“Captain America: Brave New World” Struggles with New Status Quo

Captain America: Brave New World (Julius Onah, 2025) 3½ out of 5 stars

After six years away from the big screen, Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie, If You Were the Last) takes the lead in director Julius Onah’s Captain America: Brave New World. Having spent eleven years as the Falcon, Anthony Mackie is officially the new Captain America and shoulders a unique responsibility. He has inherited an iconic role and must prove he can carry the franchise by himself. As a lifelong Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) fan, I can say that Mackie mostly succeeds. Unfortunately, the rest of the film never quite delivers.

Tasked with rebuilding the Avengers after their disbanding years prior, Sam finds himself embroiled in a nefarious plot to assassinate the newly elected President Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny). Outmaneuvering enemies known and unknown, Sam and his new partner, Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez, No Exit), must uncover the true threat before it’s too late. From the beginning, Brave New World shows that Sam Wilson is very much not the previous Captain America, Steve Rogers. For one, Sam is more of a public figure, regularly spending time with other military vets and posing for photo ops. Furthermore, the two have different approaches to the job.

Rogers’ superhuman strength allowed him to steamroll his way through opponents, while Sam has to rely on advanced gear and careful tactics. His background as a counselor also means that he tries to empathize and de-escalate whenever he can. I like that Brave New World doesn’t shy away from having Sam be more vulnerable, both physically and emotionally. He’s still struggling with impostor syndrome and trying to balance his duties with the pressure of being a Black role model. Sam may have to think more before he strikes, but make no mistake, he still strikes hard. However, the film runs into other problems.

Firstly, Onah (Luce) was eager to recreate the gritty espionage thriller tone of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, but this comes dangerously close to a retread. Entire set-pieces in the first two acts feel lifted directly from the previous film, all the way down to sneaking around old Army bases. Secondly, Brave New World spends time retconning events to connect earlier MCU films and set up potential new ones. At times, the film can feel like a recap for people who didn’t watch the last couple of MCU movies and shows.

A few reveals will delight longtime Marvel fans, but casual viewers may come away scratching their heads. Sadly, if you’ve been following Brave New World’s marketing campaign, several of these reveals have already been shown in the trailers. What’s worse is that having this knowledge makes the film feel like it’s dragging these moments out. Thankfully, the supporting cast does well.

Ramirez fills in nicely as the new Falcon, occupying more of a young apprentice role for Sam. Carl Lumbly (Doctor Sleep) reprises his role as Isaiah Bradley from the Disney+ series The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, a forgotten super soldier from the 1950s. Lumbly imbues him with a surprising amount of soul that is easy to empathize with. Shira Haas (Asia) debuts as the mysterious Ruth Bat-Seraph, Ross’ security advisor, who is more than meets the eye. Giancarlo Esposito (Abigail) has fun playing Sidewinder, a secondary villain mainly here to kickstart the conspiracy plot, give us some action, and set up potential future appearances.

Lastly, Harrison Ford does an excellent job filling in for the late William Hurt as Thaddeus Ross. He still commands a screen after all this time, embodying Ross’ deeply-buried rage and his desire to change. Unfortunately, he becomes stuck reconciling the character’s inconsistent writing across other MCU installments. Ross was introduced in The Incredible Hulk as a firebrand general hellbent on hunting the titular monster before being retooled into a mellowed-out politician in Captain America: Civil War. Brave New World does provide some context as to why his personality changed so drastically, but I still wonder how William Hurt would have altered his performance to fit those differences. Not to mention, the film keeps reminding you that Ross is trying to change, with multiple characters just saying the theme aloud.

Captain America: Brave New World succeeds as an action film and offers the viewer hints about where the MCU is headed next, but it struggles to stand on its own. At times, the film feels assembled, like it was pieced together to hit narrative beats and introduce specific details. The introduction of Sidewinder is a notable example of this since his character was added during reshoots and is practically stitched in between existing scenes. I wish our new Captain America had a stronger theatrical debut, but until Sam returns in the next Avengers movie, this is the world he lives in.

George W. Campbell

George W. Campbell is a director/screenwriter/editor from Bowie, Maryland, whose films focus on themes of family and personal relationships. As a Nicaraguan-American filmmaker, he aims to highlight specific parts of his culture and personal experiences (songs, dances, foods, and language).