By Lucas Castillo ‘25
Captain America: Brave New World, the film that was destined by some to make or break the MCU. The film that many claim was reshot to death, the one that so many dismissed because it lacked Steve Rogers, or because they couldn’t believe that Sam Wilson can’t beat Red Hulk without any powers. Well, I’m here to tell you that I fully believe that Sam defeated Red Hulk, that this film did not need Steve Rogers, that it was cohesive enough to be enjoyable, and that this was most certainly not the “be all, end all” of Marvel, because the movie was fine; it was as advertised, and that’s alright.
Captain America: Brave New World has its problems to be sure, yet it also has quite a few things going for it. The plot was brisk and was well thought out and developed at a pretty brisk pace throughout. I never really felt too bored by what was going on, as the film doesn’t have any dead space throughout. Yet, for some of the emotional scenes, I wish they took more time in developing those moments, and not just moving on to the next thing afterwards. Speaking of emotional scenes, pretty much every single one of them is undercut by a joke. I get that this movie is supposed to be funny – but come on, guys! You’re already weak in the character department – why are you undercutting these crucial scenes that make us feel something for these characters with a cheap bit?
Captain America is just pushed around by the plot in this movie, he doesn’t have a want, he just beats up bad guys and talks about his previous growth and development when he became and Captain America. The only reason that our protagonist not having any personal motivation matters is because we, as human beings, relate most to a character when they have a human goal. And if your main protagonist doesn’t have a human struggle and desire, then nine times out of ten you are not going to care about your protagonist.
With that being said, Sam is not a terrible protagonist; what he lacks in direction, he makes up for with his altruism, his down-to-earth manner, and how he is an example for everyone in the film to strive towards, which is what Captain America should always be. My favorite thing about this movie is how it shows that Sam represents something for people to aspire to, whether you’re a young person trying to do good, like Joaquin Torres (Falcon), or an older person who’s made mistakes and is trying to be better, like Thaddeus Ross (Red Hulk).
The other characters in this film were better, if not the same, with Ruth Bat-Seraph and Joaquin Torres being fairly stereotypical, and Samuel Sterns and Ross being on the more complex side. I liked Ross as a character, but I wish we had more instances of him being the terrible person that he says that he doesn’t want to be anymore. A flash-back scene in which his daughter watches him be cruel and cut- throat, and in which she leaves for good would not only show us why he doesn’t want to be seen as a monster anymore, but would also give us a more palpable example of what kind of person Ross is trying to avoid being. Harrison Ford did about as good of a job as anyone could have done filling in for the late William Hurt, but I still wish it were Hurt in this role instead.
Speaking of Ross and actors from The Incredible Hulk, I liked Tim Blake Nelson’s Samuel Stern, AKA The Leader, in this movie. I thought his motivations were good, he was sufficiently menacing, and his design, while definitely not perfect, was fairly unnerving and a decent interpretation resulting in a more realistic version of the character. I would really like to see more of his character and Ross’ in the future, especially for a role in either of the next Avengers movies, but specifically for Avengers: Doomsday. Of all of the protagonist’s supporting cast though, Isaiah Bradly was probably the best. His mistrust of the government and the tragedy of the character were strongly felt, and only elevated by Carl Lumbly’s performance.
Moving over to action, the dynamic use of Captain America’s new suit and his shield, the hand-to-hand combat, the dog fighting were all fantastic. It shows that the filmmakers got the fight choreographers from the Captain America: The Winter Soldier back for this movie, and I couldn’t be happier. The fight between Captain America and Red Hulk was very good, with Sam’s new vibranium suit explaining how he could realistically have a shot at defeating a hulk. Yet, the conclusion of the fight felt a tad forced, and I wished that there was more of the fight in the film, though what we got was good enough. Another couple of fights that I thought were really good, were the hand-to-hand knife fights between Sam and Giancarlo Esposito’s Sidewinder. I really did like the rivalry built between the two, mostly because of Giancarlo hamming it up as Marvel villain. Nonetheless, I hope the two can square off again in the future.
Going back to Ross and Sterns again though, none of the movie’s “twists” actually surprised me. They were all laid out to the masses beforehand, and actively detracted from my viewing experience. This criticism is a personal gripe, however, and is, honestly, one that the movie couldn’t really avoid, what with all the delays and reshoots and such, so it will not factor into my review in any way, but I figured I’d mention it, nonetheless.
Captain America: Brave New World is not a very good film, all things considered, but I did enjoy it well enough, and I do believe that it could have easily been worse. What this movie did is give a new Captain America to a younger audience who is now just developing their love for this universe and its characters. There were two obnoxious kids in my theater, losing their minds over how cool they thought the movie was, laughing at every joke, and getting sufficiently surprised at every twist and turn. They couldn’t care less about the overall quality of the film. Now, am I saying that all Marvel movies and superhero movies don’t need to be good? No. I’m saying that every movie means something different to everyone, regardless of quality. So, if you like fun superhero movies not too deep, with good action and a good plot, then I’d highly recommend this movie. But, if you’re a diehard movie or MCU fan that wishes the MCU were back to the good old days post-Avengers: Endgame, then chill out, guys – the MCU isn’t dead. Just wait for Thunderbolts* and Fantastic Four: First Steps – they’ll be great, I swear. As for me, I, in my personal and all but factual opinion, give Captain America: Brave New World a 7/10. Go see it if you’d like.