“Captain America: Brave New World” is the 35th entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). It also marks the first solo outing of Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson as the titular character.
In general, the film is a mixed bag. It isn’t quite a standout in the MCU, but it isn’t the worst, either. Mackie’s performance as Sam Wilson is one of the strong points of the film supported by a character arc that explores what it means to be Captain America independent of the previous name holder Steve Rogers, previously played by Chris Evans.
Directed by Julius Onah, the film follows Sam Wilson as he comes to terms with wielding the shield, and the identity of Captain America with his sidekick and the newest Falcon, Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez). In this “brave new world,” the duo pieces together clues to solve the framing of Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly), also known as “The Forgotten Captain America,” and his supposed attempt to assassinate President Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford).
The movie’s strongest moments focus on Captain America’s inner turmoil as he steps up to task, focusing his struggle in serving as a Black superhero. Sam Wilson frequently mentions the pressure to be perfect, implying that because he is a Black man, he is held to a higher standard than Steve Rogers.
The relationship of race and public scrutiny through Isaiah Bradley. For those not caught up on the 2021 Disney Plus show “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” which introduced him, Isaiah Bradley went through the same program Steve Rogers did during World War II, decades later. However, unlike the famed hero, Isaiah was forced to fight in the Korean War, which led to his imprisonment and experimentation.
Perhaps the most stressful part of the film, which was heavily featured in the trailers, was Isaiah Bradley’s arrest after the attempted assassination that he has no memory of. The conflict only escalates when deciding what is wrong and right has no clear answer.
The film showed an overall improvement in CGI compared to the previous MCU films, but its SFX makeup made The Leader (Tim Blake Nelson) seem grotesque due to the nature of his green, bulbous head. However, in modern Marvel fashion, the film was not without its controversy. Along with recasting Thaddeus Ross, who was previously played by William Hurt before he died in 2022, it also introduced actress Shira Haas as the Israeli superheroine Ruth Bat-Seraph, also known as Sabra, which some fans deemed as insensitive in part to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine.
Although they significantly reduced her role and changed her origin story, Sabrastill ends up helping the duo of heroes in the film while avoiding her character development. In the comics, Sabra previously worked for the Mossad, also known as the Israeli Secret Service, and in the film, she works for the US Government as a former Red Room spy — the same origin as the MCU’s Black Widow. There has not been any word if she will reprise the role in the future.
Regardless, the film is a promising sign for the next two installments of MCU films that come out later this year. If you’re a fan of the previous Captain America movies, you’ll probably like this one too. Marvel is set to release “Thunderbolts” in May and “Fantastic Four: First Steps” in July.
