Since the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s dramatic climax in Avengers: Endgame back in 2019, the franchise has experienced what can best be described as an identity crisis. The MCU has put out many new films and even some TV shows in the past 6 years, but as a whole, they have struggled to connect with audiences like they used to. Marvel Studios’ newest movie, Captain America: Brave New World, has been highly criticized by critics. With a 49% on Rotten Tomatoes, along with low scores from many critics online, the film would appear to be a continuation of the MCU’s apparent struggle. I saw Captain America: Brave New World this past weekend and can confidently say that it is not as bad as critics make it out to be. Ironically, the film is neither brave nor new; however, that’s not always a bad thing.
Captain America: Brave New World follows the newly appointed Captain America, Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), who must uncover the culprit behind an assassination attempt on the President, Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford). This leads Wilson to discover some secrets that would better be left alone. The main antagonist of the film (who I will not spoil) was not revealed in any promotional material leading up to the film’s release, which did both good and bad for the film in my opinion. While it allows for a lot of mystery and suspense in the film’s first half, the eventual reveal of the “man pulling the strings” is underwhelming and uninteresting. Side villains steal the show, such as Sidewinder (Giancarlo Esposito) and Red Hulk, whose identity I won’t spoil.
The plot is simple in a good way. It takes cues from some of Marvel’s greatest hits, such as Captain America: The Winter Soldier. One of the secondary plot lines of the film follows President Ross’ struggle to maintain good relations with Japan and France, who are both eager to harvest a new alien resource created in the aftermath of the film Eternals. I like it when Marvel movies focus on more grounded, Earth-based conflicts and politics, so I’m glad this film went all the way in that department. Another thing I can praise about Captain America: Brave New World is that it actually builds upon the overarching story of the MCU. It almost acts as a sequel to Eternals, The Incredible Hulk, and Captain America: Civil War all in one.
This does unfortunately lead the film astray in some key areas. Namely, there are so many plot lines and characters in this movie that it makes it difficult for Mackie to hold the film down as the lead. He’s not as bad as Captain America, but it’s no small feat to follow up the iconic portrayal of Captain America by Chris Evans. In addition, the many plot threads continued from The Incredible Hulk seem a little out of place. Because The Incredible Hulk was released in 2008, it’s been a while since many Marvel fans have refreshed their memories with much of the sci-fi terminology and characters of that movie. It does seem bizarre that Captain America is tackling a conflict better suited for Hulk. Honestly, if any hero were to replace Sam Wilson in this plot, things wouldn’t change that much.
On a technical level, Captain America: Brave New World is perfectly serviceable. The editing is a little choppy; this makes sense given that the film had 22 days of reshoots in July 2024. The audience can tell when scenes seem out of place, especially when the main antagonist is able to seemingly travel from place to place in a matter of minutes. The action scenes as a whole are fine. The final two action scenes, one being a naval battle in the Indian Ocean and the other a dramatic fight between Captain America and Red Hulk were the highlights, but were unfortunately exceptions to the rule.
Overall, Captain America: Brave New World is a good film to see in theaters. It’s short, has some action, is largely light on storytelling, and is easy to digest as a whole. It has little to offer in terms of a deeper meaning, compelling performances, or something new and shocking to captivate audiences. Honestly, this is the type of movie that theaters need right now. With some friends, a big bucket of popcorn, and a large soda, Captain America: Brave New World works well. But, you aren’t missing much if you wait to watch the film on Disney+ when it eventually goes to streaming. I rate Captain America: Brave New World, a 7/10.
Sources:
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/captain_america_brave_new_world
https://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2025/02/14/captain-america-brave-new-world-review—youre-not-steve-rogers/
https://variety.com/2025/film/news/captain-america-brave-new-world-director-defends-harrison-ford-cameos-reshoots-1236315040/
