Tony Stark/Iron Man’s final living moments in Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) were more epic (and temporary, according to the oft-stolen Avengers: Doomsday Twitter theory). Yet, Steve Rogers’s subtle goodbye to the mega-franchise hit harder with his warm handoff of the Captain America mantle to his sidekick Sam “The Falcon” Wilson. After a brief glimpse into his new role via a team-up with Bucky Barnes in the Disney+ miniseries The Falcon and The Winter Solider, Wilson’s time to shine as a solo act comes in the latest MCU entry, Captain America: Brave New World.
Brave New World picks up a few years after The Falcon and The Winter Solider with ties to 2021’s Eternals and 2008’s The Incredible Hulk. It finds Wilson (Anthony Mackie) investigating an assassination attempt on President Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford) with ties to a more dangerous global plot. While the film doesn’t take many risks, the risk is actually in the fact that the MCU is playing so safe with Brave New Work. It’s Marvel’s most straightforward film in years, which works if you need a break from the Multiverse, but presents some challenges in other aspects.
My biggest fear coming into Brave New World was how Mackie would handle being THE guy instead of the sidekick. While he’s always been an incredible talent, Mackie hasn’t led many films besides She Hate Me, Brother to Brother, and, more recently, The Banker. Even with that limited experience, leading an MCU film is another ballgame. I’m happy to say I couldn’t have been more wrong.
In Brave New World, Mackie makes Captain America his own by creating a more likable and relatable character than the previous iteration. It was easy to root for the Rogers version, but he could often come across as a goody two shoes. Mackie’s charisma and ability to humanize the new man behind the shield make Wilson’s version of the hero more likable and relatable. It’s refreshing to see the guy trying his best to get it right instead of the guy who always gets it right. He’s not as athletic as the previous Cap, and it shows in the combat scenes, but there’s no doubt Mackie was the right man for this job and deserved a solo film.
Mackie isn’t alone in giving Brave New World its wings in front of the camera, as Carl Lumbly provides a quality supporting turn in limited time that bests Ford’s on-screen efforts. Lumbly’s presence alone is powerful, given his place in history as the first black superhero on television. Still, his gut-wrenching line delivery in the film’s most affecting scenes strikes a nerve.
Beyond Mackie’s and Lumbly’s performances, Brave New World gets shaky. The first L that jumps out is the bad editing. The film is stripped down and doesn’t use special effects as much as most MCU entries, but there is no excuse for what they missed. The most egregious blunders were during a Falcon landing sequence in the first act and the cherry blossom green screen background in the last act. However, plenty of other awkward shots, camera shifts, and poor CGI are littered throughout the film.
The script and pacing are also a problem. The writing renders the villains almost useless. It’s understandable that a slow reveal works best for Brave New World because that drives an espionage film. It also makes sense that the villain(s) aren’t the film’s centerpiece. However, the lack of screen time for the villain(s) throughout Brave New World causes the story to drag and waste some neat reveals. Everything is pretty anti-climatic until the showdown between Wilson and the final boss, and even that scene could use more excitement.
If compared to its MCU counterparts, Brave New World is near the bottom tier. It simply does not come close to the work we’re accustomed to seeing from Marvel from both a visual and narrative standpoint. But compared to other films in general? Brave New World is a flawed but solid watch, thanks solely to Mackie. I questioned what he could do as a lead, and he proved more than capable of handling the role – he proved he deserves it and more.
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