The year is 2010….wait no it’s not its 2025 yet for some inexplainable reason (even though this was supposed to come out in 2023ish) we’re getting a direct sequel to The Incredible Hulk while the titular character (Hulk) has been recast, isn’t in the movie at all, and William Hurt has been recast due to his unfortunate passing. So why is Captain America: Brave New World a sequel to a 17 year old movie that started the entire MCU (Iron Man be damned). While this is supposed to mark the beginnings of a new Captain America (isn’t that what Falcon and The Winter Soldier was for though really?) why is he not the focal point of his story? Why is it messy, and more importantly if we’re launching into one of the biggest comic stories of all time with Doomsday, we have no Avengers and a Captain who can’t even be sure he’s worthy of the role itself.
The movie focuses on Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) who’s now become Captain America after Steve Rogers (Chris Evans – not in the film) has passed the shield and mantel to him. He is questioning where he fits in as Captain America though, as he doesn’t think he is Steve and doesn’t deserve the mantel and responsibility. He connects with old friend and one of the original Captain America’s – Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly) as he wants to teach his new Falcon Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez) the ropes of becoming Falcon. However, Sam is butting heads with current President of the United States Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford) and things become as tense as ever when Isaiah takes shot at the President at a national address even though he was brainwashed, by who we find out later to be revealed as Samuel Sterns (Tim Blake Nelson). The rest of the movie becomes a Winter Solider esque storyline (I wonder where was that before…with more interest and Cap focus) while Sam tries to find Sterns and clear Isaiah’s name while introducing a new foe in the third act that was completely ruined by the marketing – spoiler alert the characters in the movie for roughly ten minutes.
There are highs and lows in every movie and the most surprising high is the fact that Harrison Ford is fantastic in the role of Ross. This shouldn’t be surprising as Ford is an incredible actor – however the entire press tour has been ‘bah humbug I just show up and get paid’ yet he’s the strongest part of the entire movie, even when he becomes the Anger emoji from Inside Out. Ford truly delivers an incredible performance that is grounded and layered bringing a level of politicalness to the film – that doesn’t choose sides but the rest of the film is messy. Tim Blake Nelson as the villain is just bringing forth a rehash of the villain from The Incredible Hulk that didn’t get their full time to shine. It’s not here or there, it’s not a Captain America villain per say, there isn’t enough for Sam to really do with Sterns, it just falls flat. However the biggest issue here is that Anthony Mackie that has been in countless Marvel movies as Sam Wilson already, had an MCU television show establishing him as the new Captain America is still unsure about his status as Captain America. To launch a new avengers hinged on a Captain America that doesn’t know if they want to be Captain America is a choice, and one that makes the future more shaky than we could’ve ever expected.
Between Rob Edwards, Malcom Spellman, and Dalan Musson Captain America: Brave New World works a thousand times better when you remove Captain America. It is at its most basic a fun, entertaining, and mid-tier spy thriller, and at its Marvel-ness it’s a mid-tier phase one movie (which removing the Avengers was a lot of mediocre to be honest). Captain America: Brave New World has an identity crisis, which leading towards one of the biggest stories in the next few years is worrisome, it addresses a 17 year old movie and the Eternals without giving it its own legs to stand on. We need to have our titular hero shake off the cobwebs, gain some confidence, or simply have him resign the shield to Bucky Barnes and let the winter soldier dawn the cowl.
