Captain America: Brave New World Review Not Much New or ...

Although it’s ideologically and narratively messy, slowly collapses down the stretch into a shambles, Captain America: Brave New World almost does an okay job of melding Marvel formula with the kind of 70s and 90s paranoia thrillers that it hopes to emulate. As a proper, big screen torch passing to Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson as the titular figurehead (previously played by Chris Evans), Captain America: Brave New World could stand to be more original and lasting in the memory, but to do so means breaking with overall formula. It assuredly won’t be anyone’s favourite entry into the MCU, and the film’s brisk, but dense plotting mixed with a lack of massive action set pieces might turn off the casual faithful. But for those looking for something that moderately reminds viewers of The Manchurian Candidate or one of co-star Harrison Ford’s Jack Ryan movies, then there’s a decent amount to like here if you put some blinders on.

While still settling into his new job as Captain America, Sam Wilson is contacted by the newly elected president of the United States, Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford, taking over a role previously played by the late William Hurt). Sam and Thaddeus have had many differences over the years, but the new Commander-in-Chief is starting to entertain the idea that Sam put a new version of The Avengers together. But before any of that can happen, an assassination attempt on the president and an international dispute between the U.S. and Japan over control of a newfound material stronger than the Wakandan’s vibranium throws a spanner into the works. A mysterious, unseen villain (Tim Blake Nelson) operating out of a secret government facility has put into motion a nefarious revenge plan that could upset the global power structure (or something like that, I guess) and bring to light the president’s darkest secrets. It’s up to Cap 2.0 and his new Falcon-in-training sidekick, Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez), to uncover and stop a puppet master’s conspiracy.

Captain America: Brave New World has five credited screenwriters and is about as messy as something with that many cooks in the kitchen sounds like it would be. Director Julius Onah (Luce, The Cloverfield Paradox) does a solid job from the jump at emulating the tone and style of an old school espionage thriller, with some inspired, slick cinematography from Kramer Morgenthau and a charged, energetic score from Laura Karpman adding some nice assists. But like so many Marvel movies before it, Captain America: Brave New World isn’t allowed to create an identity all its own or to rise and fall on its own terms. It’s so relentlessly tied to MCU minutiae that unless a viewer has almost two decades worth of movies and limited series bopping around in their head, they’ll be lost. There’s an attempt being made by Onah and the filmmaking team to do something new, but instead of something refreshing, they can only craft the best paper canoe they can out of the studio mandated hand they’ve been dealt.

It’s an odd choice that instead of backpacking off of some of the more successful MCU entries to reference – or really ANYTHING having to directly do with Captain America, The Avengers, or Falcon and the Winder Soldier – this movie decides to hitch its wagon almost entirely to 2008’s The Incredible Hulk and the now rarely discussed The Eternals, neither of which fit the tone Onah is going for behind the camera. Although, I guess like The Eternals, Captain America: Brave New World is quite talky, and like The Incredible Hulk it similarly feels like it’s not in any rush to get someplace interesting. If you aren’t into the kind of film Onah desperately wants to make with this, and you’re in the tank for anything and everything Marvel related, you’ll be confused. If you do like an old fashioned spy thriller with a dash of goofiness, the good news is that Onah makes it so you can readily tune out of all the MCU stuff and just go along with it for most of the running time.

Like Onah’s direction, the cast pushes things a bit closer to respectability. Mackie slips back into the same role he’s done before, and while nothing feels like a stretch to him or even a massive progression of the character, he provides the film with a strong rudder. Ford delivers a surprisingly energetic and invested performance for something that should be a paycheque gig for him at this point in his life. Nelson brings a bit of campiness, Carl Lumbly adds some humanity as the country’s forgotten super soldier, and Giancarlo Esposito imbues his role as a nonplussed mercenary squad leader with tantalizing swagger. Ramirez and Shira Haas (as the president’s physically capable chief of security) have some charisma, even if their roles are basic and underwritten. Any of the flaws here aren’t the fault of Onah or the cast. If anything, they’re the reason a lot of this remains even the least bit engaging.

But once the final act kicks in (built around a big reveal that’s given away in all the trailers and marketing materials, to the film’s ultimate detriment and ruining of surprise), that’s when things go downhill in a hurry. Although there’s a smattering of action throughout Captain America: Brave New World – including a well done showdown between Mackie and Esposito – the climax goes full on Marvel mayhem, replete with a large number of symbolic cherry blossom trees and even more convenient, corny plot devices that raise plenty of logistical and logical questions about how all of this is possible. The film is built around a villain who’s basically a statistics nerd capable of thinking ten steps ahead of everyone else, but the script has been seemingly put together by people who haven’t figured out what they’re doing in the next ten seconds. 

Then after all the bombast the overlong coda kicks in with eye rolling attempts to be apolitical and patriotic that fall flat and feel woefully out of touch with the absolute state of the world (and America, in particular) at the moment. You could write plenty about just how loathe this film is to get even the slightest bit critical of the American government, but really it’s a waste of energy and time for something this sloppy. Everyone lives to fight another day. The credits roll. Then the most useless post credits scene of all time hits and everyone can go home in a shade under two hours, which, to be fair, is less time than most MCU offerings take, so there’s a silver lining even if one (wrongfully) chooses to slog it out to the bitter end. By that point, it’s hard to remember that Captain America: Brave New World started off with some degree of potential. All you’re left with is another MCU entry that will be brought up again once Marvel brass decides it’s time for another test.

Captain America: Brave New World opens in theatres everywhere on Friday, February 14, 2025.