Captain America: Brave New World
Directed by Julius Onah
Written by Rob Edwards, Malcolm Spellman, and Dalan Musson
Starring Anthony Mackie, Harrison Ford, Danny Ramirez, Carl Lumbly
Rated PG-13
Runtime: 1 hour 58 minutes
In theaters February 14

by Darian Davis, Staff Writer

Marvel Studios returns to the big screen after a year that saw their lowest output aside from the 2020, only offering up the R-rated record-smashing blockbuster Deadpool & Wolverine to the masses. Studio president Kevin Fiege had a crisis on his hands, juggling the grand design of the still-unfolding Multiverse Saga with the fatigue of audiences so overwhelmed by the plethora of Disney+ series and Sacred Timeline lore to even bother keeping track. This year, Fiege’s antidote is an early return to basics with self-contained, street-level stories like the upcoming Thunderbolts* (dir. Schreier, 2025) movie and Daredevil: Born Again series that avoids the mind-bending timey-wimey stuff altogether (well, as far as we know). Kicking off those episodic adventures is Captain America: Brave New World, an entry that feels more like a Marvel “meanwhile” explainer than the bold political thriller it appears to be.

I was initially struck by Laura Karpman’s score and its xylophone sounds pinging over the opening credits with the plucky intrigue of a 60’s spy thriller. That mood is immediately betrayed by a firehose of exposition throughout the first act, as well as a jarring opening mission in Mexico that trades espionage vibes for door-kicking, guns-blazing action. That brash beginning continues with brutal, but lackluster fight sequences and a level of swearing (including a muted Harrison Ford F-Bomb) that really stretches the limits of the movie’s PG-13 rating.

Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) is now firmly recognized around the world as Captain America. Even a bartender calls Sam “Cap” and treats him to a cold one on-the-house. As a fan of Sam Wilson and his journey, I felt a swell of pride seeing the character get his due. Mackie continues to play Sam with his special brand of righteousness and humor, cementing his place as a new cornerstone of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Unfortunately, the character is let down by a script that has a hard time advancing the plot while delivering on critical themes of Blackness, the dilemma of representation, and the danger of compromise. Captain America: Brave New World waters down these motifs by beating around the bush. The lukewarm dialog feels intentionally vague to the point of frustration, ultimately cheating the audience out of Sam Wilson’s true feelings as Black man wearing the stars and stripes. Meanwhile, the film is burdened with Marvel’s continued fumbling with too many threads to try and bring relevance to its most maligned installments, instead of giving that time to newer and more interesting concepts and characters.

The cast lifts the film to a higher standard than its script. Harrison Ford stands out in his role as President Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, expertly portraying the highs and lows of a categorical hot-head with the type of range we don’t usually see from the stoic veteran. In the film, Thaddeus is intensely focused on delivering on his campaign promises within his first 100 days, most of all the pledge that he will secure “Celestial Island” under American control. Watching Indiana Jones “Hulk out” definitely wasn’t on my nerd bingo card, but it was a thrill to see and one of the best horror-laden Hulk transformations Marvel has ever put to screen. The heart of Brave New World is Carl Lumbly, reprising his role as Isaiah Bradley from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021) series. While he was stellar in the Disney+ series, Lumbly is a force of nature here, portraying the utter heartache and devastation of a man broken down by a government that used and discarded him with gravitas and real emotion. Danny Ramirez provides comedic relief as Joaquin Torres (aka Falcon) and sells the latest franchise bromance, this one between Joaquin and Sam. Giancarlo Espositio (as Sidewinder of the Serpent Society) is brilliantly ruthless, though woefully underutilized. I also enjoyed newcomer Shira Haas as presidential-security-detail-and-former-Black-Widow Ruth Bat-Seraph kicking ass and taking names all throughout the movie.

Director Julius Onah does his best to deliver on what is a tall task: a major blockbuster with a Black lead and an A-list cast that’s also part of a billion-dollar franchise. The ensemble’s performances and the relative simplicity of the story elevate the film past the MCU’s worst entries, but completely misses its potential as a paranoid political thriller that’s too commercial to create an atmosphere of real intrigue and too deferential to make any discriminating political observations. This leaves Captain America: Brave New World feeling more like the same old world.

Support MovieJawn Staff

〰️

Support MovieJawn Staff 〰️

Support Darian Davis

With the death of so much print media and meaningful journalism, it is important now more than ever to support the writers and outlets you love.
If you enjoyed this article, show your support by donating to our writer. All proceeds go directly to the writer. Recommended donation is $5.