Captain America: Brave New World review (2025)
Captain America: Brave New World is very much like a return to form for Marvel Studios’ long-term storytelling. The Multiverse Saga hasn’t been as smooth as The Infinity Saga, but Brave New World felt like the connective foundation that was desperately needed to get Marvel Cinematic Universe fans excited about the future of the brand.
It’s the future that’s seemed most in jeopardy for MCU. The Multiverse Saga’s strongest — and most profitable films — Deadpool & Wolverine and Spider-Man: No Way Home both benefitted greatly from a nostalgia factor. The films were excellent, but both made good use of cameos and supporting roles from previous popular Marvel movies.
Brave New World is a fitting and ironic title for the fourth Captain America film and first one with Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson in the titular role instead of Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers. It’s a statement on Sam’s Captain America being a pivotal player ushering in the next slate of Marvel films culminating in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars.
The ironic aspect is because it certainly seems like Brave New World took plenty of inspiration from one of the MCU’s earliest and best standalone films — Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Eventually some YouTuber with plenty of inspired time on their hands will point out all the similarities between The Winter Soldier and Brave New World. And there are several.
Still, it’s hard to find fault with the filmmakers’ attempt at capturing the magic of Cap’s second film. Winter Soldier took the MCU storytelling to another level under the guidance of directors The Russo Brothers and screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, who would go on to helm other Infinity Saga epics Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.
Setting aside the third Deadpool and Spider-Man films (with apologizes to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which was more of an Infinity Saga epilogue), Brave New World is the highlight of this new slate of Marvel films. It’s due in large part to Mackie’s charisma and the sense that the events that played out here will actually have some significance in the future.
Regardless if viewers watched the Disney+ series The Falcon and The Winter Soldier or just remembered Sam getting Captain America’s shield during the closing beats of Endgame, Brave New World is fairly easy to pick up. Thaddeus ‘Thunderbolt’ Ross (now played by Harrison Ford following the 2022 death of William Hurt), the man responsible for the disbanding of the Avengers, has been elected president.
Hurt was fantastic as Ross though it certainly doesn’t come off like a weak substitute to have Ford replace him. Not surprisingly, Ford is more than up to the challenge of playing a president concerned about his legacy as he faces his inevitable mortality. A thought that both terrifies and haunts him.
With the arrival of a land mass created by a Celestial — literally the only detail you need to know about The Eternals — the race is on to cultivate the new material for the good of all mankind. Ross is entering the US into a treaty with Japan, France and India over fair use of the new resource. While he’s establishing his legacy, he also wants to further it by reforming the Avengers under Sam’s command. Naturally, Sam would report to Ross for final authority.
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Sam has worked past his initial doubts of carrying the shield or any apprehension of upholding the name of Captain America. He’s fully embraced the role if not so totally the idea of his pal Joaquin (Danny Ramirez, Top Gun: Maverick) becoming his superhero sidekick, the new Falcon. Mackie and Ramirez have a terrific bond that seamlessly flips the dynamic with Steve Rogers being the established Captain America and Sam Wilson’s Falcon being the inexperienced hero understudy.
Mackie proves the role of Captain America is in excellent hands. He’s got a likable screen presence that feels like Sam is an every man’s kind of man with a huge heart willing to lay his life down to save someone else. Mackie exudes leading man energy showing off his comedic side, his action hero side and a caring, calming nature. If nothing else, Brave New World left me excited about the possibilities of who Sam will choose for his Avengers.
There is one subplot that’s helpful to have watched The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. This involves Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly), the secret Captain America of the 50s whose story was buried for decades until Sam helped get the truth out. Isaiah has maintained his friendship with Sam ever since and occasionally helps train him to stay in tip top fighting shape.
At Sam’s request, Joaquin and Isaiah are invited to attend a White House ceremony where Ross intends to finalize the treaty. Until an assassination attempt spoils the moment sending Ross to his bunker for safe keeping, Isaiah in jail and Sam scrambling to clear his friend’s name. He’s got to accomplish the latter before Ross’ security head, Ruth Bat-Seraph (Shira Haas) makes any snap judgements on Isaiah’s guilt. Ross believes in having the best people around him as another of his top security aides is Sam’s longtime friend, Leila Taylor (Xosha Roquemore).
This starts an intriguing conspiracy style thriller plot that director Julius Onah kick starts with a series of adrenaline rushes over and over. Sam, Joaquin and Ruth work to uncover the truth behind the assassination attempt while dealing with various threats. Brave New World had a number of hands-on deck tackling the script. Rob Edwards, Malcolm Spellman & Dalan Musson, and Onah & Peter Glanz all received screenwriting credits. Typically, that makes for an awful stew, but the film didn’t sound like it was written, rewritten and rewritten again by several parties.
Sam and Ross’ motivations stay consistent and there’s no jarring sudden shift in agendas. Despite the various script touch-ups, there’s sensible connections from films from as far back as The Incredible Hulk, Civil War and more recent fare like The Eternals in a way that proves rewarding once again to be invested in the entirety of the MCU. One character from the early days of the MCU (Tim Blake Nelson) proves far more formidable than anyone ever could have considered as a major problem that needs to be taken out.
One of the few disappointments was the handling of the Serpent Society, longtime foes of Captain America in the comic book with costumes and powers playing up a snake motif. Like Hydra, the colorful Serpent Society are clad in boring black color schemes and little to differentiate the members or any special skills. At least the Serpents provide an avenue to spotlight Giancarlo Esposito, who makes for a fun diversion villain with the potential to be a bigger player later on.
The trailers have revealed that eventually Captain America faces off against a Red Hulk. Onah establishes throughout the film that Sam has mastered the art of small-scale aerial combat. This is another reason why Ramirez’s Falcon is so important — to show Sam is unequaled at this brand of warfare. The aerial dogfights are stunning sequences that channel a Top Gun style of shootouts in a superhero setting.
Timing for Brave New World was tricky as the real-life current political climate was going to make some viewers on either side of the aisle feeling a certain kind of way. Brave New World’s filmmakers seek to be political neutral to avoid any allegories to what’s playing out in the actual world. It’s mostly successful, but just the nature of this type of storyline that some people will be offended by any legit or imagined slight.
Captain America: Brave New World is a welcome get-right film for the Multiverse Saga and one that firmly places Mackie’s Captain America straight in the middle of the important home stretch of this arc.
Rating: 9 out of 10
Photo Credit: Marvel Studios
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