Set sometime after the events of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021), Captain America: Brave New World finds newly elected president Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford) appointing new Captain America Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) to stop the Serpent Society in illegal weapons trafficking. Led by Sidewinder (Giancarlo Esposito), the Serpents put up quite the fight but ultimately are no match for Captain America and the new Falcon, Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez). Whilst they captured most of the Serpents, Sidewinder manages to escape.
It turns out that the illegal weapons sale wasn’t Sidewinder’s actual goal, with him receiving orders from a secret mastermind, who has plans to topple the government and destroy Thaddeus Ross. After former super soldier Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly) attempts to assassinate Ross, Wilson and Torres decide to investigate for themselves and put a stop to whoever is behind this plot.
Back in the day, a film like Captain America: Brave New World would have been the kind of blockbuster you would have expected to see released in the height of summer. It’s a sign of the times that such a film would be released so early in the year. However, with the numerous tales of woe surrounding Brave New World’s production, it isn’t just a change in audience’s viewing habits that saw it being unceremoniously dumped mid February. Clearly this isn’t a film Marvel feels confident about, no matter what they say to the contrary.
The reported reshoots weren’t exactly a good sign. Obviously, a fair majority of productions have their behind the scenes drama, but when it results in such major changes to the originally planned film that full characters are either removed or added to the film, you begin to wonder how detrimental it will be to the final film.
Having watched Brave New World, I wish I could say that all those reshoots were worth it. Now unlike many other critics, I still managed to enjoy the film, but I won’t lie and say it doesn’t have its problems. Some of these are the expected issues we find in most MCU movies, with some sub-par CGI and undeveloped characters being the most notable.
My main takeaway from the film was ultimately how unnecessary it seemed. What should have been a major event in the Marvel Cinematic Universe sadly lacks the grandeur that is required for a film of this ilk, especially when taking into account how much was spent to produce it. Considering the stakes, the events that unfold seem decidedly small scale in comparison to many of the MCU’s previous output.
As with many films in the MCU, director Julius Onah is unable to inject much of a distinctive style into proceedings that would differentiate it from others in the franchise. This is a given in the MCU, so I don’t say this as a criticism. Obviously it was a difficult shoot, and Onah does a commendable job in keeping things moving along at a decent pace, with an action scene never too far away when things look like they’re about to lag. I had noted some considered the film boring, but this is one criticism I don’t think is valid.
There is some attempt to inject a level of political commentary into the mix, but for the most part this is undeveloped. Some may see some allusions to recent real life events but these are merely coincidental, with the filmmakers smartly refusing to take a political stance.
What is more surprising about the script is that it is the work of five different (credited) writers. This is no doubt down to the reshoots, but even so you will find yourself questioning how five people couldn’t come up with a better script than what was ultimately used. There are some emotional highs during the film, but for the most part this is down to the quality of the cast than anything in the script.
The action scenes, whilst capably handled, lack the scale of what we have come to expect from the franchise, being more on par with those that appeared in the MCU’s TV shows such as Hawkeye or The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
Speaking of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, in some respects that actually worked as a better vehicle for the new Captain America than Brave New World. Due to that show taking place over six episodes, there was more of an opportunity to flesh out the characters and plot, something this film struggles with. In some respects, it may have been a better idea to develop this as a limited series where they could further delve into the backgrounds of Wilson, Ross, Bradley and the like.
Instead what we end up having is a Captain America film that struggles to live up to what has come before, a film that ultimately feels rather perfunctory in the grander scale of the MCU. As great as it is to see Mackie fully embrace the mantle of Captain America, it’s a shame Brave New World turns out to be less the sum of its parts.
However, as I said, I was still able to enjoy the film and this is mostly down to the aforementioned Mackie and movie legend Harrison Ford easily walking away with the film’s best moments. Taking over the role from the late William Hurt, Ford makes the part his own, with the character clearly being retro-fitted to more suit Ford’s personality. Being grumpy and deadpan seem to be Ford’s default settings, but he also injects a fair bit of emotion into his performance. His take on Ross is a man filled with regret, with him clearly wanting to do what he thinks is best for the country, even if that means breaking some laws in the process.
Ross’ development into becoming the Red Hulk was already spoiled by the film’s trailers. Wouldn’t it be great to live in a world where you could go into a film and still be surprised. Sure comic book readers no doubt know that Ross becomes Red Hulk, but think of the excitement amongst casual moviegoers if he was to unexpectedly show up during the finale, rather than being told months in advance.
The Red Hulk’s eventual appearance leads on to the film’s most memorable set piece, where he and Captain America wreck half of the White House and the surrounding area during their battle. Whilst the CGI for Red Hulk is impressive, there is still some extremely poor green screen work employed during the action. This could be blamed on reshoots, but Marvel’s track record tells me otherwise. As impressive as this set piece is, like the others in the film it feels like it should be larger in scope. Just when the action seems to be building up to something bigger, it’s over.
Other than Mackie and Ford, many of the cast members feel short changed. Whilst it’s great to see Tim Blake Nelson finally return as the Leader, he is underused, never becoming as important a villain as he should be.
Underused seems to be par for the course here, as the same claim can be levied at most of the supporting cast. Danny Ramirez is a likeable presence as new Falcon Joaquin Torres, but after a full season of television and now a feature film we still know very little about him. Ramirez’ personality shines through, but put his introduction next to Mackie’s Falcon in Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) and you realize how much it pales in comparison.
Carl Lumbly is always a welcome presence, but for the most part his Isaiah Bradley is kept to the sidelines. At least Lumbly is relevant to the plot. The same can’t be said for Shina Haas’ Ruth Bat-Seraph who’s inclusion is surplus to requirements. Considering the importance of the character in the comics, it seems strange how unnecessary her character ends up being to the main plot. Honestly, a few tweaks to the script and she could have been completely removed from the film without much in the way of consequence. I’m assuming Marvel has bigger plans for Bat-Seraph a.k.a Sabra moving forward, but I personally found this to be a poor introduction for the character.
Giancarlo Esposito fares better, but that’s more to do with Esposito himself than the character he is playing. The version of Sidewinder he portrays bears little resemblance to his comic book counterpart. Esposito is another result of the reshoots, with his addition to the film resulting in the removal of wrestler Seth Rollins, as his character no longer fit into the story being told.
Captain America: Brave New World is definitely a lesser film in the MCU canon. It is by no means the worst they have to offer. I didn’t find it “dull” as some critics were saying and I certainly found it more entertaining than Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022), if only marginally.
If you’re a Marvel fan, no matter what I have stated in my review, you will want to see Captain America: Brave New World. Even though it’s not on par with the best the franchise has had to offer, what unfolds in the film will no doubt have repercussions in the MCU as it moves forward, albeit probably less so than a film of its ilk should.
Plot: 2.5/5
Acting: 3/5
Action: 3/5
Overall: 2.8/5
