'Captain America: Brave New World' Is Good Actually

This article is a review of Marvel’s Captain America: Brave New World after a free screening of the film.

Captain America: Brave New World is set to hit cinemas in tomorrow, and Disney has gone full force with critics, arranging press screenings all around the world a few days before release in a show of confidence.

The film’s first reactions came from the US red carpet premiere, and while they certainly are mixed, I believe the film to be strong enough on its own two feet and not bad as many have made out.

From the opening title it’s evident that the film intends to match the tonal structure of 2014’s critically acclaimed Captain America: The Winter Soldier. The film does away with the extravagant and overused Marvel Studios fanfare, instead opting for a brief black and white company logo, setting the film’s tone before it even begins. This lets the audience know that what we’re about to watch, is not a part of the trend of unserious action that we’ve been subjected to in recent years. What audiences will quickly notice, is, bar a few jokes at the very start, this film does away with Marvel’s compulsion to pack their recent films with cringey and unnatural humour. This tells us the studio is already making huge headway and listening to audiences.

Both this film and its 2014 predecesor thrust a political thriller narrative into the limelight, with Brave New World‘s presidential election plotline being very relevant to today’s climate, with Harrison Ford portraying Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, a war general turned President in a hostile climate. Alongside this, the film centers on a resource race, finally continuing the plot thread left dangling by 2021’s The Eternals, with the frozen Celestial mass kicking things off. The goings-on in this film establish a new status-quo for Marvel and narratively propels the recently stagnant cinematic universe forward with a tight storyline that shows us what the real world currently looks like in the Stan Lee-inspired universe.

The film boasts a cast of talent, with some of the best performances in a comic-book property this side of the decade. Carl Lumbly’s Isaiah Bradley is a standout, continuing from his masterful work from 2021’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. He was so good I was audibly begging for the film to give us more of him once the credits rolled, and my fingers are crossed that we may one day get a 1950s Captain America Disney+ special presentation or series, showing Bradley’s life as Captain America and subsequent incarceration.

Anthony Mackie is back and better than ever in this film – it’s clear Mackie has had time to grow and settle into the role, as this time he comes with confidence and a commanding presence that he didn’t have in his supporting and co-lead roles. Giancarlo Esposito portrays a sinister and cunning gun-for-hire, a depiction different from his other villainous roles. Fun fact! Esposito has actually been in talks to play a Marvel role for the last ten years. He was actually offered a role in a television series back when Marvel Studios and Television were separate departments, but turned it down as he feared the separation would prohibit his character from making it to the big screen. Now, his goal is achieved as he’s playing Sidewinder, the leader of mercenary group the ‘Serpent Society’, a villain who will allegedly feature in a later series. Despite the age gap between him and Mackie, his physicality is still a convincing foil to Mackie’s Captain America.

Things are not all perfect though – while the film does feel like old Marvel, which might be a positive for many, it also falls into some of the same pitfalls, with a relatively weak villain who has a muddled plan, despite their apparent “super genius” status; the film’s inclusion of the indestructible metal adamantium is nothing but a Chekhov’s gun that never gets fired.

Stakes are something the film should have improved upon, as the titular character easily and fairly quickly wins every fight and his life never feels under threat. While he does get stabbed a few times, these are treated like paper cuts and not like life-threatening wounds that hinder his efficiency and threaten his life. This is unlike the film’s clear inspiration (Captain America: The Winter Soldier) where Steve sought out medical attention after narrowly escaping an explosion; following this, the film’s third act has Chris Evans’ face beaten to a pulp and his character’s life at the mercy of the titular villain.

The film does its very best to replicate the acclaimed 2014 film, even going as far as to feature a team comprising of Captain America, Falcon, and a Black Widow, with a secret villain the protagonists discover in a military bunker, and an ally turned foe that must be talked down in the film’s climax. However, screenwriter Rob Edwards’ script fails to comprehend the depth that turns a good film to a great one.

Many viewers who had not watched the Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier were left confused as to the inclusion of Isaiah Bradley’s character, as well as Captain America’s new vibranium suit from Wakanda. While the film does exposit this information to the audience, I still maintain that the better move would have been to instead release the series as the fourth theatrical instalment in the Captain America franchise, as television should be reserved for supplementary stories, a lesson Marvel learned years too late.

Ultimately, Captain America: Brave New World is a serviceable enough entry to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While it’s not one of the franchise’s best, it’s at least on par with the average Phase One or Two movie; Brave New World is a step in the right direction for Marvel. Now, the ball is in Marvel’s court to see where things can go.

Watch the official trailer for Captain America: Brave New World: