Captain America: Brave New World is now in theaters, and I had the chance to watch it. This is my spoiler-free Captain America: Brave New World Review.
A big question surrounding this film is whether Anthony Mackie’s Captain America can truly step into the shoes of Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers. Rogers was a foundational figure in the MCU and the Avengers, so this movie had a major task—proving that Sam Wilson is a worthy successor while setting up the future of the Avengers, including the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars.
What Works and What Doesn’t
Many viewers may walk away more intrigued by what this movie sets up rather than the film itself. In many ways, it feels less like a standalone Captain America film and more like a sequel to The Incredible Hulk. The story combines aspects of both franchises.
Key players from The Incredible Hulk return, including Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, Betty Ross (Liv Tyler), and The Leader (Tim Blake Nelson), reinforcing that connection.
Marvel leaned into Red Hulk in its marketing, which makes sense given the movie’s strong ties to Hulk-related storylines.
Comparisons to Other Captain America Films
The film aims for a Winter Soldier-style paranoid thriller but never quite reaches those heights. Marvel heavily promoted it as having a similar tone, yet it falls short of that film’s narrative and tension.
The action in this movie is a strong point. If you’re in it for the action, you won’t be disappointed.
Key Introductions and Future Setups
One major development is the introduction of adamantium into the MCU, which opens the door for exciting possibilities. The film also teases future Avengers storylines, particularly Avengers: Doomsday. Fans of Hulk will appreciate the payoffs tied to The Leader and his experiments with gamma-based enhancements.
Performances
Anthony Mackie delivers a solid performance with the material he’s given, but the movie does little to solidify him as the leader of the next Avengers team. I just don’t see how we get around Sam Wilson not taking the serum, given the types of fights Captain America is often involved in.
One might argue that there are other members of the MCU who did not take any serum—Iron Man, Hawkeye, and Black Widow, to name a few—and it is a fair argument.
Interestingly, there is a part of the movie where Sam Wilson is in the hospital with Danny Ramirez who plays Falcon, loved the relationship between him and Sam by the way, and Sam talks about being ‘enough’, and I absolutely loved Sam’s delivery. For me it showed how great an Actor Anthony Mackie is but also made me ponder on the whole debate about taking or not taking the serum.
Harrison Ford steps into the role of Thunderbolt Ross, following William Hurt’s passing. Ross is now the President of the United States but we get no real explanation as to how he got there. The missing mustache? That gets addressed with a couple of lines.
Tim Blake Nelson returns as The Leader, a character from The Incredible Hulk. While I appreciate the performance, his visual design doesn’t quite match his comic book counterpart. His presence hints at bigger things ahead, particularly for Hulk-centric storylines.
Isaiah Bradley’s return was another highlight. Brilliantly played by Carl Lumbly, he still possesses super-soldier abilities, and the film acknowledges his past as a test subject. His role is significant in setting the plot in motion.
One of the most exciting additions to the MCU is Giancarlo Esposito as Seth Voelker/Sidewinder, leader of the Serpent Society. While his screen time is limited, he’ll likely play a bigger role in future projects. The challenge was making the Serpent Society feel grounded rather than overly theatrical, and for the most part, the film succeeds.
Final Thoughts – Captain America Brave New World Review
Captain America: Brave New World is a decent film— not exceptional, not terrible, just okay. There were portions of the movie that I thought the dialogue went on just a tad bit too long plus there was something about the visuals, tone if you will, that was not to my liking.
The strongest elements are the action sequences and the groundwork laid for future stories, and the fact that as a fan of the MCU, you really do want Sam Wilson to thrive as Cap!
I’d rank the movie above The First Avenger but below Winter Soldier and Civil War.
Post-Credit Scene?
Yes, there is one post-credit scene.
My Rating
I’d give this movie a solid 3 out of 5 stars.
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