Captain America: Brave New World marks the beginning of the second half of The Multiverse Saga. This installment weaves long-dangling threads from 2008’s Incredible Hulk, events from Captain America: Civil War, and a world-shifting revelation from Eternals into an action-forward political thriller. In keeping with early Captain America storylines, Brave New World blends its “state of the sociopolitical landscape” level-set into a plot driven by high-stakes mission and a changing of the political guard.

If you’re coming into Captain America: Brave New World off of a (re)watch of The Falcon and the Winter Solider series, temper those expectations. In director Julius Onah’s (Luce) film, Wilson may no longer be conflicted about assuming the mantle of Captain America; but he is wrestling with his role in the US military industrial complex, the pressure to be an unassailable Black hero, and taking repeated hits to his sense of self in an anti-Black system. It’s a subtle (often too subtle), but intentional, schism at play throughout the entire movie.

But it pays to remember, Sam Wilson’s tenure as Captain America has just begun. This is not the moment he shakes off the fetters of respectability. Just like in the comics, Wilson’s path forward is a more measured and pragmatic approach to combating inequity and defending against evil; seeming to operate within the realm of current reality rather than aggressively rejecting and dismantling oppressive ideologies and their attendant institutions. As a veteran and counselor (who specialized in helping other veterans suffering from PTSD) he openly advocated for the necessity of harm mitigation while carving out sustainable solutions. He still believes that despite the obstacles and judgment that we (society) can do better. Think John Lewis, not Stokely Carmichael. And that fact alone will be reason enough for some viewers to bounce off Brave New World. 

 

 

Captain America: Brave New World opens in theaters February 14, 2025

♦♦

Director: Julius Onah

Writers: Rob Edwards, Malcolm Spellman, Dalan Musson, Julius Onah, Peter Glanz

Starring: Anthony Mackie, Danny Ramirez, Shira Haas, Carl Lumbly, Xosha Roquemore, Giancarlo Esposito, Liv Tyler, Tim Blake Nelson, Harrison Ford

Runtime:  118 Minutes

Synopsis: Sam Wilson, the new Captain America, finds himself in the middle of an international incident and must discover the motive behind a nefarious global plan.

 

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