Captain America: Brave New World (2 stars out of 4)
It’s a given with Marvel productions these days that if you want to understand the latest release, you need to be familiar with half a dozen previous offerings. Julius Onah’s “Captain America: Brave New World” stays true to this trend, but wavers on a shaky foundation of sub-par predecessors and bland execution.
Technically, “Brave New World” is pitched as the fourth film in the “Captain America” franchise, which followed the contemporary adventures of WWII-era super soldier Steve Rogers as he rose from aspiring infantryman to one of the leaders of the Avengers. But in terms of narrative, “Brave New World” is a continuation of threads that started in 2021’s “Falcon and the Winter Soldier” streaming series, 2021’s feature film “Eternals,” and even 2008’s “The Incredible Hulk.”
If you’re not all that familiar with the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, none of the above were particularly celebrating outings for the franchise.
“Brave New World” picks up in the aftermath of “Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” as former Captain America sidekick Sam “Falcon” Wilson (Anthony Mackie) has reluctantly taken the retired Steve Rogers’s shield, even though he’s declined the former’s super soldier serum. We join Wilson on an operation to secure a valuable concentration of Adamantium, a precious element with dangerous possibilities.
In the meantime, former Avengers bureaucratic nemesis Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford, taking over for the recently passed William Hurt) has just been elected US President, and is working to secure an international treaty that will manage US interests in a remote Adamantium deposit. As part of that process, Ross reaches out to Wilson with a suspicious request: re-form the Avengers as part of a joint venture with the new administration.
Before anyone’s motives or suspicions can be unpacked, though, Ross’s best laid plans go astray when an aging super soldier (Carl Lumbly) tries to assassinate the new president. In the ensuing chaos, Wilson traces things back to a villain connected to Bruce Banner (Tim Blake Nelson), and uncovers an experiment that suggests Ross may have more to hide than his checkered political aspirations.
The plot of “Brave New World” is easy enough to follow, even if the script tends to use a lot of hasty exposition dialogue to connect viewers to the previous Marvel offerings they either never saw or can’t remember. The performances are helped by a quality cast, though the always likable Mackie still feels a little weak transitioning into his lead role. It doesn’t help that his character often appears perfectly capable of performing super soldier feats despite never having taken the serum.
Strangely, whether it’s the obligatory quippy dialogue or the intense score that never quite lines up with what we’re watching on screen, “Brave New World” feels like it’s trying to fake it until it makes it, and can’t live up to its swagger. And by the time we get to the inevitable third act CGI showdown, you can’t help but think you’ve seen this all before…many, many, times.
“Brave New World” has made the news during its production for various behind-the-scenes issues, from re-shoots to publicity gaffes by Mackie. But none of that may be as important as the core issue with all Marvel productions these days—even the financially successful ones like last year’s “Deadpool and Wolverine.” We’ve seen all of this before, better, and for all but the most die-hard comic fans, there’s just nothing to get excited about anymore.
If you need evidence for that, stick around for the traditional end credits scene, and pay attention to how it doesn’t make you feel. Ten years ago, “Captain America: Brave New World” might have gone down as one of the weaker MCU offerings. In 2025, it just feels like the last guest at a party that should have cleaned house six years ago.
“Captain America: Brave New World” is rated PG-13 for action violence. CGI mayhem, and some profanity.