by David Slifer

Captain America: Brave New World is the fourth installment in the Captain America filmography and this time, we are following Sam Wilson as he continues to take up the shield. This movie was directed by Julius Onah and stars Anthony Mackie, Danny Ramirez, Harrison Ford and Tim Blake Nelson. The film follows events after 2021’s Falcon and the Winter Soldier and 2008’s The Incredible Hulk. After Sam Wilson takes up the mantle of Captain America, he goes on missions and continues to represent what Captain America means to the entire world.

To be honest, this is not a perfect film. The production had been delayed for over a year due to multiple rounds of reshoot. At times the story might feel a little rushed and out of place, but the overall story is there. This movie has not received much positivity by the public, which I think is unfair as everyone involved had put all their effort into the making of this film. This addition to the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) had a lot of hurdles, but it turned out to be a great production that has a shed of reality in it.

With many things going on right now in the world, you can in some ways see the mirroring of reality in this film. Countries are on the brink of war in this film with national relations being tested. Some people today are in fear of war breaking out, along with national relations being tested as well. The cause being resources and the distribution of them.

Mackie has played this character for 11 years since being introduced in Captain America: The Winter Soldier and has perfectly shown this character’s story every step of the way. Originally a character that had Steve Rogers back and helped the Avengers save the world, Sam Wilson has grown into what his version of a hero should be. In a way he is brought back down to threats no longer at a outer world level. Mackie does a good job at showing this journey and showing us where Sam Wilson is now. There is a balance that Mackie brings to his performance. He knows how to make sure his character is serious when needed and laid back when the action is over. This helped show how his life is when he is not being the hero.

The other performers in this film also gave some amazing performances. Harrison Ford got to be the man to introduce the Red Hulk in Live Action media. After the passing of the William Hurt who originally played Thunderbolt Ross, Marvel needed to find a new man to play this character and they made a great choice receives more screen time. Ramirez plays Joaquin Torres who is the new Falcon and is a great addition to this roster of characters. Ramirez brings many comedic moments and does such a great job when working off of his other cast members. Last but not least, Tim Blake Nelson. For those who remember, Nelson was in The Incredible Hulk back in 2008 and has not returned to the MCU until now. Although not in the film for an extensive amount of time, he brings a lot to the role of Samuel Sterns. His character felt menacing when on stage, and he kept you guessing his process throughout the run of the film. With the way this character is portrayed, I think it’s safe to say that it was worth the wait to see him return. 

Although this is part of a bigger franchise, the only previous projects that I would recommend watching for basic context are The Incredible and Falcon and the Winter Soldier. With Marvel Studios about to release and film big cosmic related stories with Fantastic Four: First Steps,  Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, this was great story with more grounded elements to it. Let’s see what Marvel will do now.