From director Julius Onah comes “Captain America: Brave New World” (2025) starring Anthony Mackie. He is no longer the Falcon but Captain America himself in a MCU movie that is far different from what audiences have experienced in the past.
However, Mackie almost feels out of place in his own movie containing a plot that’s more in line being a sequel to “The Incredible Hulk” (2008) than a fourth entry in the Captain America filmography.
The film feels like it’s trying to copy the much better “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” (2014), with many scenes mimicking what its predecessor had done well over a decade ago. Still, the film isn’t completely terrible as Mackie does a stellar job playing Sam Wilson/Captain America.
Mackie never feels like he’s in the shadow of Chris Evans’ portrayal of the character. Evans was flat-out iconic and one of Marvel Studios’ best casting decisions. Mackie had those qualities when he played the Falcon and still has it now as Captain America. His co-star, Danny Ramirez as Joaquin Torres (the new Falcon), is also superb.
Torres and Mackie have a handful of scenes where they bounce off of each other naturally in terms of chemistry and being a superhero duo. The duo are also pretty humorous people to begin with, which helps.
The recasting of Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross from William Hurt to Harrison Ford after Hurt died two years ago was seen by some as a strange decision. However, Ford plays the role with heart and never once phones it in.
The film includes appearances of characters from “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” (2021) such as Carl Lumbly’s Isaiah Bradley and a surprise appearance from Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes. Although Stan only has one crucial scene with Lumbly’s Isaiah, it feels underused in the final cut.
When Ross turns into the Red Hulk, the CGI done for him is on par with other CGI-created Marvel characters like Josh Brolin’s Thanos. However, there are some scenes where the visual effects done for Red Hulk, or anything else in the film, looks a little unpolished.
The same can be said for the action and hand-to-hand combat in the film. It is a mixed bag between having fight scenes that look great and others that look spotty at certain times. Additionally, there are some truly horrendous usages of green screens toward the film’s climax.
For the most part, the film’s practical and visual effects look professionally done. However, noting the film’s $180 million budget, Marvel Studios and Kevin Feige need to reconsider the time needed to make sure products are finished and ready to be released moving forward.
In MCU tradition, the film has a post-credit scene that will make some Marvel fans question what they just witnessed and why they are seeing this. Films like “Spider-Man: No Way Home” (2021), “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” (2022) and “Deadpool & Wolverine” (2024) already established what this post-credit scene is all about, and it does not make any sense to include it.
“Captain America: Brave New World” is not the worst film in the entire MCU. However, the film and future Marvel projects need more attention in order to ensure each one is crafting the best possible film or show.
The year is still young, and Marvel Studios has plenty more to offer for fans. Hopefully what is remaining will hit rather than miss.
Rating: 2.5/5
