‘Captain America: Brave New World’ Movie Review: Anthony Mackie Carries This Serviceable Marvel Flick That Neither Feels ‘New’ Nor ‘Brave’ (LatestLY Exclusive)

Captain America: Brave New World Movie Review: Captain America: Brave New World is a very functional MCU movie. It’s a decent watch, the kind of Marvel film I’d have been perfectly fine with if it had arrived early in the franchise. It has its high points: a coherent plot, solid performances from the cast - particularly Anthony Mackie and Harrison Ford (who, despite clearly here to cash a hefty cheque, delivers an immersive performance) - and a chance for Sam Wilson to step out of Steve Rogers’ shadow and claim his own solo movie, a feat no secondary Avenger has managed to pull off. ‘Captain America – Brave New World’ Review: Anthony Mackie’s MCU Superhero Film Receives Mixed First Reactions.

But this isn’t the beginning of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We’re no longer in the era where ‘decent’ Marvel fare like Iron Man 2 or Thor would suffice. Captain America: Brave New World is the 35th film in the MCU, the world’s longest-running tied franchise, which shows no signs of ending. And forgive me for expecting Marvel to bring some pizzazz, even though post-Avengers: Endgame, that’s been a tall order. For every Spider-Man: No Way Home, there’s an Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania (the only Marvel movie I’ve ever dozed off during). The good news? Brave New World isn’t as bad as Quantumania. It’s watchable - just not memorable.

'Captain America: Brave New World' Movie Review - What’s the Plot?

Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross (Harrison Ford) has ascended to the highest office in the land—President of the USA. And much like how your average liberal side-eyes their new leader in real-life America (with good reason, let’s be honest), Ross is under the microscope. World leaders, citizens, and even the new Captain America, Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), are all wondering what he’s cooking up in the Oval Office. Spoiler: it’s probably not peace and goodwill.

Watch the Trailer of 'Captain America: Brave New World':

Ross summons Wilson for a chat and asks him to reassemble the Avengers. Wilson, ever the optimist, starts to think maybe Ross has turned over a new leaf. However, an assassination attempt on the President - orchestrated by a temporarily mind-controlled Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly) - sours their relationship. Suddenly, Wilson is persona non grata in the White House, and it’s up to him to figure out who’s playing puppet master with people’s brains and what their endgame is.

'Captain America: Brave New World' Movie Review -  Discount 'Winter Soldier'

It’s clear that Marvel and director Julius Onah want Brave New World to be the Captain America: The Winter Soldier of this new phase (whatever phase we’re in now - it’s hard to keep track without Avengers movies to mark the end). There’s a poetic symmetry here: Sam Wilson and Anthony Mackie debuted in The Winter Soldier, and now Wilson’s first solo outing as Captain America echoes that film’s political thriller vibe.

Unfortunately, Brave New World falls short of its predecessor. The entire plot is telegraphed in the trailers, and aside from a predictable cameo (anyone with minimal MCU knowledge would see it coming), there are no real surprises. Even the Red Hulk, a major draw in the trailers, feels like a missed opportunity—it would’ve been far more impactful as a surprise reveal.

The film draws heavily from real-world politics and racial tensions, but it doesn’t delve deeper than what was already explored in Wilson’s Disney+ series, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. Some beats feel repetitive, like Wilson’s self-doubt about being the right man for the mantle and yet another reminder from his ‘friend’ about why he is.

To make matters worse, Brave New World kinda retreads the same beats as The Winter Soldier: Sam sniffs out a conspiracy, Sam clashes with the system, Sam stumbles upon a hidden government facility, Sam gets his butt kicked before trying to talk sense into a brainwashed villain - rinse and repeat. Even the film’s final scene, featuring a character in a hospital bed, feels like a tired callback to its superior predecessor. While Brave New World aims to be a spiritual successor to The Winter Soldier, it ends up feeling like a watered-down imitation, with characters straining to fill shoes they can’t quite fill. Even the mind-washing plotline feels borrowed from another Captain America movie, Civil War. The Marvels Movie Review: Iman Vellani Salvages The Show But This 'Mid' Marvel Film Can't Save MCU's Downslide.

