2025 is looking to be a standout year for the MCU, with three cinematic releases. We kick things off with Captain America: Brave New World, directed by Julius Onah, the first Captain America film with Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson taking the lead is long overdue but finally here. The MCU has been on shaky grounds since the Infinity Saga came to an end in Spider-Man: Far From Home in 2019. Whilst there were perhaps one or two films in the Infinity Saga that fell short of the mark, the Multiverse Saga has been miss after miss with films such as Thor: Love and Thunder and The Ant-Man and Wasp: Quantumania being near unwatchable in a saga that feels directionless, over-stuffed and lacking stakes. And yet I have hope, Captain America: Brave New World feels like a soft reset, it is not perfect, but it is a massive step in the right direction.
The opening does two things, it reintroduces us to the often-overlooked 2008 MCU film: The Incredible Hulk before going into a Captain America showcase. The opening literally says, 'this is what you missed in 2008' and 'look how awesome the new Cap is'. It's fun, and effectively gets us up to speed without excessive amounts of exposition. There is also a reference to Thaddeus Ross' 'new look' as Harrison Ford takes on the role after the passing of William Hurt who had played ross from 2008 - 2021. Ford brings Ross to life as the newly elected president of the United States, he has fostered a close working relationship with Wilson's Captain American to project a strong patriotic image. Ford gives us a compelling performance, a steadfast president with a short fuse and numerous secrets. Ross not only becomes president, he also becomes Red Hulk. Ford nails the transition from stable president to raging antagonist perfectly. Yet he is not the main villain of the movie, that would be Samuel Sterns (Tim Black Nelson), a biologist that was accidentally contaminated with Bruce Banners blood, I won't say to much about his character because I do not wish to spoil the plot. But Samuel Sterns is a manipulative villain, who doesn't quite meet his full potential. Giancarlo Esposito makes slightly more than a cameo appearance as Sidewinder, yet despite his limited screen time he leaves a big impression, and I hope we see more of the character going forward.
Onto the heroes, Sam Wilson faces the reoccurring dilemma - to take the super serum or not. Is an ordinary man enough? Can an ordinary man take on the role of Captain America? These questions plague Sam throughout the film. Mackie portrays a character who is attempting to exist outside of the Shadow Steve Rodgers casts, to live up to the mantle he has claimed, a man that must stop the settling of self-doubt. Yet this inner turmoil does little to dull Wilson's personality, his excitement for thrills, quippy jokes and cocky attitude are in ample supply. It's truly great to see Mackie take centre stage, he delivers in every moment of the film, Captain America is in good hands. A new Captain needs a new Falcon, after his introduction in Falcon and the Winter Solider Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez), steps into his new role with confidence, at times perhaps a little too eager to prove himself. Ramirez is only at the very beginning of his MCU journey, but I'm sure it will be a great one, his Falcon has a lot to learn from Sam, but he has an infectious energy which is fun to watch. the dynamic between the two is certainly more mentor and mentee (Different to the friendship dynamic of Sam and Steve), they have great chemistry, and some great back and forth. A great partnership at the very beginning of their journey together.
The actors and their performances are what really stand out in Brave New World. But unfortunately, there are a number of elements that let the film down, none of which are catastrophic. The First hour of the film is at times disjointed, no doubt due to the endless reshoots the film suffered. Yet this is manageable and does not detract from the overall good narrative. In terms of narrative the film needed to lean further into the mystery aspects, cutting some of the action in favour of tension building. The film also suffers under the weight of a large cast, Carl Lumbly returns as Isaiah Bradley, a great addition but a character that has potential beyond spending the majority of the film behind bars. Two newcomers: Leila Taylor (Xosha Roquemore) a secret service agent and Ruth Bat-Seraph (Shira Haas) a former Black Widow that now operates as a security advisor to Ross, add very little to the narrative and easily could have been combined into one role. The teased return of Liv Tyler's Betty Ross is wonderful, her cameo emotional, but I wanted so much more! And whilst on the subject of characters - where was Sharon Carter? (Emily VanCamp) Not having Sharon in the film was a missed opportunity. Elsewhere the score was subpar - Captain America needs a theme, we didn't get one. And the CGI was poor especially in the final confrontation.
Yet Overall, I fully enjoyed Captain America: Brave New World. Was it a perfect standout MCU film? No, but it was a step in the right direction, going forward we will hopefully see Sam Wilson building his own Avengers Team and leading them into the next Avengers film. A lot of work is needed to get to that point, but given the chance, Mackie will rise to the challenge. Let's hope that in 2025 the MCU is back on track.
Let me know your thoughts in the comments.
Thank you for reading xx
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