Grade: 8/10
Finding a plot that connects 17 years of movies can be daunting, but the cast of Captain America: Brave New World accomplishes the task seamlessly. As the film launches phase five of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Nigerian-American director Julius Onah beautifully blends pivotal moments from the MCU’s history with a powerful exploration of the political struggles of Black individuals in the U.S.
To fully appreciate the film, viewers need to be familiar with the basics of the MCU. The story follows Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), who assumes the role of Captain America, a position passed to him by Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) at the end of Avengers: Endgame. Wilson has starred as Captain America for two years in T.V. series The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. The film also references events from the original The Incredible Hulk and Eternals.
After the basics are established, the movie kicks off with intense action. Wilson teams up with Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez), who has taken on Wilson’s past role as the Falcon, and Commander Dennis Dunphy (William Mark McCullough). Together, they embark on a daring rescue mission to secure a highly valuable asset: Adamantium, a rare new element. This sets up the classic superhero entrance and international conflict that becomes the movie’s main plot.
The film continues the story of super soldier Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly), a mentor and friend to Wilson. Bradley recounts the horrors he endured over 30 years of captivity as the U.S. government conducted tests on him. His character presents a brutal yet accurate representation of the abuse that Black individuals have faced from both society and political institutions.
The main conflict begins when President Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford) personally invites Wilson, Bradley, and Torres to the White House. There, Bradley attempts to assassinate President Ross, which results in extreme consequences for all four characters. This sets up both international and presidential tension that will play out in the film.
One of the movie’s few drawbacks is how quickly each scene unfolds, which can leave viewers confused. A major highlight, however, is the evolving friendship between Wilson and Torres. Their hero-sidekick dynamic is a classic trope that is important in showcasing Wilson’s growth as a leader, especially considering his past as Rogers’ sidekick.
Ruth Bat-Seraph (Shira Haas), a new widow-trained character and President Ross’ head of security, teams up with Wilson and Torres to track down an escaped Dr. Samuel Sterns (Tim Blake Nelson), a former ally of Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) turned villain, in a high-security prison while Sterns pursues the president.
Another flaw of the movie is its many conflicts, which are extremely difficult to track. While Captain America and the Falcon are chasing Sterns, an international crisis is emerging for President Ross. The two conflicts are ultimately connected but are challenging to follow on their own.
A standout action scene develops when President Ross conflicts with Japan, racing to control the source of Adamantium, the Celestial Island that formed in 2021’s Eternals. Onah constructs the scene around Captain America and the Falcon in flight with captivating cinematography, the best throughout the film.
In the final exhilarating scene, during President Ross’ speech, Sterns agitates Ross into a rage that triggers his transformation into the red Hulk which forces Captain America and the Hulk to face off. This ties together all loose ends of the international conflict over Adamantium, the mind control from Dr. Sterns, and the issue of the U.S. President being a Hulk. A surprising contrast to the consistently clean cinematography, the excessive CGI creates an animated sense that is distracting and, frankly, ugly.
Despite this brief divergence in aesthetic, Brave New World is a delightful addition to the constantly expanding MCU, and Onah will be able to look at this film with great accomplishment. He displays much-needed cultural representation, a brave but fitting expansion of Captain America’s legacy, and a fresh beginning in the fifth phase of the MCU. Mackie does a beautiful job taking on the face of the Avengers, and even though the original six have moved on, the MCU still thrives through their legacy.
