this time we have Samuel Sterns turning America and Japan against one another to destroy Thaddeus Ross by… wait for it, pulling the strings from the shadows.
I do also worry whether introducing the concept of simple widespread mind control, along with the idea that Skrulls can impersonate anyone, might be like opening the MCU version of Pandora’s Box. If anyone can be anyone and said anyone can make anyone else do anything, then it feels like the rulebook is out the window. Perhaps that is an argument for another day.
Captain America: Brave New World is not without redeeming features. When grounded, the action sequences felt fresh and fun. The witty banter between the new Cap and Falcon was charming and believable, a testament to Anthony Mackie and Danny Ramirez who are both brilliant as always. Harrison Ford and Giancarlo Esposito are both acting titans and shine on screen, although to say the latter is used sparingly would be an understatement. The Brave New World script feels a little paint-by-numbers, but this is not like watching Daniel Day-Lewis act in a primary school production. For portions, it is still entirely watchable and entertaining as simple action-packed fun goes. I just wish that Marvel had gone smaller with a gritty and grounded story akin to Captain America: The First Avenger. Alas, Steve Rogers continues to cast a mighty shadow.
Releasing in cinemas February 14
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