I wanted “Captain America: Brave New World” to be good. By all accounts, it should have been. It stars Anthony Mackie — easily one of Marvel’s most charismatic actors — returning as the scene-stealing Sam Wilson. It puts Captain America where he belongs, in a political thriller instead of off fighting aliens or, God forbid, some multiversal foe. This movie has three excellent predecessors to build off of, and yet I walked out of the theater wondering if its creators had ever seen a movie before, much less a Marvel flick.
While the plot of “Brave New World” attempts to hit the ground running, it stumbles and never quite picks up speed. The story should be simple and engaging enough: Harrison Ford’s Thaddeus Ross, newly the president and formerly a general, is haunted by his reputation of aggression and a ghost from his past; Captain America investigates a sabotage plot against Ross.
This movie, however, commits the cardinal sin of Marvel. It expects you to do your homework. Even I was struggling to care about all the references thrown at me, and I’m far from a casual fan. “Brave New World” acts more like a footnote to 2008’s “The Incredible Hulk” and the 2021 miniseries “The Falcon and The Winter Soldier” than a movie in its own right.
Throw in Captain America movies “The Winter Soldier” and “Civil War,” and maybe you’ll have enough background to appreciate the significance of anything that happens in this movie. But, that unfairly suggests that anything here is significant. It isn’t. It’s an exercise in throwing together plot beats to make a two-hour reminder that these characters exist.
That could've been all right if “Brave New World” didn’t squander its characters despite their actors’ excess of talent. Mackie is given nothing to do as Wilson doesn’t learn or grow. My Captain America action figure with five canned responses could probably lead this storyline effectively — it can even throw a shield! Wilson also isn’t very funny here, which is a disappointing departure from the character’s previous depictions.
The humor is offloaded onto Danny Ramirez’s Joaquin Torres, the new Falcon. Torres’ boyish charm did, well, charm me. But his excessive quips and puppy-dog excitement are more fitting of a teenage sidekick, not a soldier who has already pushed past 30.
I must imagine that “Brave New World” seemed infinitely more interesting when acting icons Harrison Ford, Giancarlo Esposito and Tim Blake Nelson first signed on as the movie’s antagonists. Or maybe Marvel Studios stole locks of their hair for a binding ritual. Why else would they sully their filmography with this entry? It’s the equivalent of picking up a shift at T.J. Maxx over the winter holidays for a quick buck.
The shining star of “Brave New World” — and yes, there is one — is Carl Lumbly’s Isaiah Bradley. Introduced in “The Falcon and The Winter Soldier,” Bradley is a U.S. veteran who the government forcibly turned into a super soldier, to only imprison and experiment on him for 30 years. In this movie, Bradley is the only person who understands that Captain America is at his best when operating outside of and in opposition to the U.S. government. He implores Wilson to not work with the government, least of all Ross’ administration.
In a shocking disregard of previous Marvel projects, Wilson insists that Captain America should stand by the nation’s president in the name of unity. Is that political messaging really appropriate in today’s country? Marvel is infamous for its military propaganda and upholding the status quo, but this reaches a new low. The emotional weight of “Brave New World” hinges on the belief that Ross, despite his past villainy, can be redeemed. This theme can be done well, like in “Spider-Man: No Way Home.” But here, it isn't earned. It's an excuse to allow people in power to live without repercussions.
