Caution: Spoilers ahead!
It makes sense that Marvel Studios, in dire need of a box office win to start off 2025, would turn to one of its tried-and-true franchises — Captain America.
The first three films in the series were released during Marvel’s golden era. “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” in 2014 is considered by many the studio’s best movie. That film introduced Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson, who was handed Cap’s shield at the end of “Avengers: Endgame.” As “Captain America: Brave New World” soars into theaters on Friday, Feb. 14, Wilson has fully assumed the Captain America mantle.
Unfortunately, the 35th (!!) film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is far less connected to the three stellar movies, or even Wilson’s journey to embracing his role as the Star Spangled Man with a Plan. The story instead feels hellbent on tying up loose ends from some of Marvel’s most forgettable movies — namely, 2008’s “The Incredible Hulk.”
The result is one of the most tepid, uninspiring and frankly boring installments in the history of Marvel Studios. A bad script, uninspired acting and lackluster action sequences will do little to quell those wondering if Marvel will ever find its way again.
“Brave New World” focuses on Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, who has somehow overcome a history of military and political miscues to become President of the United States. I’d say this feels unrealistic even for a comic book movie. In 2025, not so much! His actions helped destroy Harlem in “The Incredible Hulk” — don’t remember that? Don’t worry, nobody does. He was a major reason the Avengers broke up in “Captain America: Civil War.”
Who cares. Now he’s the most powerful man on the planet! The legendary Harrison Ford steps into the role after the death of William Hurt in 2022. Anyone who has seen Apple TV’s “Shrinking” knows Ford, even at the age of 82, isn’t just cashing checks. He’s obviously no longer the Han Solo/Indiana Jones-level action star that made him an icon, but he is still an excellent actor who does his best to imbue this character with gravitas.
But no acting job in the world was going to make up for the fact that Ross simply isn’t a character to which we have any meaningful connection. Ross trying to make amends with his daughter (played by Liv Tyler, another character we haven’t thought about since the Bush administration) simply isn’t compelling enough to be the driving force of a movie — especially at a time when Marvel feels especially rudderless.
Making Samuel Sterns (aka The Leader) the villain pulling all the strings might have worked had his motivations been a little less contrived. Or if we hadn’t completely forgotten about the character who, again, we hadn’t seen since “The Incredible Hulk.” Tim Blake Nelson is a fabulous actor, but he looked like a Power Rangers villain. His super intelligence (powered by a brain souped up on Bruce Banner’s blood) doesn’t exactly translate to the big screen — he has some sort of mind-control powers that I still don’t understand.
Perhaps this plot would have been more compelling had the studio not completely telegraphed his transformation into Red Hulk. Marvel used to have the courage and cache to hold secrets like that back from marketing campaigns. But with the studio still struggling to find its post-Endgame footing in 2025, it clearly didn’t think a Mackie-led Cap film was enough of a draw.
Mackie wasn’t the problem with this movie. He has been a fun addition to the MCU since he flew in as Falcon back in “The Winter Soldier,” and there is an exciting story to be told about him becoming Captain America. This movie just didn’t seem particularly interested in telling it. “Brave New World” almost completely brushes over the racial conundrums of a Black man becoming Captain America, a plot that was one of the few bright spots of the Disney Plus series “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.”
But there’s minimal character development for Wilson in his own movie, none of the signature action set pieces or rousing speeches that have become Captain America’s calling card in the MCU.
We’re now coming up on six years since “Endgame” was released in 2019, when it became one of the biggest cinematic events in history and capped the end of an era for Marvel. It’s becoming more and more evident that Marvel simply will never reach those heights again. “Brave New World” was a chance for the MCU to forge ahead, progress the plot and develop a new signature character. There was nothing brave or new about this movie, which seemed oddly obsessed with the past — and not even the good old days.
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Stories by Jeremy Schneider
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Jeremy Schneider may be reached at jschneider@njadvancemedia.com and followed on Twitter at @J_Schneider and on Instagram at @JeremyIsHungryAgain.