Okay, so Sam Wilson’s first solo film as the new ‘Captain America’ has officially hit theatres, and I have a few things to say about Marvel’s latest superhero film.
Since 2021, it’s been a widely shared sentiment that Marvel movies have had a high rate of flopability. I won’t sugarcoat it—I agree. So, does Brave New World break the trend? Short answer: Not really.
The film stars Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson, in the mantle of Captain America. There has been plenty of discourse on whether there should have been another Captain America after Steve Rogers.
Moreover, before the movie even hit theaters, Mackie raised some eyebrows in an interview by suggesting that Captain America shouldn’t necessarily represent America. That take had us at Silver Screen Unsolicited scratching our heads. If the guy carrying the shield doesn’t represent America, then who—or what—does he represent? The math wasn’t mathing.
Plot summary
Caveat: Captain America: Brave New world is a follow-up to The Falcon and the Winter Soldier on Disney+, so be warned that you might need to do some homework before you see the film so you’re all caught-up.
We open with an action-packed sequence, with Sam in his vibranium suit (don't worry, he still has wings) . Sam, alongside his sidekick Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez), is on a mission to recover stolen adamantium—yes, the legendary metal even stronger than vibranium—discovered from the Celestial body introduced in Eternals. (If you skipped Eternals, no judgment. I did too, and I have no regrets.)
Can I just say, for a hero with no superpowers, Sam Wilson can fight! That military training definitely pays off...at least until the last act.
Here, we are introduced to the first antagonist, Sidewinder (Giancarlo Esposito). Every time I see Espacito in a Disney project, he’s playing a black-suit-wearing villain. Anyways, Sidewinder is the ‘villain’ for all of two seconds.
We also get a reunion with Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly), the Black super soldier from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Like I said–homework. His storyline continues the film’s racial and political undertones, which are handled better than they were in the Disney+ series, in our humble opinion.
President Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford)–yes, President now–taking over from the late William Hurt (RIP). Firstly, who on earth allowed him into office?
Long story short, someone mind controls Isaiah into attempting to assassinate President Ross while they are at a summit in the White House, and Sam spends the rest of the film trying to stop the actual villains and clear Isaiah's name.
This film feels like the spiritual sequel to The Incredible Hulk, except without Bruce Banner. That particular movie…wasn’t exceptional, so I never thought it would get a sequel. Great, so we have to go back in time to 2008 to do some more homework!
The Good
Solid Performances from the main cast: Anthony Mackie delivers a charismatic performance, leaning into his comedic chops when necessary. Most of the established characters feel well-acted, even if the writing doesn’t always serve them well.
Darker Aesthetic: The film’s color scheme and cinematography try to lean into the espionage-heavy tone of Captain America: The Winter Soldier. While it doesn’t quite reach that level, the effort is noticeable.
Themes of Change & Politics: The film touches on themes of friendship, geopolitics, and redemption, particularly through Ross’s storyline. Some of these ideas could have been explored with a lot more intelligence, but at least the writers tried. I liked that they maintained the militaristic tone that is so staple to the characters of Steve and Sam. The movie pays its respect to veterans, which is a nice touch.
The Bad
Underdeveloped Characters: Most of the side characters, especially the new ones, feel hollow. For example, the red-room-widow-turned-presidential-security-advisor, Ruth Bat-Seraph, truly adds nothing to the story. It doesn’t help that the actress, Shira Haas (bless her heart), does not give the same badass, intimidating vibes Natasha used to give, but not for a lack of trying.
Weak Villains: Esposito’s villain is underwhelming, and the film has a “new villain every act” structure where new antagonists appear only to be quickly disposed of. Every single bad guy felt rushed. The second villain, Samuel Sterns, at least did some actual menacing. Moreover, he had better motives. If Ross did to me what he did to that man’s head, I’d have to go on a villain arc too.
Tired Tropes and impracticalities: The overused “I know you’re better than this” speech in the final battle was simply unbelievable. Sam Wilson, a non-superpowered hero, facing off against a certain final villain feels downright unrealistic. Even Steve Rogers at full strength wouldn’t have managed that fight.
The Ugly
Questionable Meta-Humor: There’s a scene where Sam jokes about President Ross having a “new look.” Given that William Hurt passed away, this joke felt like it was in poor taste. Am I the only one?
Horrific CGI: The film’s CGI—especially in the final battle—is shockingly bad. Marvel’s refusal to increase its VFX budget continues to haunt its projects. The visuals in the climactic fight were nearly approaching She-hulk levels of atrocious.
Certain superhero costumes: While we’re on the subject of low budget, it seems the costume department suffered a bit as well. The new Falcon suit looked like it was made of plastic. It made Torres look like a giant action figure, and not in a good way.
Captain America: Brave New World--Final Verdict
Captain America: Brave New World is disjointed, likely due to excessive reshoots. The plot is what some of us in the film critique community call a Frankenstein’s monster. The plot lacks focus, the writing fails its actors, and the film never reaches the heights of previous Captain America entries. It’s not the worst MCU or superhero movie of recent years, but it’s hard to go lower than that bar.
SSU Rating: 4.9/10
It’s just below average in general, but when compared to the Captain America trilogy, it doesn’t even come close. B+ for effort, though!
Personally, I am not entirely opposed to Sam inheriting the mantle of Cap, in theory, though I know that’s quite a controversial take. But what is SSU if not unsolicited opinions? If you agree or disagree with our takes, let us know in the comments!
-Rebecca Opio
Legal Notice & Disclaimer
The images, logos, and promotional materials used in this blog post were obtained from the official Walt Disney Studios press kit and are provided for editorial purposes only. All media remains the property of The Walt Disney Company and its respective copyright holders. This blog is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by The Walt Disney Company, Walt Disney Studios, or any of its subsidiaries.
Use of these materials falls under fair use guidelines for commentary, criticism, and review. If you are the copyright holder and believe any content has been used inappropriately, please contact us at joel.o@silverscreenunsolicited for prompt resolution.
Comments