A lot of time has passed since we last saw a solo Captain America movie hit theaters, and a LOT of things have happened in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that has led to some big and everlasting changes since the events of "Avengers Infinity War" and "Avengers Endgame". Among the many shifts to the status quo was Steve Rogers traveling back in time to live a happy life with his World War II era love interest Peggy Carter, becoming an old man in the process and passing on the mantle of Captain America to one of his closest allies and confidants in Sam Wilson, also known as the Falcon and a fellow veteran and soldier himself. His coming to terms and accepting the mantle of Cap was chronicled in the 2021 MCU TV Series "The Falcon and The Winter Soldier" - which hit during the middle of the pandemic and during a time when Marvel Studios was delivering a lot of media to propel their "Multiverse Saga" forward but with little connective blocks to leave fans invested in the bigger picture.
Captain America: Brave New World Trailer
Fast forward to 2025, and Marvel Studios is once again releasing three MCU films after taking a break last year with just one major release in "Deadpool and Wolverine". The first movie on the calendar and released during Valentine's Day weekend no less is "Captain America: Brave New World" - which will be the very first Captain America film without Chris Evans as Steve Rogers and putting the spotlight solely on Anthony Mackie's Sam as the new Star Spangled Avenger.
Thanks to Marvel Philippines and SM Cinema, I was able to catch a very special advance screening of the film on IMAX last February 11 along with the new exhibit launch that features a gallery, playable games, and photo booths and display areas inspired by "Captain America: Brave New World" - including life-sized statues of Sam Wilson as Captain America and the gamma powered alter-ego of Thaddeus Ross himself, the Red Hulk! Check out my coverage of the entire experience below!
TFATWS established the themes of legacy, racial and political issues, and following in the footsteps of one of the world's greatest heroes, and now Sam is now firmly into his tenure as Captain America for a couple of years and carrying the stars and stripes without any super soldier serum powering his veins... Now he faces a conspiracy that threatens to undo a treaty that involves a new element found in a celestial mass, as well as butting heads with newly elected US president Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross - who is now played by legendary veteran actor Harrison Ford. The stakes couldn't be higher for Sam - and he has to shine through and be the hero that wields the shield and continues the fight for what's right as the new Captain America.
As an action film, Brave New World hits all the right spots on the checklist - it's a no brainer Marvel Studios production that has superheroes flying, shields tossed at bad guys, and hulks smashing and destroying everything on their path. It tries to emulate the espionage and political themes that "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" had and encapsulated perfectly - but it falls short and instead focuses on trying to address other lingering plotlines and themes that were established in previous MCU films - most notably "The Incredible Hulk" and "Eternals". Anthony Mackie and Harrison Ford lead the charge and play their roles very well with charisma and determination, but the other players in the cast like Danny Ramirez as Joaquin Torres/ Falcon, Carl Lumbly as Isaiah Bradley, and Shira Hass only have so much to do other than carry the plot forward from point A to B. Lumbly in particular should have had a larger presence after TFATWS and what was initially seen in the trailer, but for the rest of the film he sadly hangs in the sidelines as a prisoner.
For the most part of the movie, Mackie's Cap is caught in a mess that prominently features Hulk supporting characters - with the aforementioned Thaddeus Ross as US president AND Red Hulk, and a returning Timothy Blake Nelson as Samuel Sterns aka The Leader. While there's absolutely nothing wrong with that, there were plenty of Captain America related subplots that took the backseat because of it - specifically the Serpent Society who were just limited to being hired mercs and only Giancarlo Esposito getting the sole screentime as the group's leader Sidewinder, and even that wasn't enough. One has to wonder what kind of film this originally was supposed to be without the changes and reshoots done - from being initially called "Serpent Society" to "New World Order", and finally settling on its final title "Brave New World" - and even that didn't have much of a payoff once the dust was cleared other than a tease that most audiences already knew.
While the product is certainly better than I initially expected it to be, Captain America: Brave New World just plays it safe and doesn't really bring some big change or revelation to the MCU table. There's no doubt it was entertaining and the fight scenes with Anthony Mackie as Cap and seeing Harrison Ford Hulk out and smash is awesome, but this movie could have been something more and brought significant developments to Sam Wilson's tenure as Cap. We'll just have to wait and see how everything plays out once the other MCU films and shows arrive - especially the inevitable ensemble movies with the new Avengers movies starting next year and in 2027.
Rating - 3/5
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