Movie Review: ‘Captain America: Brave New World’

Anthony Mackie and his trusty shield soar in the action-packed ‘Captain America: Brave New World,’ a right-up-the-middle, back to basics Marvel thriller.

Captain America/Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) in Marvel Studios' 'Captain America: Brave New World'. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2024 Marvel.

‘Captain America: Brave New World’ receives 7 out of 10 stars.

Opening in theaters February 14 is ‘Captain America: Brave New World,’ directed by Julius Onah and starring Anthony Mackie, Harrison Ford, Danny Ramirez, Shira Haas, Tim Blake Nelson, Carl Lumbly, Xosha Roquemore, and Giancarlo Esposito.

Initial Thoughts

Captain America/Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) in Marvel Studios' 'Captain America: Brave New World.'

“You’re not Steve Rogers,” growls President Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross (Harrison Ford) at Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) during one especially tense moment in ‘Captain America: Brave New World.’ And while Chris Evans’ portrayal of the original Cap remains an iconic element of the first 10 years of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Mackie’s Sam Wilson certainly holds his own as the current owner of the shield and – according to this film – last Avenger standing.

Mackie is terrific in the film, as is Ford – who’s awake and engaged, unlike in ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’ – and the movie itself, directed by Julius Onah, is neither a game-changer like ‘Captain America: Civil War’ nor an outright embarrassment like ‘Thor: Love and Thunder.’ With much of Phases 4 and 5 set in space, the quantum realm, or another universe, it’s also refreshing to watch an earthbound Marvel adventure for a change. While it still requires some homework – watching ‘The Incredible Hulk’ or ‘Eternals’ would be a good start – it’s an entertaining, engrossing action thriller carried by its leads’ charisma and flashes of that old Marvel allure.

Story and Direction

(L to R) President Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford) and Captain America/Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) in Marvel Studios' 'Captain America: Brave New World'. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2024 Marvel.

‘Captain America: Brave New World’ opens with the election of former Hulk hunter and Avengers hater Ross to the presidency, but it’s clear from the start that not all is well with him. He’s estranged from his daughter and haunted by his past, to the point where he summons Sam Wilson to his office and asks him to rebuild Earth’s Mightiest Heroes after loathing them for years (as usual, where the members who aren’t dead or retired are currently hanging out is not really discussed).

Sam is understandably suspicious, since it was just a few years ago that Ross (back when he was Secretary of State) had Wilson and other superheroes thrown in the maximum-security prison known as the Raft. And Sam himself is still coming to terms with the enormous responsibility and pressure of wielding the shield, although his confidence is boosted by original super soldier Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly), who’s still getting over his bitterness regarding the way he was treated by his own government (uh, yeah, watch ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ too).

Ross has other things on his mind as well: the giant Celestial that fell into the ocean in ‘Eternals’ a few years back turns out to be made out of an incredible, previously unknown element which Ross calls “adamantium,” a word which should set off five-alarm sirens in fanboys’ brains. Wary of what could happen should adamantium get out in the world, Ross is trying to nail down a groundbreaking treaty with Japan – in whose territory the Celestial landed – to explore the element’s uses peacefully, a sign that he’s desperate to change his formerly bellicose ways.

No sooner does Ross announce the finalization of the treaty, however, then there is a terrorist attack on his life. How that attack takes place and who does it throws everything – including the cautious rapprochement between Sam and the president – into chaos, but Sam, with the help of the newly minted Falcon, Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez), is determined to find out exactly what happened, who is behind it all, and what their ultimate agenda is.

(L to R) Captain America/Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), Joaquin Torres/The Falcon (Danny Ramirez) and Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly) in Marvel Studios' Captain America: Brave New World'. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2024 Marvel.

The rest of the story involves clashes with Serpent terrorist organization leader Sidewinder (Giancarlo Esposito), presidential security chief Ruth Bat-Seraph (Shira Haas), and various other players, with Sam unsure of who he can trust and who might turn at a moment’s notice. At the heart of it all is a ghostly apparition from the early days of the MCU in the form of Samuel Sterns (Tim Blake Nelson), who’s pulling the strings for purposes unknown.

