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“Captain America: Brave New World” attempts to breathe life into a franchise that, since the 2019 release of “Avengers: Endgame,” has struggled to find its footing. Whether it’s continuously releasing subpar material, lead actors being convicted of sexual harassment or flooding the market with an overwhelming and unsustainable amount of Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) content, Marvel has had a difficult time adjusting to expectations in a post-“Endgame” world. “Captain America: Brave New World” is supposed to help revive the franchise and provide a solid foundation for the future — but does it succeed?
To put it bluntly: No.
If you were already skeptical of Marvel before watching “Captain America: Brave New World,” there’s nothing in this film that will convert you into a believer in Kevin Feige’s new vision for the post-“Endgame” MCU. The best way to describe this movie in one word? Passable. The acting, story, special effects, character development and cinematography are all neither exceptional nor terrible — just passable.
The film picks up where the television show “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” left off. Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) is now Captain America, but unlike Steve Rogers or the Winter Soldier, he lacks superpowers. However, what he lacks in this department, Wilson makes up for in elite fighting skills and effective knowledge of his EXO suit, a contraption that allows him to fly, utilize high-powered weapons and much more. The movie kicks off with an action sequence featuring Captain America facing off against a dangerous arms dealer, Seth Voelker, aka Sidewinder (Giancarlo Esposito).
In this role, Esposito continues his trend of essentially playing variations of Gus from “Breaking Bad” across different franchises. In “The Mandalorian,” he was Darth Gus; in the “Far Cry 6” video game, he was Gangster Gus; and now, in “Brave New World,” he’s Arms Dealer Gus. This casting choice immediately inspires animosity towards the film, as it would be nice to see an actor of his caliber branch out into more varied roles instead of being typecast.
Tangents aside, the opening action sequence is fine — entertaining enough, but not a standout moment in the franchise that features such greats as the elevator scene in “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” or the airport fight in “Captain America: Civil War.” As the plot unfolds, it becomes clear that the story involves more than just a petty arms dealer. Among the chaos, the narrative reveals a government conspiracy, echoing a similar storyline to “Captain America: The Winter Soldier.”
On the acting front, Mackie delivers his weakest performance in the franchise, which is especially disappointing given that he’s the lead. In contrast, Carl Lumbly’s portrayal of Isaiah Bradley is easily the film’s strongest performance. The pain and disappointment of Bradley’s decades-long struggle is visible in Lumbly’s every expression. Harrison Ford also performs well as Thaddeus Ross, the U.S. president. However, if you’re expecting to see Ford as Red Hulk, a plot point which the movie heavily marketed upon, prepare to be underwhelmed — he’s in Hulk form for all of 10 minutes at the very end of the film.
The plot is functional but far from groundbreaking, adhering to a structure reminiscent of a previous film in the Captain America franchise, only attempting to differentiate itself with a new main character. However, despite these efforts, the film never truly escapes the shadow of its predecessors, feeling more like a rehash than a bold new direction. The same can be said for the writing, which, while competent, lacks the depth or originality needed to elevate the film beyond mere familiarity. It contains almost the exact same beats as “The Winter Soldier”: the U.S. government has been compromised, Captain America doesn’t know who to trust, he doesn’t know who his enemy is until revealed later in the film and Captain America puts his neck on the line to ensure that his loved ones don’t face negative consequences. All of this is executed well in “Brave New World,” but this same basic plot can explain the events of the “Winter Soldier,” which does the same thing but better. This leaves the film feeling like a good copycat of an already amazing film rather than a new experience adding new depth.
The quality of the film is disappointing but not surprising. I firmly believe that the “Captain America” movies are one of the best trilogies in cinema history — a bold take, I know. It contains a solid origin story for Steve Rogers, followed by two of the best films in comic book movie history with “Winter Soldier” and “Civil War.” A part of me wondered if a return to the Captain America storyline, which had been mastered in the past, could make a good film and potentially even recapture some Marvel magic. Unfortunately, this film convinced me the magic is long gone. While it’s disappointing that Marvel released the worst movie in the Captain America franchise, ultimately, it is not surprising, given the sheer amount of slop the studio has released post-“Endgame.”
Ultimately, “Captain America: Brave New World” is, once again, passable. While it serves as a reasonable sequel to the 2021 series “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” it fails to be more than just okay. If you’re looking for a fun action movie to watch with friends or have time to kill, this could be an enjoyable experience. But if you’re hoping for an exceptional superhero movie, you’re better off revisiting “The Winter Soldier,” “Civil War” or any other number of superior MCU films.