Returning to the political-thriller territory that made Captain America: The Winter Soldier one of the best standalone MCU films, this film embraces the slightly more grounded tone, and allows Anthony Mackie to make the role his own in his first big-screen outing as the new Captain America.

Premise: After an assassination attempt is made on the newly-elected President Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford) at a crucial political summit, Sam Wilson/Captain America (Anthony Mackie) suspects that there is more going on than meets the eye, and so he and the new Falcon, Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez), begin their own off-the-books investigation.

Review:

There’s no question that there’s a lot of (somewhat unfair) real-life pressure on Captain America: Brave New World. Not only is it the first Captain America film not to star the hugely popular Chris Evans as Steve Rogers, but it’s also the first “true” MCU film released for almost a year and a half (I’m not counting Deadpool & Wolverine, as that wasn’t set in the main MCU universe). Add to that the fact that it’s a follow up to the flawed TV series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (a show that always felt like if suffered from Covid-related disruptions and re-writes), and that it undeniably carries with it the additional burdens of having to address what it means for a Black man to take on the mantle of Captain America, and you could say the chips were stacked against this movie from the start.

Despite all of these real-world pressures, Captain America: Brave New World is a very enjoyable and welcome return to the MCU. I have a few quibbles (mainly relating to the third act, which I’ll come on to), but everything leading up to the finale worked really well for me. Brave New World is a political conspiracy thriller that called to mind Captain America: The Winter Soldier (which is not a bad thing, as that’s one of the best non-Avengers movies from The Infinity Saga). There are also echoes of thrillers like The Manchurian Candidate as Sam Wilson/Captain America (Anthony Mackie) begins his investigation into the assassination attempt, and there’s a genuine sense of paranoia about who can be trusted at any given point.

“…the conspiracy thriller plot & paranoid atmosphere is one of the film’s main strengths…”

I think it’s also important to stress (for those who haven’t been paying attention) what this film isn’t. It isn’t in anyway a commentary on the current state of American politics or the current occupant of the White House – this movie was written and filmed in 2022/23, long before the US election results in November 2024. People can bring their own political baggage with them to the movie, but the film is focused on the difficulties that Sam Wilson has working with President Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford) – a man who, in Captain America: Civil War, captured and imprisoned Sam Wilson – and Ross is no straightforward cypher for any real-world figure.

The film’s conspiracy thriller plot and paranoid atmosphere is one of its main strengths, and the other is its cast. Anthony Mackie shines as a new type of Captain America – whereas Steve Rogers was given (by the super-soldier serum) the enhanced physical strength to match his bravery, Sam Wilson’s background as a counsellor for war veterans means that his character’s principle defining characteristic is empathy. Despite his difficult history with Thaddeus Ross, Sam Wilson recognises that Ross is trying to be a better person, and shows compassion towards Ross over the breakdown of Ross’ relationship with his estranged daughter, Betty. There’s also the fact that, unlike Steve Rogers (and most of the MCU heroes), Sam Wison has no superhuman or enhanced abilities – he's just a guy with an unbreakable Vibranium shield and jet-pack, but he’s as vulnerable as the rest of us if you strip those gadgets away. Sam Wilson’s fragility in the face of superhuman threats gives the film an additional sense of tension that audiences never quite felt for Steve Rogers, but it’s also fundamental to acknowledging the difference between Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson. There’s a line said about Sam Wilson in the movie that really stuck with me: Steve Rogers gave people someone to believe in, but Sam Wilson gives people something to aspire to.

“…Danny Ramirez & Anthony Mackie have a great rapport…”

Harrison Ford does a great job of stepping into the shoes of the late, great William Hurt as Thaddeus Ross, and in some ways, Ross’ arc is the emotional core of the movie, as he has to face the demons from his past if he is ever to become the better man that he claims he wants to be. Danny Ramirez, meanwhile, brings some much-needed levity as Joaquin Torres, Sam Wilson’s Air Force buddy who is keen to take on the (now vacated) mantle of the Falcon. Danny Ramirez and Anthony Mackie have a great rapport, and make an entertaining double-act, but there’s also depth to their friendship. At one point, Torres talks about what it meant to him to see an Avenger who was a person of colour, and it’s important that audiences never forget the powerful effect that representation on screen has on the children watching these movies (and certainly no one should ever cynically dismiss representation as box-ticking).

Shira Haas makes an impression as Ruth Bat-Seraph, the Israeli former Black Widow who now serves as Ross’ security advisor. Any (arguably manufactured) concerns that the inclusion of Ruth Bat-Seraph in the movie would either (a) erase the comic-book character’s Israeli heritage or (b) come across as anti-Palestinian propaganda, are utterly unfounded – Shira Haas’ performance ensures that she is nothing more or less than an interesting and three-dimensional character, without any real-life political baggage. Meanwhile, the ever-reliable Giancarlo Esposito does a lot with a little as the mercenary codenamed Sidewinder, who is the primary antagonist for Sam Wilson in the first half of the film (while Sam’s still trying to uncover the real mastermind behind the conspiracy). And because Sam Wilson is only human, his (brutal) confrontations with Sidewinder come with a real sense of jeopardy.

“…Carl Lumbly’s performance is truly heartbreaking…”

There are a couple of cast members who haven’t been featured in the marketing for this movie (although they were publicly announced previously) – but if you’ve got this far without knowing they’re in the movie, I’m not going to spoil anything now. All I will say is that the mastermind behind the conspiracy made for a very interesting and effective antagonist, and one who I’d be interested in seeing more of in the future.

Rounding out the (non-spoiler) cast is Carl Lumbly as Isaiah Bradley, the Black soldier who was exposed to the super-soldier serum during the Korean War before being unjustly imprisoned and experimented on by the US government for 30 years. The Isaiah Bradley subplot was one of the most interesting parts of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier TV show, although it never felt like it got the screentime it deserved – so it was great to see his story spotlighted in Brave New World, and Carl Lumbly’s performance in a couple of key scenes is truly heartbreaking.

“…everything up until the final act was great…”

Overall, I found that the plot and the cast of Brave New World worked really well ... but for me, what lets the film down is the final act. Without getting into spoilers, I felt that the way in which the storyline concerning the mastermind behind the conspiracy was resolved was too quick and easy, and it didn’t really make sense within the story either. I’m not saying I wanted an epic, CGI-fuelled showdown, but I did feel that the main antagonist’s storyline had a rather underwhelming denouement. Equally, I would have perhaps liked the appearance of the Red Hulk to have been a surprise (given that it’s a very late-stage plot development), but I also appreciate the perceived need to include him heavily in the marketing (as there’s no point making a great film if you’re so secretive about it that no one sees it). But even then, I did feel that the resolution of the Red Hulk storyline also felt a little rushed (and even had the whiff of reshoots about it).

Which is a shame, as everything up until the final act was great, and very effective. Maybe on a second viewing, the resolutions of the antagonist’s and the Red Hulk’s storylines won’t feel as underwhelming or rushed, but my initial reaction was that both needed a bit more time to breathe at the end. But despite those quibbles, I still thoroughly enjoyed Captain America: Brave New World, and I look forward to seeing what else the MCU has in store for us for the rest of this year, before Avengers: Doomsday hits cinemas in 2026.

And (although by now it should go without saying) there is a short end-credit scene…