Marvel’s first Captain America film since Civil War in 2016 is a surprisingly good watch despite several flaws. Regardless of rumours which circulated about the film’s production struggles, Captain America: Brave New World delivers a fun experience with a more traditional Marvel feel compared to many of the post Avengers Endgame films. The film’s premise is quite reminiscent of The Winter Soldier but doesn’t ever quite hit the highs of that story. That’s not to say that Brave New World doesn’t have highs; the teased Red Hulk fight and the mission over Celestial Island both deliver good action and thrills with creative uses for Sam Wilson’s (Captain America) Vibranium wings and gives us a first look at the new Falcon (Joaquin Torres) in action.
The main acting highlights come from Anthony Mackie (Captain America), Carl Lumbly (Isaiah Bradley), Harrison Ford (Thaddeus Ross) and Tim Blake Nelson (Samuel Sterns) who particularly stood out in how they played their characters. Anthony Mackie makes Sam Wilson feel like the natural next Captain America, a line also used in the film by a familiar face which perfectly summarises the new Captain. Carl Lumbly picks up from where he left off in Falcon and The Winter Soldier as the brilliant Isaiah Bradley and Tim Blake Nelson makes Samuel Sterns come across as intelligent yet fearful. Harrison Ford as Thaddeus Ross feels so perfectly cast that he smashes the role out of the park, perfectly portraying a president who you can’t tell whether to trust or be wary of and a particular highlight scene of his has to be the Celestial Island battle.
However, a big issue that this film suffers from is that the ‘surprise’ twist at the end – being that the president is actually Red Hulk – had already been revealed and shown in so much detail across all of the film’s marketing that the moment just doesn’t hit like it should. Even within the cinema itself, the advertising boards show you his transformation in the final act which unfortunately defeated the point of building the mystery up throughout the film of Samuel Stern’s grand plan and the tension around Thaddeus Ross. It’s very difficult to go into the film and not know that the final fight is between the new Red Hulk and Captain America as clearly Marvel has used this to draw in the fans. The issue comes with how much they’ve shown in the trailers, revealing both the existence of Red Hulk for the first time which takes away from other scenes and teasing that his arrival will be set in a public place. This could have been avoided by showing the Red Hulk without revealing the details around his entrance making the film far more mysterious and tense. Red Hulk is however still a good reveal and a seriously intimidating presence during his limited screen time. I certainly hope that the character returns in future projects.
The storyline does not reinvent the wheel and instead serves as a good starting point to the upcoming Avenger’s saga – Doomsday and Secret Wars out in May 2026 and 2027 respectively. It shows us that the new Captain America is ready to lead with the support of the US public, and that he has his own spin on what it means to be Captain America, rather just trying to imitate Steve Rogers.
The spy thriller tone of the film generally works, but the ultimate mystery of the film is straightforward to work out although this doesn’t take away from the viewing experience. The initial questions around Isaiah Bradley’s intentions are easily the most compelling which is in no small part due to the outstanding performance put in by Carl Lumbly. Sam Wilson’s mentor-like bond with Isaiah makes his motivations clear which helps him to discover the greater mystery at play without it feeling forced or unnatural. Joaquin Torres however needed more time to develop into the new Falcon. His step up into the role isn’t nearly as impactful as it could have been and despite him being an easily likeable character, he lacked serious development until the end of the film. Others like Ruth and Sidewinder are executed well but they don’t really develop beyond being side characters, although there’s certainly scope for their roles to expand further down the line – especially Sidewinder who is likely to return alongside the Serpent Society. The film also helps set up Marvel’s next big outing Thunderbolts* and confirms that a new Avengers team will be formed, along with reminding the viewer of the seemingly imminent arrival of the X-Men and Deadpool into the main MCU timeline.
Overall, the film makes for satisfying viewing and doesn’t overstay its welcome. It’s a fun family film which can be enjoyed by all. Although not a cinematic masterpiece, Captain America: Brave New World delivers a solid MCU experience with familiar characters that has been largely missing since Endgame and gives hope for an exciting future for the MCU.
James Inglis
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