A Struggling Marvel Franchise
Via Marvel
Let’s be clear: Brave New World isn’t a bad movie. But it’s also not the movie we were hoping for. After The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Marvel had the opportunity to showcase what Captain America could be in a modern world—a chance to tell a bold, relevant, and powerful story.
Instead, this movie feels like it wasn’t allowed to be the story it originally wanted to be.
Throughout Brave New World, you can tell the movie wants to explore deep themes—what it means to be Captain America in today’s world, what it means to lead as a Black superhero, and the political complexities of the role. It also feels like they had something to say about the president of the united states being a big red monster, and perhaps something about the Israeli agent that he trusts, But then… it never actually does. These ideas are there, lurking in the background, but the movie never commits to them.
Instead, it plays things frustratingly safe, which fits with the reports of endless reshoots and rewrites. This feels like a movie that was once more ambitious, but was then carefully stripped of anything too thought-provoking to avoid controversy.
The result? A film that feels like it’s standing next to the movie it was supposed to be.
What Works
To be fair, Brave New World isn’t a disaster. There are definitely things to like:
Anthony Mackie is fantastic as Sam Wilson – He brings charm, depth, and heart to the role. He feels like Captain America, and you can tell he cares about doing justice to the character. The action sequences are solid – There are some great fight scenes, even if they don’t quite match the brutal, visceral action of The Winter Soldier. Plus, The legacy of Captain America is taken seriously – The movie makes it clear that Sam isn’t just filling Steve Rogers’ shoes—he’s redefining what it means to be Cap.
What Falls Short
But for all that Brave New World gets right, it stumbles in some critical ways:
It lacks urgency. This doesn’t feel like the high-stakes, gripping Captain America movie we were hoping for. Instead, it’s… just okay. The pacing is all over the place. Some moments drag, while others feel rushed—likely a symptom of Marvel's infamous reshoots. Supporting characters feel underdeveloped, There are great performances, but we don’t spend enough time with them to really care. And the action is good—but not great. Marvel used to set the gold standard for superhero fights, but here? It’s serviceable, but forgettable.
And the biggest issue? This movie doesn't feel like it's saying anything. It’s clear that Brave New World was once a more thought-provoking, meaningful film (Whether these are thoughts anyone agrees with or not). But somewhere along the way, it became a "safe" Marvel movie—one that avoids taking any big swings and ends up feeling bland as a result.
Final Verdict
Via Marvel
At the end of the day, Captain America: Brave New World is a mid-tier MCU film—not a disaster, but definitely not the comeback Marvel needed.
Sam Wilson deserves a great Captain America movie - but this isn’t quite it.
Marvel fans will still watch it, and some will love it. But the days of leaving the theater buzzing with excitement after a Marvel movie? Yeah… those still feel far away. And perhaps, Just perhaps The fantastic four will be able to usher in a new age of Marvel movies. We will just have to wait and see.
