For a half-decade, it’s been clear that Marvel Studios has found themselves in a bit of a rut. After a disastrous 2023–marked by sordid reviews for “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” and “The Marvels” becoming the studio’s first true box office failure–the once-dominant franchise now feels like a shadow of its late 2010s peak. That era, which culminated in “Avengers: Endgame” crossing the $2 billion mark at the global box office, solidified Marvel as an industry titan.
But now, Marvel is again an underdog, hoping to prove they can reach those heights once again. Last year’s “Deadpool and Wolverine” gained some goodwill with audiences, but can Marvel turn around a lost reputation and hit their strides once again?
Maybe. But it’s not going to be with this one.
Captain America: Brave New World, directed by Julius Onah, is the 35th installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It stars Anthony Mackie as the titular Captain America, who uncovers a global conspiracy involving the newly elected President Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford). The film also stars Danny Ramirez as Cap’s partner, Joaquin Torres, Carl Lumbly as retired Super-Soldier Isaiah Bradley and Tim Blake Nelson as mastermind Samuel Sterns.
As it has been marketed, the film has been described as a political thriller, attempting to emulate the tone and style of Marvel’s previous “Captain America: The Winter Soldier.” However, while “Winter Soldier” had actual themes, “Brave New World” seemed to lose them in a barebones script. For an alleged political thriller, this movie is neither political nor thrilling. The political connections could have been so easy; with a controversial president in office and elements of global tensions, it could have been so easy to create a winner of a story based on today’s political climate. And yet, the story plays it safe. No blurred lines. Just good guys and bad guys.
Speaking of bad guys, there has been no bigger draw to this movie than that of Red Hulk, Harrison Ford’s big, red and fiery alter ego. He was plastered everywhere on the movie’s marketing, from the posters to every trailer, theater standees and whatnot. Hell, they even had popcorn buckets. You’d expect him to be all over this movie, right?
He shows up in the last 20 minutes. The fight between Captain America and Red Hulk is fun, but most of the action in the movie feels dull. In a world where movies like “John Wick” (and hell, even Marvel’s “Shang-Chi”) push the boundaries of what action can do, the choreography feels lifeless and directionless, as if AI created action sequences and spit them out; it’s assembly-grade action. The visuals don’t fare much better, with some sequences looking like they could’ve used more time in the editing bin (specifically that cherry blossom sequence: woof).
Marvel really could’ve done something special here. In a time more divided than ever, a globe-trotting political thriller could be incredibly poignant and cathartic to a world feeling the pressure of conflict. This could’ve been Marvel’s statement that they are not afraid to talk about the world as it is. But see, that’s the problem. Marvel is afraid to talk about these things. So, instead, they played it safe, and they got something forgettable.
It’s disappointing to see, considering the cast put their all into it—Mackie can be a good Captain America, Ford gives a legitimately good performance and Lumbly, the man that he is, did something in this movie that the rest of it could not: He made me feel. These performances carry the movie. Unfortunately, the material they had to work with was subpar, making them all feel like diamonds in the rough.
“Captain America: Brave New World” is quite a sad disappointment. It could have been so good, yet it seems like Marvel would rather be a stick in the mud than evolve with the times. If Marvel weren’t too busy clipping their own wings, they might fly higher next time. At least, we can only hope.
RATING: 1.5/5
