Has it really been four years since we first saw Sam Wilson wield the shield?
While much of our entertainment seems to be back on track in this post-pandemic period, the effects of COVID continue to be felt with seeming disjointedness in many of the narratives we’ve become invested in. Delays in production, a volatile political landscape, and the ever-indecisive decision-making process among the Disney cadre have affected many projects across the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and beyond.
The extended production period of Captain America: Brave New World (a period extensive enough for even the title to have changed) is, unfortunately, its biggest problem. Multiple reshoots for various reasons don’t form seamlessly and the resulting product is a somewhat Frankensteinian quilt with both plot and narrative. However, the relatively fast-paced sequences and attempts at the now-nostalgic Marvel banter make Brave New World an easy watch.
The true value, however, lies deeper in the legacies that Brave New World continues. As much a continuation of the Captain America sage–which runs through a film trilogy, a bunch of Avengers flicks, and a Disney+ series–the MCU’s latest entry also calls back to the underrated Phase 1 origin film, The Incredible Hulk.
The sophomore entry in the MCU, a mix of distribution rights and creative conflicts left The Incredible Hulk largely forgotten despite its fantastic execution of one of Marvel’s more complex heroes. Despite references to the film sprinkled across the likes of Iron Man 2 and the first two Avengers, The Incredible Hulk has remained in the shadows of its fellow founding Avengers’ films until 2016’s Civil War reinstated William Hurt as Thunderbolt Ross.
But prep yourself for a re-watch ‘cause Brave New World looks deep into the MCU’s older building blocks for its plot, offering a political thriller in the vein of The Winter Soldier though still leaning into simpler superhero action to drive the story forward.
True to many later MCU movies, Brave New World also leans on the cast and their dynamics to carry the film through weaker narrative moments. And, while Anthony Mackie proves himself a competent lead, he’s given little to play with in the way of banter. The film’s relatively short runtime also does a disservice to multiple new characters, all of whom carry the potential to be interesting supporting additions to the new Captain America, though that potential is fated to be left unmet.
While the duration and the lack of use for most of the supporting characters work against the movie, it also does benefit from the restraint displayed in the use of a certain scarlet variant of a beloved Avenger. This essentially prevents Captain America: Brave New World from turning into a Civil War reprisal where the titular character was forced into the back seat of his own vehicle.
Perhaps this is one of the few MCU cases where a sequel may help the original retroactively, but with the compressed timeline towards Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars it seems unlikely that Captain America, or his supporting cast, will get any further development prior to the next big thing.
Captain America: Brave New World is out now.