CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD (Review): A Much Needed Reset

Introduction

Are you ready for the full return of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) to a theater near you? It’s been over a year since The Marvels (2023) and sitting through three crappy Sony Spider-Verse movies made it feel like ten years. In fairness, Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) is also an MCU movie and it was amazing. But it also had no interest in pushing forward whatever the overarching storyline is that leads us to the next Avengers film. In fact, does anyone know what is the overarching storyline? This is why the MCU needed to return. But the MCU needs to return with some sort of coherence and clarity on that overarching storyline. That’s where Captain America: Brave New World comes in.

With the Infinity Stones and Thanos in the past, what new MacGuffins will we get and who is the supervillain that is chasing them? Captain America: Brave New World doesn’t reveal the supervillain, but the first MacGuffin is a new super-metal called adamantium. Before you correct me in that adamantium isn’t new, it is to the MCU. Before you correct me again, Deadpool & Wolverine occurred in a different branch of the multiverse than the rest of the MCU. Yes, I’m aware I’m a nerd.

Synopsis

Captain America: Brave New World opens with Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), a.k.a. Captain America, a.k.a. Falcon intercepting an illegal sale of some stolen adamantium. Along for the ride is his sidekick, Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez), a.k.a. Falcon, a.k.a. Robin. Ok, so Wilson doesn’t go by Falcon anymore, despite still featuring his advanced Falcon wings and jetpack. And Torres doesn’t go by Robin because this isn’t a Batman movie.

The adamantium comes from the dead celestial sticking out of the Indian Ocean. You remember the celestial, right? From The Eternals (2021)? You don’t? That’s okay – I don’t blame you for expunging that garbage film from your memory. Luckily, you don’t need to know any of the backstory. Just know that freshly elected President Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford) is negotiating a treaty to share mining rights to the adamantium with the rest of the world. You remember Thaddeus Ross, right? A U.S. military general from multiple previous MCU movies? No? That’s okay – William Hurt will haunt you from his grave for forgetting him so quickly after his passing (less than three years ago in March 2022).

The plot of Captain America: Brave New World has nothing to do with adamantium. It’s actually about Dr. Samuel Stearns (Tim Blake Nelson) seeking revenge against Ross for imprisoning Stearns and lying about setting Stearns free if Stearns helped Ross win the Presidency. Captain America and Robi…er, Falcon try to stop Stearns. Simple, right?

Analysis

One of the issues bogging down recent MCU movies is how convoluted the plots were getting, with the fate of the world/galaxy/universe/multiverse always being at stake. Captain America: Brave New World smartly scales back all of the grandeur to deliver a basic political thriller. That’s not to say Stearns’ revenge plan isn’t somewhat convoluted, but that’s how the villain’s plan is in every James Bond, Mission: Impossible, and Tom Clancy movie. Refreshingly, the climax doesn’t feature a sky beam or spaceships or every superpowered being in the universe facing off. It’s just Cap vs. Red Hulk at the end.

The film also features some really good performances. Mackie’s Wilson continues to evolve,
embracing the role of Captain America as an inspiration for people, while not letting the fame and power go to his head. Ford does the late William Hurt proud by pushing Ross into a conciliatory frame of mind, while still maintaining Ross’ hard-nosed attitude.

The supporting actors in Captain America: Brave New World are nearly as good. From Shira Haas as an ass-kicking former black widow and current security chief for Ross, to Nelson’s very convincingly angry, yet calculating Stearns, to Carl Lumbly’s emotional performance as Wilson’s friend Isaiah Bradley, to Giancarlo Esposito having a blast letting loose and chewing scenery as a lethal mercenary called Sidewinder. Even Ramirez’s uneven and campy performance worked in a holy-Vibranium-wings-Captain kind of way.

Conclusion

While some will find things to complain about, it’s safe to ignore them. Captain America: Brave New World feels like a really good reset to the MCU while still feeling like a Marvel movie. True, it doesn’t have the feel of a big, bombastic, epic superhero movie, but that’s a good thing. It’s a movie that allows its characters to breathe again instead of swamping them with a hurricane of colors and action sequences.

It pulls the comic relief back to subtle instead of Taiki-Waititi-pie-in-the-face levels. And, it points us back toward rebuilding the Avengers team, which is the reason we all showed up seventeen years ago to begin with. And if you’re a nerd like me, the mere mention of Adamantium is enough to get you excited about where this is all heading. Adamantium, a.k.a. Wolverine, was arguably the best thing in Deadpool & Wolverine.

Rating: Don’t ask for any money back – it was worth the months-long wait.

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