CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD (2025) Review

Review

Valentine’s Day is a day for lovers. A day to celebrate the ones you love. But this year Valentine’s Day is also a day to celebrate the first big comic book movie of 2025. Marvel Studios is first out of the gate this year with Captain America: Brave New World. The studio is gambling on Anthony Mackie stepping up to headline his first film, taking over the shield which was passed on from Chris Evans. As the MCU struggles through its awkward teenage years, can a Winter Soldier-esque, gritty adventure recapture some of that lost magic?

It feels somewhat like Marvel Studios is damed if they do and damned if they don’t. Critics will band around “superhero fatigue” as if it’s a real epidemic. Keyboard warriors will bemoan MCU fans as paid studio shills whilst anyone critiquing the film will be written off as either paid by the competition or tarred with the “you simply don’t understand” brush. All of which makes the arrival of this film feel even more ironic. With its subject matter often staring the audience directly in the eye and questioning those who refuse to accept that an exceptional black actor like Anthony Mackie is stepping up to the plate as Captain America 2.0.

Director Julius Onah has a lot to contend with in bringing Brave New World to the screen. I’m not going to recount tales of reshoots on reshoots here. But it’s clear that production on this film has landed in the middle of Marvel Studios’ attempt to take control of its spiralling narrative. The film’s credits include a story by credit for Rob Edwards, Malcolm Spellman and Dylan Musson. Meanwhile the screenplay is attributed to no less than five writers including Onah, Edwards, Spellman, Musson and Peter Glanz. It’s mostly a Captain America movie. But it’s also a spiritual sequel to both 2008’s The Incredible Hulk and 2021’s The Eternals. In saying that it’s basically the next episode in what could be called Tales of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

For the first time in a long time it feels like Marvel Studios is sitting up and paying attention to events happening across the geopolitical landscape on Earth-616. What’s been lacking in films like Deadpool & Wolverine, The Marvels, Quantumania is Earth-bound context. Guardians Vol. 3 gets a free pass for being set in space. But the rest spent time on Earth and yet somehow failed to work towards any narrative which breathes life in to what was once a very vibrant landscape. I’m in two minds about the success of seeing Brave New World embracing what’s been missing from Marvel of-late. On the one hand having global tensions thrown in and past plot threads returning for resolution evokes a strong sense of the MCU legacy. It’s cohesive and ensure Anthony Mackie’s first film in the lead feels well cemented as part of the rich history of Marvel Studios.

But conversely, having those elements be such a key part of Brave New World’s narrative also pulls focus from Sam Wilson and his journey. First appearing in 2014’s Winter Soldier, Mackie has had a long journey across six previous film appearances and his own Disney+ series. If anyone deserved this rise to power then it was him. Sam has been a supportive best friend, a soldier in the war against Thanos and now we find him a reluctant hero. Mackie has all the charisma and strength to command the screen and does so throughout Brave New World. There’s no reason to question Mackie’s commitment to the role. Or his ability to hold is own with both the character work and the hand-to-hand combat which comes with wielding Cap’s shield.

Joining Mackie at the forefront of Brave New World is Harrison Ford. Ford takes over from the late William Hurt as Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross. Ross has now been elevated to Presidential status but Brave New World challenges the audience to question whether the former Hulk-Hunter has changed his tune. Boy did this film end up being even more timely thanks to the current political climate in the US. Having the MCU feature a President with questionable morals and a selfish attitude is very art imitates life. Ford is a commanding presence in the film. Slotting in well to the gap left by the loss of Hurt. He elevates the material and his scenes with Mackie are easily a highlight of the film.

Adding a fun new dynamic to the MCU is Danny Ramirez who returns from Falcon and the Winter Soldier as Joaquin Torres. Torres is now the new Falcon-in-training but also provide tech support to Sam. Mackie and Ramirez have a really fun relationship on screen. It’s clear the two actors get along. But more than that there’s a hero-to-sidekick relationship which almost takes on a Batman and Robin-esque feel. It allows Mackie to show a more paternal side to Sam who wants to protect his protégé. Whilst Torres’ energy brings a level of fun which neatly offsets some of the heavier moments in the film.

Criminally underused but surprisingly not a classic Marvel one-and-done villain is The Leader (Tim Blake Nelson). Nelson has been waiting 17 years for a call to return to the role he first played in The Incredible Hulk. Never referred to by his comic book moniker on film, this version of the character is the puppet master behind all of Brave New World’s events. Nelson does the best with what little he’s given to work with in the final edit of the film. There’s all the makings of a solid villain in both the character and the portrayal. But sadly Nelson gets lost amongst the film’s rather busy third act.

The film is shored up by a series of action set pieces befitting of this sub-franchise of the MCU. There’s plenty of opportunity for fight choreography to capitalise on both Cap’s shield and now also his wings. Though it starts out with the low-fi hand-to-hand combat sequence set in a Mexican church. But the third act Brave New World has escalated to both a huge aerial sequence at Celestial Island and the destruction of the White House at the hands of Red Hulk. It isn’t the MCU’s most brutal film but it certainly honours the action of Winter Soldier and attempts to recreate its magic.

Likewise, the film also suffers from a very similar problem to other recent MCU outings. Whilst much of the film looks great. Some sequences are hampered by middling visual effects. Brave New World packs a punch where it counts, namely with the Harrison Ford’s transformation in to Red Hulk as witnessed in the trailers. But some moments during the sequence at Celestial Island are dogged by wonky green screen and rubbery VFX models. These moments, few and far between, don’t ruin the film. But they are signs that Marvel Studios is still continuing to try and produce material which stretches its budgets to breaking point. After 35 films it seems they are still yet to learn the value of great budget management.

Ultimately those simply looking for a good Marvel-time at the movies will find a lot to enjoy with Captain America: Brave New World. Unlikely to top any Best Film of 2025 lists. It’s certainly a solid entry in to the MCU which is well crafted, well acted and sets out to put a long-running franchise on the path back to box office success.

Verdict

Captain America: Brave New World may not break new ground for the 17 year-old franchise. But thanks to an assured performance from Anthony Mackie, the MCU’s second Captain America arrives on the big screen as part of a world-building, political-rollercoaster that never fails to entertain.

⭐⭐⭐.5