Exciting, sometimes clumsy, but thoroughly enjoyable, Captain America: Brave New World is a back-to-basics political conspiracy thriller with the usual superhero flair as gravy and makes for a great time!
There are a handful of dirty little secrets when it comes to the Marvel Cinematic Universe that people either don’t know or simply ignore altogether: you don’t actually have to see every film/series to understand what is going on (the connections and easter eggs are mere enhancements for long-time fans) and so that sense of FOMO is more on the viewer and simply benefits the studio’s bottom line. Marvel Studios have not only been adapting stories from the original comics, they’ve also been adapting the structure of comic book publishing – but technically it’s not actually a new concept for moving media as Star Trek has been doing this for over 50 years (you don’t need to watch the original series to enjoy The Next Generation, etc). And despite all the online rage bait accusations about “forcing an agenda”, these films are often considered “apolitical”… or at the very least “soft” or “centrist” on its politics – On the one hand it will highlight the harm colonisation has done in the past while on the other promoting the idea of a global militarised peacekeeping force that is US-based.
The one that gets misunderstood and overlooked the most about this brand of superhero movie is that the “superhero” aspect is actually a secondary element to the story. The main focus is on theme and characters, their struggles and motivations, and making it relatable (enough) to a broad audience of different ages and (to an extent) different cultural backgrounds… Tony Stark has to deal with the consequences of his wreckless past actions, Thor struggles with humility and the weight of responsibility of the “family business”, Carol Danvers has to find her identity as she continually has her abilities downplayed while at the same time exploited because of them. These characters are then placed in familiar movie tropes and genres and then everything is doused in the “superhero gravy” as flavouring and easter eggs thrown in as seasoning. I’m not saying this is 100% consistent across every MCU project, let alone obvious to the casual viewer, but more often than not it’s there.
Contrast this to the DC movie output of the last 20 years and Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy was more about how a vigilante like Batman would fit or even be justified in the “real world”. Similarly, Zack Snyder’s Superman films were more focussed on how the world would react to a being with god-like powers. These aren’t bad themes to explore by any means, yet they simply ran out of steam very quickly.
The reason I bring these points up early on is that I want to remind everyone that this has always been the case when it comes to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the output of Marvel Studios… and most of that actually comes from the comics. Very little about how they tell their stories over the years has changed (except for maybe the challenges of adapting to working during the pandemic). What has changed drastically is the skewed expectations of the audience thanks to the climax that was Avengers: Endgame as well as the toxicity of online film discourse (but I’ll touch on that later).
Captain America: Brave New World continues the tradition of being about characters and themes before in a superhero wrapping. The plot is a fun and thrilling political conspiracy, with plenty of action and amazing visual effects, and is all round a great time at the cinema. In the same way that The Winter Soldier was a “spy thriller”, Brave New World does the Tom Clancy-alike with the political conspiracy and splits the difference between Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) having worked out most of his misgivings regarding taking on the mantle of Captain America in Falcon & The Winter Soldier, is now fighting extra hard to make that matter to the people around him- and President Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross (Harrison Ford) trying to convince the world (and his daughter, Betty) that he has changed for the better.
I mentioned before about these films being “soft” on politics but that’s difficult to do when this film is literally about nations fighting over territory and new resources, as well as a black man being forced to work with and then against a president who has tantrums and rage issues. It feels a little “on the nose” when laying it out like that but it’s timely. If anything, it’s not definite on what side the movie takes. What I really appreciate about this movie is that it moves the needle forward on the MCU, for all the silly complaints people had about a Celestial sticking out of the ocean being ignored (which it hasn’t been), to finally introducing adamantium, it’s all a very exciting set up for future films but doesn’t rely solely on these.
Mackie already proved himself deserving of the shield in Falcon & The Winter Soldier but here he reinforces why he owns it, even if Wilson falters and starts to question that ownership – it’s all part of Wilson’s arc. Mackie brings a charm and charisma that we all knew he had and definitely puts it on show as leading man and top of the call sheet. Harrison Ford admits to having the delicate task of taking over the role of “Thunderbolt” Ross that was already established and played in multiple films by the late William Hurt (who passed away just before the film went into production). Although it’s amusing to not only see Ford play another president but also in a political thriller, he really does look like he’s enjoying himself in this role (as opposed to the last Indy film). And I disagree with some pundits who claim that “Red Hulk” should have been a surprise (when in reality that was just too hard to keep secret), honestly, it’s the build up and anticipation that really sells it and Ford works that into his performance.
