The fifth film in Phase Five of the Marvel Cinematic Universe arrives courtesy of director Julius Onah in Captain America: Brave New World. Ornah also contributes to the screenplay with Peter Glanz, Rob Edwards, and the writing teams of Malcolm Spellman & Dalan Musson.
Picking up after the events of the Disney + series The Falcon and the Winter Solider and the Celestial Tiamut from Eternals, Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) has somewhat embraced the Captain America mantle and has a new Falcon in Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez). Sam is also still in touch with former super-solider Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly).
Despite their previous issues (quick refresher: when he was an officer, Ross wanted to destroy the Avengers and all superheroes), Sam is also cordial with Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford), who is now president of the United States. Looking to make over his image, Ross wants Sam to lead a new team of Avengers and invites him to the White House for a ceremony. Sam decides to bring Joaquin and Isaiah along.
However, amid the celebration, an assignation attempt occurs, and for reasons unknown, Isaiah appears to be one of the shooters. Sam and Joaquin then set out to clear Isaiah's name while trying to avoid the suspicious eye of Ruth Bat-Seraph (Shira Haas), An Israeli former Black Widow turned Secret Service agent.
It's no secret that Captain America: Brave New World has had a tough road getting to the big screen since its announcement in 2022. Rumors of poor test screenings led to reshoots and casting of demand actor Giancarlo Esposito as Seth Voelker / Sidewinder, leader of the Serpent Society. So, all of that said, how does the final film look?
While the reshoots are apparent in the film, it isn't the train wreck that Al Gore's internet would lead you to believe. Anthony Mackie is still in proper form, piggybacking off his arc from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Mackie delivers solid one-liners and is sharp in the action scenes.
The strongest moments in the film hail from Sam questioning if he should have taken the serum and the subtle moments of being an African American veteran. Danny Ramirez. Carl Lumbly and Shira Haas are also good at juggling action scenes and one-liners. The legendary Harrison Ford has big shoes to fill, taking over from the late William Hurt as Ross, but he does so with ease. Subtly, Ford's take on Ross has flourishes of you know who, but Ford doesn't go full-on Alt-right.
If viewers haven't seen 2008's The Incredible Hulk in a while, they may have trouble keeping up with the plot, mainly when Tim Blake Nelson's character Samuel Sterns / Leader shows up. The smart move for that character and Ford would have been for the MCU to bring back Marvel's One Shot shortly before the film's release.
However, the always enjoyable Giancarlo Esposito steals every scene he's in, and I look forward to watching him in future movies. Considering that Brave New World is the fourth installment in the Captain America film series and the 35th MCU film overall, it's okay for what it is, which is a political thriller with superheroes,
Final Grade: B
Captain America: Brave New World is in theaters now.
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