The Marvel Cinematic Universe spent a decade building an incredible saga because of how they structured each phase. There was a plan with these characters, and each new release connected to the other. Sure, there were standalones in their respective character trilogy, but it still felt connected to something larger. Over the past five years, with the addition of Marvel Television, they are wearing themselves thin in the quality of their productions.
When The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was released on Disney Plus, it was already a misunderstood series. Few people enjoyed it and didn’t buy into Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) picking up the shield. However, he was always the perfect fit because he is incredibly similar to Steve Rogers.
He fights a different struggle as a Black man in America, which was explored at the surface in the television series. Even in the series, they didn’t know what to do with Sam Wilson or where to place him as Captain America. Unfortunately, this followed suit in Captain America: Brave New World.
Sam Wilson’s debut on the big screen was lacklustre and lacked direction for the character. After six episodes of a television series and a two-year time jump of being Captain America, they made him doubt himself as a leader or the rightful owner of the shield. How can the audience believe this man will lead a future Avengers team if he doesn’t believe in himself?
The film becomes convoluted in the first half because of the poor writing. Sam Wilson’s journey to clear Isiah Bradley’s (Carl Lumbly) name wasn’t strong enough for a personal story. The script is the main issue because of multiple ideas floating around, and it’s blatant that the film suffered in post-production with poor editing.
They attempted to make a grounded thriller but ended up with a weak, reused villain to present an interesting narrative with the Hulk. There are two clashing stories: one to build Sam Wilson’s foundation as Captain America and two, creating an interesting political narrative surrounding the Celestial island from Eternals with more of a Hulk backstory.
Although it may have been compelling on paper, the execution was dull and lacked substance. How they managed to create an empty political thriller is dumbfounding. In this case, Anthony Mackie deserved a better debut on the big screen than this.
Mackie shines as Captain America and carries this film alongside Harrison Ford, who surprisingly put his all into Thaddeus Ross. Watching them go toe-to-toe was great because of their dedication to the characters. Mackie is at his strongest when he plays off the people around him. He has incredible chemistry with Ford and Danny Ramirez, who plays his partner, Falcon, Joaquin Torres. The MCU heavily relies on character interactions to atone for the lack of everything else that goes into making a superhero film.
Captain America: Brave New World is a massive disappointment as an entry into the Captain America franchise. Understandably, they had to start from scratch and go back to basics with Sam Wilson to rebuild the foundation of the MCU. They have taken too long to form Wilson as a leader. Unfortunately, it has led to his stand-alone downfall. If you don’t believe in the capabilities of your title hero, then how will audiences?
There are mixed feelings about the film. On one hand, the strongest elements are the fight choreography, which highlights Sam Wilson’s suit capabilities and hand-to-hand combat. Laura Karpman’s score is also one of the best compositions in the MCU. However, the narrative is repetitive and lacks substance. Sadly, they don’t know what to do with Sam Wilson, and I hope they figure it out soon.
2.5/5
Review by: Amanda Guarragi
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