'Captain America: Brave New World' Movie Review - Characters: Hits and Misses

And yet, to fully grasp Brave New World, viewers need prior knowledge of The Incredible Hulk, Eternals, and The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. Casual fans might struggle to connect the dots, especially since the MCU has largely ignored The Incredible Hulk for years. It’s a shame Bruce Banner doesn’t appear here, given the film’s ties to his story. On second thoughts, it's best he didn't, considering how, apart from Wilson and Ross, the supporting cast might as well be cardboard cutouts with how little they’re given to work with.

There’s Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez), the new Falcon, who’s about as memorable as a background extra, making jokes that're annoying at worst and stolid at best. His presence only serves to remind us how electrifying Mackie’s debut as Wilson was in The Winter Soldier. And if Natasha Romanoff was the Black Widow we all loved in CA:TWS, meet Ruth Bat-Seraph (Shira Haas), the 'reformed' Black Widow working for Ross - who has neither the spunk nor has a memorable enough personality to make us see her make a return in future.

The villains, true to Marvel’s infamous curse of underwhelming baddies, don’t exactly steal the show. Giancarlo Esposito’s Sidewinder pops up for a couple of action scenes - one of which involves him fumbling around stiffly in a fight with Cap - and then sticks around just long enough to deliver some exposition before being shown the exit. It’s a waste of Esposito’s talent, honestly, and it feels like Marvel not knowing what to do with one of the most menacing actors on their payroll.

Then there’s Tim Blake Nelson, finally returning as the much-hyped Leader. While his motivations are somewhat justified, the character is so poorly served by the script that even casual viewers might struggle to understand how he managed to orchestrate his grand schemes. And let’s not ignore the CGI used for his greenish transformation; it’s distractingly artificial, making you wonder if Marvel blew their effects budget on the Red Hulk and just handed the Leader’s look to an intern. Ant-Man and The Wasp – Quantumania Movie Review: Paul Rudd's Marvel Film is a Bland Adventure That Exists Only to Set up MCU’s Next Phase.

The standout is Thaddeus Ross. The film explores his desire to undo his past reputation and appeal to his human side, tied poignantly to his daughter Betty’s forgiveness (Liv Tyler in a brief cameo). Ford delivers a nuanced performance, balancing Ross’s humanity with his suspicious actions, keeping the audience wary of his true intentions.

Anthony Mackie also shines, effectively portraying Wilson’s internal struggle and heroism. Yet, you can see a struggle in him to lead a Marvel movie of this magnitude without his 'old' buddy by his side.

'Captain America: Brave New World' Movie Review - Technical Shortcomings

Technically, Brave New World is a letdown. Compared to The Winter Soldier, which boasted iconic action sequences like the elevator fight, this film’s action feels ordinary. Whether it’s the big set-pieces - like Cap and Falcon trying to prevent a war near the Celestial Island - or the hand-to-hand combat, the choreography and editing lack finesse. The final fight scene - Red Hulk vs Cap - fared better mostly due to the locales chosen, the fight in itself is quite uninteresting. The duller colour palette and noticeable CGI in some scenes further detract from the experience.

For the 35th film in the MCU, it’s disappointing to see the visuals feel less vibrant than those from the franchise’s early days. If Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige wants to keep fans engaged, he might need to rethink taking their loyalty for granted.

PS: In a truly Marvel-lous twist of alternate reality, the MCU post-Blip has India flexing some serious geopolitical muscle, with the Indian Prime Minister dictating terms to the US President! Achche din aa gaye, at least in this universe!

'Captain America: Brave New World' Movie Review - Final Thoughts

Captain America: Brave New World is a serviceable MCU entry, but it lacks the spark needed to stand out in an increasingly crowded franchise. While Mackie and Ford deliver strong performances, the film’s predictable plot, underdeveloped characters, and lacklustre action make it a forgettable addition to the Marvel canon. It’s worth a watch (and you need some MCU homework to do beforehand), but there is nothing 'new' or 'brave' in this world!

(The opinions expressed in the above article are of the author and do not reflect the stand or position of LatestLY.)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 14, 2025 08:53 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).