I have a soft spot for Captain America. Out of the wide-sprawling film franchise Marvel has spawned, Captain America has always been one of my favorites. “Captain America: The First Avenger” was the first Marvel movie I watched; when “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” came out, I was excited to see the big twists and turns it would take the franchise into; “Captain America: Civil War” only fueled my desire to see the next big Marvel movie.
Years later, my passion for Marvel has cooled. I still keep up with the films and the news around them, but they’re not the big events I put so much emphasis on in the past. That being said, I knew I’d go see the newest Captain America film, the fourth entry bearing the subtitle “Brave New World” in theaters. While Marvel may no longer be my number one priority when it comes to film, it’s hard for me not to get excited about Captain America.
This movie is very different from the previous Captain America films; it feels less like a follow-up to any film (though it does pick up characters from one of the many Marvel television shows on Disney+), but rather two very erratic picks for the typically grounded series: the grand historical epic superhero saga “The Eternals” and the pseudo-monster-film “The Incredible Hulk” have much more bearing on the plot than any previous Captain America film. This is present in both the film’s plot — featuring the titanic Celestial from the climax of “The Eternals” as a focal point — and characters. While Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson is under the mask for this film and remains a charismatic and engaging actor to watch, his new tenure as Captain America is far from the film’s heart.
Danny Ramirez sees an upgrade from his small appearance in “Falcon and the Winter Soldier” on Disney+; his character Joaquin Torres is now a fully fledged superhero and the newest to bear the Falcon mantle. Ramirez was not in much of the precursor series, but he manages to shine in this film through his humor and sincerity. Also returning from the television miniseries is Carl Lumbly as Isaiah Bradley, who manages to make the most of his limited screen time as the formerly incarcerated super soldier.
The most interesting casting of this film, though, lies with its central antagonist: Harrison Ford’s performance as Thaddeus Ross, taking over for the late William Hurt. Ford humanizes a character that is fundamentally unlikable, especially for longtime fans of the Marvel films; Ross has never been much of a guy you want to root for. That being said, the character arc given by the script fleshes out the former General’s storyline by going all the way back to the second film in this 17-year-long cinematic universe. Minor antagonists throughout the film are less memorable but still fun, specifically Giancarlo Esposito as “Sidewinder,” leader of a terrorist group called The Serpents. Esposito manages to play both towards and against type; yes, he remains a smooth-talking manipulator, but he also gets to partake in the action, engaging in some of the more exciting fight sequences in the film.
“Captain America: Brave New World” is an entertaining film. However, similar to Marvel Studios’ recent output, it feels like the filmmakers picked a random assortment of characters and past films to tie together. The final product does work, but it just doesn’t feel like the right story for a Captain America film. While the film is fun and worth watching, it fails to capture the magic that made me love the Captain America films before it.