‘Brave New World’ deliberately channels the paranoid thriller bona fides of what is still one of the MCU’s finest films, ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier,’ although in this case Julius Onah’s direction doesn’t have nearly the style of Anthony and Joe Russo’s work (although if this film went through massive reshoots as reported, it still mostly holds together). And there is a lot of clunky exposition in the script (which bears five writers in the credits) to either recap what’s happening or bring us up to speed on some of the plot points from other movies.

But even if ‘Brave New World’ chugs along instead of truly soaring, it’s still a tight two hours of superhero entertainment. Marvel’s biggest successes have led to outsized expectations and an eventual critical backlash, but it’s almost unfair to expect each entry to be a ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ or an ‘Avengers: Endgame.’ ‘Brave New World’ is a solid double, a fun, action-packed adventure that occasionally channels the vibe of older, finer MCU movies. It may rattle or stall out here and there, but it gets where it’s going with efficiency and energy.

The Cast

(L to R) Joaquin Torres/The Falcon (Danny Ramirez), and Captain America/Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) in Marvel Studios' Captain America: Brave New World'. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2024 Marvel.

As mentioned earlier, Anthony Mackie handles the lead role with aplomb and grace, differentiating himself from the Evans version of Cap simply by virtue of the fact that he’s not a superhuman; he can get hurt, sometimes badly, he doesn’t have super strength, and he has to depend a bit more on the accoutrements of his tricked-out uniform (courtesy of Wakanda) than his predecessor did. This is a vulnerable Cap whose confidence occasionally wavers: at one point he confesses to an old friend, “[Steve] stopped two alien invasions. What made me think I could follow that?” Yet he also throws himself unconditionally into battle in the best tradition of his title, while also deploying empathy as a tool in his arsenal.

It might be enticing to wonder what the late William Hurt would have done with “Thunderbolt” Ross’ biggest MCU appearance to date, but Harrison Ford steps smoothly into the role and embraces Ross’s steely demeanor and the character’s seemingly earnest yearning to atone for his past. But that past still catches up to him, making the character both flawed and tragic, and Ford chomps down on it in a livelier performance that we’ve seen from him in a while. Of course, it’s no spoiler to mention his transformation into Red Hulk, and the climactic fight between him, Cap, and a good chunk of the armed forces mostly lives up to its billing, some rough visuals aside.

Giancarlo Esposito and Carl Lumbly are reliably excellent with less to do, with the latter especially bringing an emotional center to the movie. Shira Haas is striking as Ruth, the president’s security chief with a past of her own, while Danny Ramirez delivers enthusiasm but not a ton of personality as the new Falcon. Our favorite? Tim Blake Nelson, returning after 17 years to the character known as The Leader in the comics, who’s sinister, snarky, and – in his cheesily macabre prosthetics and glowing eyes – rather eerie.

Final Thoughts

Red Hulk/President Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford) in Marvel Studios' Captain America: Brave New World'. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2024 Marvel.

It’s a bit jarring to see the U.S. and Japan, of all countries, almost get into a shooting war, but fear not, the politics of ‘Brave New World’ are not nearly as topical as those of ‘The Winter Soldier’ or, hell, even the original ‘Iron Man.’ In fact, the geopolitical ramifications here are, while perhaps important for the MCU, generally an inch deep.

And that’s probably the biggest criticism of ‘Brave New World’: it echoes the MCU’s past, sometimes literally, but doesn’t quite channel the surprising emotional depth that the first decade managed to convey (one scene near the end, a heart-to-heart between Sam and someone else, recaptures some of the chemistry of the characters in that first round of films). The script and visuals, while stronger than other recent outings, still fall down from time to time. But ‘Brave New World’ also manages to get back up and keep punching, delivering superhero antics without a whole lot of pretension. It may not be especially brave or new, but it’s fun.

Captain America: Brave New World

"The future favors the brave."

PG-131 hr 59 minFeb 14th, 2025

Showtimes & Tickets

After meeting with newly elected U.S. President Thaddeus Ross, Sam finds himself in the middle of an international incident. He must discover the reason behind a... Read the Plot

What is the plot of ‘Captain America: Brave New World’?

Now operating as Captain America, Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) uncovers a deadly conspiracy centered around President Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford) and fights to discover who is behind it before an international war breaks out.