Captain America: Brave New World (2025)

“Don’t die. Copy that.”

This is more than a repeated piece of dialogue that Joaquin Torres’ Falcon says to Sam Wilson’s Captain America. It could also be reflective of the MCU offices these days, making sure their movies (and TV shows, for that matter) are not being sent out without a thought of survival.

I have mentioned many a time that Marvel would have a hard time following up the events of the Infinity Saga, but that was nearly six years ago. One would think they would be able to get on the right track by now (mind you, the personal issues with actor Jonathon Majors did set them back quite a bit). 

I admit to not knowing until recently the issues and setbacks for the 35th MCU film, Captain America: Brave New World. After the events of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier TV show, Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) starts off in the opening action scene recovering a very magufffin-y item from the newly elected/former general Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross (Harrison Ford, taking over the role from the late William Hurt). If you have read the comics (or, as I will get to later on in this review, seen the marketing), you know there is more to his character.

While some may argue that you don’t need to see any previous material to understand what is happening on screen, I admit to having a question or two (I asked my friend who the character of Isaiah was, only to find out he was in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which I did see). The issue for me is simple: while I am okay with seeing the movies to keep up (and maybe the TV shows), I rarely rewatch any of the movies (I’ve no intention in revisiting the shows). I am a fan, but not that big a fan.

None of the movie’s faults are due to the cast. Mackie is still serviceable as Sam Wilson, and Danny Ramirez is easily the scene stealer as his aforementioned protege Torres, who takes on the mantle of Falcon. There are, however, characters that do seem shoe horned in, such as Ross’s security advisor, Ruth Bat-Seraph (a talented actress  named Shira Haas), also a former Black Widow (“basically, stay out of her way”, Wilson warns Torres). 

Then there are the villains. Obviously, it is more than a safe bet to be sure an actor as uber talented  like Giancarlo Esposito is present to play a villain. Yet Esposito’s character seems (and from what I have heard, was) tacked on at the last minute. His character only works under the real antagonist, played by Tim Blake Nelson, not seen since 2008’s The Incredible Hulk.

Along with the reported copious amount of rewrites, it was not until after the movie that I realized the film was directed by Julius Onah. I have only seen one other film by him, but that film was 2018’s The Cloverfield Paradox. I really thought I no longer had to think of that reprehensible film, but here we are. I’m not saying Onah is a bad filmmaker, but I do need to see at least one good film from him going forward.

Parents, as I have said in many other reviews regarding the MCU, your kids should be fine if they have seen any of the previous films. There is some of the normal action violence, with swearing no worse than that in a junior high cafeteria. 

When I first saw the trailer for the film, I was rather perturbed about the CGI of the Red Hulk. It was just about tolerable in the end (though I did see it on IMAX). There is, however, one thing that I found down right insufferable about the film, and that was the marketing. Maybe it is unfair to judge the film on that, but it was inevitable that it would affect my viewing experience (the marketing was everywhere in my movie going experiences the last few months).

It did not help when we finally get to the appearance of Red Hulk (which they have been highlighting) does not occur until the last act of the film (sorry if that is a spoiler, but I assume that everyone reading to this point has seen the film.)

Captain America: Brave New World may have had a more grounded story than other MCU films, but it ended up making me just feeling grounded.

Overall: