Is it safe to say that Marvel Studios is in a slump? While I know some enjoyed Agatha All Along and Deadpool & Wolverine last year, the feeling is still mostly down from its height of six years ago. From what I’ve seen, the pandemic pause and the waywardness of Phase Four entries have cooled the excitement for the mega-franchise. While we’re still in Phase Five, this new film, Captain America: Brave New World, arrives at an interesting time that reminds me of Marvel Comics. Sam Wilson became the new Captain America in comics in 2014/2015 during an initiative called Marvel NOW and All New All Different Marvel, which was something to shake things up after a pretty stagnant time for Marvel. Sam Wilson, carrying the burden of the mantle in the comics, also bled into the real world as the burgeoning Comics Gate started making itself known with all its rejection of change happening at the time. I can’t help but notice the similarities between them in comics and what’s going on in the real world, especially as I see Anthony Mackie walk this tightrope promoting this film that parallels what the character went through in comics and what we see in the movie. Also, for some reason, the Black Captain America has to be in a Hulk movie.
Now, that’s a big oversimplification of the plot, but hear me out. This film is focused on Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) trying to figure out how and what type of relationship he should have with the new President of the United States, Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross (Harrison Ford), who he does not have a great history with. Ross is working on a new global treaty over resources gained from the dead Celestial in the Indian Ocean (from the end of Eternals). Still, there is a plot to stop this treaty by attacking Ross at every turn. Sam gets involved because Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly) is somehow brainwashed to attack Ross at a white house event and imprisoned. From that point, the film plays with the conspiracy thriller genre story much like Captain America: The Winter Soldier did eleven years ago and, for the most part, does a decent job with it just as that film did. The action set pieces are entertaining to watch, and the effects are mostly good. There are times towards the end of the movie that things get a bit shakey as you can see, “Oh, this is when they did those later reshoots we read about. “Overall, it doesn’t hurt the whole movie, though, as it’s one of the better post-Endgame MCU theater entries.
I feel Anthony Mackie stands out here as Sam Wilson/Captain America, carrying a big movie on his back. I think it helps that he’s so comfortable as this character from playing him for this long that while it’s his first movie as THE star, it’s not his first as Wilson. The film is about to follow up on Falcon/Captain America and the Winter Solider, but it also works for people who didn’t watch that Disney+ show. I think they have Sam give a bit more speeches than Steve ever had, but it still works with his counselor background. He has good chemistry with Danny Ramirez, who plays Joaquin Torres, the new Falcon, as they have this nice superhero and sidekick dynamic that’s different than Steve and Sam being partners. Sam has to look out for Joaquin, who wants to prove himself but still has much to learn. Ramirez is fun and brings a certain lightness to the movie at the right times when things are pretty serious. He does quite well in the action scenes as well.
You know what really saved this movie for me as I was coming in expecting disappointment – Harrison Ford. Harrison Ford brings all his charisma here as Thunderbolt Ross. He’s likable when he needs to be, nice and cranky like his character on Shrinking when he needs to be and can bring about a humanity and emotion that I don’t think William Hurt had the opportunity to do all those many years ago. Ford is basically the other main character as he has as much and more of an emotional arc and motivation for all his actions, mainly repairing his relationship with his daughter Betty (Liv Tyler). Giancarlo Esposito, as Sidewinder, is fine as a threat. Still, there’s not enough there for you to care much about him, and honestly, it’s the serpent society; they aren’t always that interesting to begin with. Shira Haas, who plays Ruth Bat-Seraph, aka Sabra, doesn’t do much here. She is not a mutant here; you could tell there was maybe more with her that was just cut, and here she just plays a Black Widow proxy so that you still have a Cap/Falcon/Widow trio with new faces.
It’s great that we got to see more of Carl Lumbly as Isaiah Bradley in this movie. It was a welcome surprise that this character was brought into the MCU during the TV show. Seeing him in this as Sam’s mentor and continuing his role of Black consciousness for Sam in this world was used well. His backstory makes his cynicism earned and familiar for many a Black person with older people in their lives who lived through the civil rights movement or earlier as it connects what’s going on now with what’s happened before, causing Sam to ask himself the right questions about the choices presented before him in this role that was denied, Isaiah. There are things that Isaiah asks of Sam that resonate well with questions of some celebrities in real life and how they’ve dealt with the changing climate of our country. It was welcome to see Tim Blake Nelson back as Samuel Sterns and finally continue a story thread that started all the way back in 2008 in the second MCU film ever, The Incredible Hulk. He brings the right amount of menace to his scenes on the screen and works as a great foil for Ross, more so than even Cap here.
Yet Sterns, Ross, Betty, and some of the core points of the conflict in this movie make it very much a sequel to that 2008 Hulk movie. That is one of my main issues with this movie; honestly, in the most superhero fan comic book guy criticism I have – they have Sam Cap in a Hulk movie and no Bruce Banner to be found. Not a phone call or nothing. Heck, they didn’t even call his cousin for an assist. Sure, it’s a nitpick for some, but the story, Ross’ issues, and the main reason for the conflict still fit something Bruce Banner (and Rick Jones) should be figuring out rather than Sam Wilson. Even with the stuff you’ve seen in the trailers, it would be cool to see two Hulks face-off, but alas, we do get a good Cap vs Rulk here, and it was fun. Captain America: Brave New World surprised me by not being what I thought it would be. It kept the history of Captain America films as the best subseries in the MCU by holding to likable stories and strong, relatable themes to give a good superhero movie experience.
