Film Review: Captain America: Brave New World

Spoilers!

If there is one human desire threading all of us together, it is the desire to be enough. To be enough for ourselves, our families, our significant others, if applicable, and for those with a propensity toward such higher thinking, society. Indeed, even superheroes, perhaps even especially superheroes, experience this desire. The pressure to be enough is only amplified when it comes to carrying the shield and mantle of Steve Rogers, Captain America, aka the First Avenger. Sam Wilson does so, not merely with the weight of such obvious expectations, but certainly, the unspoken expectations to be enough as a Black man. The Marvel Cinematic Universe’s (MCU) latest outing, 2025’s Captain America: Brave New World, lives up to its subtitle, albeit in a far more intimate, but welcome, way than I expected.

Anthony Mackie steps into the lead role alongside Danny Ramirez as his sidekick, Joaquin Torres, who takes up the mantle of the Falcon (which was what Sam was previously). Mackie and his character face the exact same pressure: to live up to Chris Evans as Steve Rogers. While I do believe Evans carried more gravitas and charisma — making him a natural leader as the First Avenger — Wilson’s character is different, primarily, less sure of himself; thus, Mackie needs to convey a corresponding lack of confidence. He does so well. At one point in the film, Bucky Barnes (played by Sebastian Stan) makes a cameo to give Sam a pep talk. Bucky explains that Steve Rogers was someone to believe in, but Sam is someone people can aspire to be. In other words, Sam is just a human without the aide of the super soldier serum. What makes superheroes like him aspirational (Batman is another great example) is their courage, perseverance, and their moral clarity and commitment. Those character traits allow them to rise above “just a human.” They become the best of us. Unlike other MCU films, Brave New World, despite having geopolitical implications at stake, is an intimate film in that way. You could even argue it’s more a character study of Sam, as he finds himself capable of carrying the mantle of Captain America, and also of Harrison Ford’s character, President Thaddeus Ross (Ford is always a joy to watch on the screen even at 82 years old!). Ross was the U.S. Army General who directed the military against Bruce Banner as he morphed into The Hulk in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk, much to the chagrin of his daughter, Betty Ross (played by Liv Tyler). From that moment on, as he climbed the ranks to Secretary of State and now President of the United States in this film, Ross wants to prove he’s changed. That he is no longer a red-faced, quick-to-anger megalomaniac.

Unfortunately, Samuel Sterns (played by Tim Nelson) has other intellectual designs (see what I did there?) for Sam Wilson and primarily Ross. During the events of The Incredible Hulk, Sterns was given superhuman intelligence due to a cross-contamination with Bruce Banner’s gamma ray radiation. Through his ascension in public life, Ross was on the precipice of death — his heart was giving out. He made a deal with Sterns that if Sterns saved his life, he’d free Sterns when he became president. Instead, more than 100 days into his presidency, President Ross has reneged on his deal. Now, Sterns, who was secretly giving Ross gamma ray-infused pills, is hoping to turn Ross into the Red Hulk, the ultimate manifestation of his aforementioned rage.

All of which is in the backdrop of the geopolitical issue Ross is championing that connects us to the 2021 MCU film, The Eternals. It was learned in that film the Celestial Tiamut was planted inside the earth, with the Eternals trying to mitigate its “emergence.” All that remains of the Celestial is this Celestial Island and its hand, along with the metal adamantium (I believe Wolverine’s claws are made of it!), which is in abundance. Adamantium is apparently even stronger than vibranium, the metal Captain America’s shield is made out of. President Ross is working on a treaty for all the countries of the world to unite in an equitable distribution of the miracle metal for applications in health and science.

Sterns first tries to derail the treaty by brainwashing Isaiah Bradley (played by Carl Lumby), the forgotten and tortured Black super soldier, and others into assassinating Ross. The goal is to upset the Japanese and push the Japanese and the United States to the brink of war over the adamantium. In one of my favorite scenes in the film, Sam and Joaquin try to stop our rogue F-16s (also brainwashed by Sterns) from bombing the Japanese fleet at the Celestial Island. Sam and Joaquin get to show-off the one feature Steve Rogers’ Captain America didn’t have: wings. Using their wings to intercept F-16s and deployed missiles all with battleships, the sky, the ocean, and the imposing Celestial hand as backdrops made for fun, high-octane action. However, in the effort, it nearly killed Joaquin, who then has his own crisis of confidence over whether he’s enough. Throughout the ordeal, too, President Ross is trying to prevent Sterns from talking him into becoming the Red Hulk. The dude just wants to walk the path of the cherry blossoms one more time with Betty! Honestly, the cherry blossoms might be my favorite character in the film. They’re gorgeous.

When Sterns’ plan is foiled by Captain America, he then has Sidewinder (played by the always delightfully villainous Gincarlo Esposito) try to assassinate Sam. It doesn’t work, but it is what leads to Sam learning about Sterns in the first place. Interestingly, Sterns turns himself in because he knows the probability outcome (that’s his whole thing) that his final card to play against President Ross will work. He spreads false news about President Ross’ actions and in so doing, President Ross finally embraces the Red Hulk inside of him.

Time for some Roland Emmerich-like monument destruction in Washington D.C.! Even when it’s fictionalized, I still cringe at destroying the Washington Monument. Nonetheless, this is where Sam proves his mettle for the mantle of Captain America by taking on a creature far stronger than he is and who, with the right punch, could kill him. For example, earlier, we saw Sam’s wing slice through an F-16. Here, the wing shakes under the strength of the Red Hulk. But like any good superhero, Sam takes the Red Hulk away from civilians (and the important monuments!) to the cherry blossom pathway. He’s hoping he can pull Ross out of the Red Hulk by reminding him of Betty and the cherry blossoms. After the Red Hulk nearly pummels him to death — and Sam funnily jokes about Bucky being wrong, that the super soldier serum would come in handy in this situation — the cherry blossom strategy works. Ross returns to human form and accepts his arrest and sentencing to prison (a rather subtle nod to the current real-life happenings!). Despite everything, the Celestial Island treaty goes into effect and all seems right in the world. Now, with the world working together to make use of adamantium, we have our “brave new world.”

Again, this was a movie that is more intimate than its subtitle would have suggested, despite the more grandiose implications of the adamantium and indeed, the after-credits teaser where Sterns insinuates other worlds and “others” coming to fight the Avengers. Speaking of which, while Sam is not the first Captain American nor the First Avenger, he now has the confidence to do what President Ross previously encouraged him to do: reform the Avengers. He starts by boosting Joaquin’s confidence and bringing him in as the Falcon.

Brave New World was a straightforward superhero film, which I’m intending as a compliment. After all, given how many MCU properties exist between the films and the TV shows now, one can be excused for being overwhelmed by it all. However, I thought Brave New World avoided the pitfalls of a script trying to do too much. Instead, it stuck to telling a simple story well. Sam wants to be enough, struggles to be enough, and becomes enough. And there was some kick-ass action along the way and absolutely gorgeous cherry blossoms to gaze at. What more can you ask for, folks?!

But seriously, arguably, this is the first MCU film in a while to feel like a return to form of what we’ve come to expect while also moving the story and these new characters forward in a positive way. I’m not sure how Marvel fans and filmgoers in general couldn’t be excited coming out of Brave New World. It was … enough!