Captain America: Brave New World

Nearly a decade after Steve Rogers’s trilogy concluded, Captain America: Brave New World emerges as both a continuation and reinvention, passing the vibranium shield to Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) as he grapples with the complexities of his new role as the face of American heroism. Under Julius Onah’s assured direction, the film plunges Wilson into the shadowy depths of global politics, where shifting alliances and mysterious threats shape a precarious new world order.

Harrison Ford’s entrance as President Thaddeus Ross is as formidable as anticipated. With a distinctively Reaganesque charm, Ford deftly manipulates public sentiment, reframing the trauma of half the world’s disappearance into a rallying cry for unity at his inaugural press conference. At his side stands Ruth Bat-Seraph (Shira Haas), a former Red Room-trained Widow turned presidential security detail. Balancing razor-sharp efficiency with a simmering annoyance at the chaos around her, Haas’s performance elevates Bat-Seraph from her supporting role to an unmissable presence in the action.

Yet, for all its ambition, the film falters with its primary antagonist. Samuel Sterns (Tim Blake Nelson), ostensibly a superhumanly brilliant tactician, is undermined by garish design choices and an over-the-top performance. His exaggerated vocal delivery and unconvincing digital augmentation strip him of any real menace, leaving him more caricature than mastermind.

In subtler moments, however, Brave New World reveals its true strength. A prison visit to Korean War veteran and super soldier Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly) is particularly poignant – his imposing form diminished under the harsh fluorescent glare of the high-security prison, silently bearing the weight of institutional betrayal. In an earlier scene, Bradley’s physical prowess remains undimmed despite his age; his sparring with Wilson is a poignant reminder of lost potential. An easily overlooked visual cue – his outdated tweed suit, matching the pattern of Wilson’s tie – speaks volumes about their deep kinship, a detail that conveys more than much of their dialogue.

However, not all of the movie’s grand gestures are as refined. A sequence in which the Red Hulk rampages through the White House, wielding an American flagpole as a weapon, descends into cartoonish excess. The climactic confrontation, in which Wilson persuades rather than overpowers his adversary, ultimately lands with a sense of déjà vu.

Yet, Brave New World proves to be a compelling evolution of the Captain America mythos. The action is sharp, the stakes are high, and Sam Wilson assumes the mantle with a conviction that feels both earned and timely. 

Christina Yang

Captain America: Brave New World is released nationwide on 14^th February 2025.

Watch the trailer for Captain America: Brave New World here: