Captain America: Brave New World is a story about navigating threats. General Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford) has become president of the United States. He is attempting to put aside his past differences with Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) who has taken up the mantle of Captain America. Wilson now works closely Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez)—who aspires to be next Falcon—stopping the sale of illegal weapons and materials. When Ross learns that a new rare material called adamantium has been discovered, the president implores Wilson to restart the Avengers. Ross hopes the rebuilding of the superhero team will help ensure the safe and equitable distribution of the resource across various countries. Unfortunately, some of Ross’ former enemies have other plans which include global disruption. Now, Wilson and Torres must uncover the truth before world war breaks out.
What works in Captain America: Brave New World is the action and some strong performances. Ford, taking over for the late William Hurt, gives his version of Ross deep emotion. There’s a certain empathetic gravitas that Ford imbues in the role. This Ross is stern but reasonable. As such, Ford’s moments with Mackie’s Cap are like tense chess matches where the players treat each other with respect. When Mackie isn’t verbally negotiating, he’s typically flying around and kicking ass. During these sequences, director Julius Onah (The Cloverfield Paradox, Bad Genius) opts for brightly lit locations and clever set pieces. This allows the viewers to really enjoy the artistry of Cap and Falcon’s flight suits and aerial acrobatics. The combination of strong dialogue and exciting battles keeps Captain America: Brave New World enjoyable and rarely dull.
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People who prefer strong character arcs and stakes with impact may not engage with Captain America: Brave New World as much as others. This is a film that feels like it wants to be bigger and more meaningful than it is. For all of Mackie and Ford’s charm and charisma, it’s hard to escape the fact Wilson and Ross don’t really grow or evolve. The conflicts feel backed into from the starting points of “wouldn’t it be cool if…?” rather than an organically growing narrative. As such, Captain America: Brave New World’s impact both as a standalone adventure and as a piece of the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe may feel watered down by some.
Captain America: Brave New World is a fun time. It unfortunately sits in the shadows of superior movies both within the Captain America series and the MCU at large. At times it feels like a bunch of ideas cobbled together. Scene to scene, Captain America: Brave New World is often pretty great. But as a cohesive story, it feels uneven and meandering.
Recommended if you enjoyed: Falcon and the Winter Soldier (series), The Adjustment Bureau
Captain America: Brave New World is now available for purchase on most digital media streaming platforms.
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