Review: ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ is a Serviceable if Lackluster MCU Entry with Solid Action

It’s been almost fifteen years since Captain America made his first appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and he’s worn a few faces in that time. 2021’s TV series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier promoted Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) to the role of America’s number one superhero representative, and as Phase Five of the MCU comes to a close, he gets his first shot at big-screen stardom. Mackie and Wilson deliver well in a film that’s decent enough but is hardly the standout of this mega-franchise’s many volumes.

At the start of this film, Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford) is the newly-elected President of the United States, and he’s trying to repair relationships that haven’t historically been great, like the one he has with Wilson. After Wilson and his right-hand man Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez), the new Falcon, step in to stop a weapons sale with dangerous implications, he’s called in to the White House, where President Ross’ global treaty following the discovery of adamantium is threatened by a mysterious prisoner with a serious vendetta against the former general who hurt a lot of people on his way to the top.

Fans of Captain America will be happy to see Wilson in this new capacity and particularly excited about the new upgrades to his suit courtesy of Wakandan vibranium. The combination of his wings and shield works very well, and the actions scenes benefit greatly as a result. Those who have long been watching MCU films will appreciate the incorporation of previously-seen characters from The Incredible Hulk and Eternals but may be disappointed that the film doesn’t stretch much further in terms of the greater universe, staying contained to the characters featured here without too many concrete hints of what’s to come. The centrality of adamantium to the storyline is also a letdown given its very specific usage as the material that makes up most of Wolverine and the clear opportunity – that will obviously be punted down the road a few films – to finally bring the X-Men into the fold in a formidable way six years after Marvel Studios finally got the rights to the characters.

What this film does offer in terms of its characters is still worthwhile, though promotional advertisements and posters heavily featuring Captain America facing off against Red Hulk do the film a disservice by unnecessarily giving away its third-act plot twist. Mackie and Ramirez are fun together, and they’re in good company with Shira Haas, whose role as Ruth Bat-Seraph, who works as head of security for President Ross, involves a few cool action sequences. Unfortunately, the controversy over – and subsequent suppression of – her Israeli identity doesn’t allow the character to fully achieve her potential, but she does do an impressive job of kicking ass, especially considering her diminutive stature and lack of any superpowers.

Ford, who, at eighty-two years old, is working as hard as ever starring in two different TV shows and a handful of films, steps in for the late William Hurt as an appropriately gruff and commanding Ross who, to his credit, is trying to be a better person that he’s historically been. Carl Lumbly is dependable as Isaiah Bradley, who’s past being a hero and has to contend with the grim reality of the world as it is now. Giancarlo Esposito and Tim Blake Nelson report for duty as the film’s main villains but the script doesn’t give them much to work with, playing up their scenery chewing but muddling their motivations and endgames, which lead to considerable pointless collateral damage and death. They’re reminiscent of the High Evolutionary from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, a bold figure with high aims who could have accomplished so much more had he just clearly defined his goals and chosen a more productive focus.

Those hoping for a film that drives the MCU forward and achieves serious worldbuilding won’t find that here, as even the film’s sole post-credits sequence doesn’t offer anything definitive in the way of previewing future events or character introductions. This also isn’t the best Captain America movie out of the four that have now been produced (it may be the weakest), but it is a firm sign that Mackie is more than capable of picking up and carrying the shield, and Wilson’s technical enhancements mean that this film, which is overstuffed with expository dialogue, is at its best when it embraces its title character’s sleek skills in hand-to-hand combat and showing off his neat tricks.

Movie Rating: 6/10

Awards Buzz: Only one Captain America movie – The Winter Soldier – earned an Oscar nomination for Best Visual Effects, and The Incredible Hulk, which closely mirrors some of this film’s visuals, didn’t get any. It’s never smart to count out Marvel altogether since fourteen films have earned Best Visual Effects bids, but this probably won’t be one of them and definitely won’t contend in any other categories either.