It’s ironic that Captain America: Brave New World, directed by Julius Onah (The Cloverfield Paradox and Luce), has the word brave in its title because it may be the least ambitious addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) to date.
In what has been a consistent trend among recent additions to the MCU, Brave New World feels barren of a clear vision. Scenes and characters feel tacked on, like desperate attempts to patch a film that struggles to stay coherent. Like The Marvels and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, the result is a film with a plot bordering on incoherence and without any emotional stakes. It is not boring but leaves little impression.
Brave New World’s story is molded similarly to its most successful predecessor 2014’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier. A “political” thriller where the new Captain America Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) is looking to discover the root of a conspiracy around the assassination attempt of the new president Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross (Harrison Ford) on the eve of the signing of a new international treaty. Wilson’s close friend and super solider Isiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly) was the suspected gunman adding an extra level of stakes to Cap’s search for the truth
A political thriller is typically characterized by its ability to keep you on the edge of your seat not knowing what is around each corner. Brave New World fails at this both from a story and technical perspective. Nothing that happens is surprising or groundbreaking. It doesn’t help that the entire marketing campaign around the film was built around the climax, and the biggest twist, the introduction of the Red Hulk. The concept of a black captain America in conflict with a new potentially right-leaning president has the potential to create nuanced dynamics but Brave New World is not willing to make any statement. It is a toothless political thriller lacking any politics to be seen and as a result, its story feels hollow and dull.
Marvel films have never set the industry standard for visual filmmaking, but they have often succeeded in thrilling audiences, especially under the direction of the Russo brothers in the Captain America films. No disrespect to director Julius Onah, but Brave New World is in desperate need of a stronger voice behind the camera. The action sequences are uninspired, often feeling like imitations of more successful moments from previous entries. The one exception is an aerial sequence near the end of the second act. Here, the filmmakers finally explore what makes the new Captain America compelling: his dual identity as both Cap and the Falcon.
It’s no secret that Brave New World underwent extensive reshoots, and beyond the story, the film’s biggest casualty is the CGI. The climactic final scene is especially overloaded with it. The battle between Red Hulk and Captain America takes place in Washington, D.C., specifically near the National Mall where the cherry blossoms bloom. While Red Hulk’s rendering is solid, the setting never feels convincingly real. Whether due to budget constraints or time limitations, the result is disappointing, and the film ultimately feels unfinished.
It’s not all terrible, Harrison Ford, at 82 years old joins the MCU for the first time replacing the late William Hurt as the newly elected Ross. Ford’s performance is entertaining in a campy over-the-top way, and he tries to carry the dramatic weight of the film (although it was going to always be a losing battle). As a whole, The cast tries their best and gives respectable performances, but the material dramatic and comedically just is not there for anyone to stand out. Anthony Mackie, who eleven years after making his debut in the MCU, finally can lead his own film. Mackie has charisma and can provoke the same level of stoicism that made Chris Evan’s portrayal stand out, but Brave New World lacks any substantive emotional arc that would allow Mackie to put his mark on the character.
A storytelling choice that perplexes me, A Brave New World acts extensively as a sequel to 2008’s The Incredible Hulk without Bruce Banner. Harrison Ford’s President Ross (who was originally played by William Hurt) is marred by the fractured relationship between him and his daughter Betty (Liv Tyler). Tim Blake Nelson also reprises his role as the leader extensively playing the lead antagonist. What baffles me is Nelson and Tyler have not been in the Marvel project in nearly seventeen years. While the MCU built its bones on its ability to connect its stories over films, the decision to include these characters and hinge major emotional beats on them sets the film up to fail. These are not characters remembered fondly, making their sudden prominence feel unearned.
Captain America: A Brave New World is a poor start to the year when the MCU was supposed to make their comeback. The only silver lining is it does feel that this project was one of the last remaining remnants of the old Chapek regime before Marvel and current Disney CEO Bob Iger shifted the studio into an emphasis on quality over quantity.
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