Danny Ramirez reprises his role of Joaquin Torres , aka the new Falcon, and he is giving off the best sidekick energy. I look at him and think that he may have been the best Dick Grayson/Nightwing we’ll never get to see. He too has a level of charm that plays well with Mackie without clashing or being annoying. The emotional core of this film is perhaps Carl Lumbly, also reprising his role as Isaiah Bradley. There is a pain that Lumbly conveys from the decades of torture and exploitation his character had endured and for all that to rush back just as he was “being accepted” feels all too real and, again, timely in today’s current climate.
Giancarlo Esposito’s Sidewinder is deliciously villainous but ultimately underused, which is not uncommon in these films but the real concern(?) came in regards to Shira Haas’ role as Ruth Bat-Seraph. She was actually pretty good considering but I was all too distracted trying to figure out how much of this character had been chopped and changed considering the genocide of the Palestinians. I don’t want to be flippant about that point but in reality it’s not ideal for both actor and filmmaker especially when it comes to contracts and expectations but I guess they all did what they could with a such a situation.
From what I gather, this is one of the last Marvel Studios projects that began during the height of the pandemic, and it somewhat shows. It’s certainly not a perfect movie (few are) and there are a few clumsy moments, choppy elements that are probably all to do with certain reshoots and changes to the story due to the global situation on multiple fronts, as well as that telltale sense of “claustrophobia” that films produced in the last couple of years all give off. None of this ruins the movie outright, although it does make it fall short of being “as good” as the likes of The Winter Soldier, and some may be preoccupied in trying to figure out what got rewritten and reshot but other than that I think it’s quite an achievement to get a film this great and this enjoyable in spite of the seemingly insurmountable obstacles (including the passing of Hurt).
I don’t often do this but I feel compelled to address another elephant in the room: why are there so many negative reviews for this movie?
Racism.
Okay that’s the simple answer. The more nuanced and detailed answer is that racism and the toxic nature of film discourse and online fan tribalism has spread farther out beyond the old forums and obscure fan blogs. Unfortunately, the algorithm rewards engagement and much of that engagement comes from rabid negativity, which feeds into a certain part of the fandom, which spreads to a wider audience of casuals and the easily influenced, which then emboldens the bigots and the far-right to push the envelope of acceptability and rail against progress and diversity, moving the goalposts and setting standards for certain actors and filmmakers when they never held up the same for those of paler complexions or who posses a set of junk between the legs.
Professional movie critics in more traditional media and outlets aren’t immune to this, as they rely on clicks to their articles and views on their videos in order to make ends meet, so jumping on the bandwagon of hate feels easier (especially if they’re leaning “that way” too). And while some will disguise their points under more professional and perhaps objective language, some will even parrot a few of the racist dog whistles and talking points too and then that makes its way to the casuals, the not-chronically-online, and apolitical. Combine this with the real/not real idea of “superhero fatigue” and it results in a very disingenuous discussion about the state of these films (disingenuous because the idea of “superhero fatigue” has been thrown about since the first Avengers movie in 2012). Certain critics have resented having to talk about Marvel films for over a decade with every marketing cycle, being quite over trying to squeeze every angle, every take they can to stay relevant or ahead of the pack and they want to be done with it. I also wouldn’t be surprised if a certain group of folks were not happy at how reduced and compacted Haas’ role became in the wake of events in the Middle East over the last two years and the bad reviews are a petty way to get even.
I’m not claiming that every negative opinion is instantly racist. Simply not enjoying a movie can often mean it’s not to your personal tastes and that’s valid. I’m just pointing out how obviously suspicious it all is and how easy it is to succumb to the toxic negativity.
But what I find encouraging is that I keep seeing more and more positive outpouring of joy and excitement on social media from people who don’t do this for a living nor do they have anything to gain from talking shit about a film. Similar to how so many found out afterwards that The Marvels was actually good when they watched it on Disney+ having skipped it at the cinema after hearing that it wasn’t great.
Just for reference, there is no mid-credits scene but there is ONE post-credits scene.
Captain America: Brave New World, just like Sam Wilson within the film, has had to endure doubt and negativity from those that don’t want him to carry the shield but this latest offering is fun, exciting, and thrilling, making it a great addition not only to the MCU but to the legacy of Captain America.
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