*Premise spoilers.*
Despite all the discourse and hand-wringing and dunking, I’m still—for the most part—positive toward Marvel. There have been a few post-Endgame projects that really fumbled for me, like Multiverse of Madness and Secret Invasion, and I’ve acknowledged flaws in plenty of others. But even if I’m not necessarily at the heights of my Marvel days anymore, I go into each new project wanting to enjoy it. Brave New World has its issues, and Sam Wilson/Anthony Mackie deserved a stronger script for his first big-screen showing as Cap, but there’s still plenty to like in this movie.
What’s It About?
Sam navigates his new status as Captain America, coupled with the uneasy circumstances of one Thaddeus Ross being the newly elected president. When friend and former Cap Isaiah Bradley is implicated in a shocking assassination attempt, Sam sets out to clear Isaiah’s name and uncover the true culprit behind the attack. In between blocking Sam’s efforts, Ross desperately tries to cement his legacy by salvaging a treaty over adamantium rights.
Who’s In It?
Obviously, Anthony Mackie is front and center as Sam Wilson. He’s always played this character so well, and now that he’s Cap, some of Sam’s best qualities are brought to the forefront. For other familiar faces, we’ve got some returning folks from Falcon and the Winter Soldier, namely Danny Ramirez as Joaquin Torres and the always reliable Carl Lumbly as Isaiah Bradley. We also reach alllllll the way back to The Incredible Hulk to bring back Tim Blake Nelson as Samuel Sterns. Harrison Ford steps in for the late William Hurt to play Ross. It’s interesting—Ford’s performance, coupled with the writing, doesn’t really say “Ross” to me, and it softens the character’s edges in ways that don’t really jibe with his history in the franchise, but I can’t deny that Ford plays the hell out of what could’ve easily been a phoned-in paycheck role. For new characters, we get Shira Haas as Ruth Bat-Seraph, the only prominent female character in the film, Giancarlo Esposito is wasted as the minor villain Sidewinder, and I enjoy seeing a small appearance from Xosha Roquemore (who I remember as Tamra from The Mindy Project.) There are also a couple nice MCU cameos that I won’t spoil here.
What Do I Love About It?
· You can see the ways that Brave New World wants to be The Winter Soldier, and it isn’t, but one aspect that resonates nicely between the two films is how in both, Cap cultivates a larger network of allies and associates through his relationships. Sam and Joaquin and a good back-and-forth, with Joaquin eager to run before he can walk and Sam balancing the contrasting requirements of mentoring him, pumping the brakes when needed, and leaning on his skills as shit hits the fan. I really like Sam’s burgeoning friendship with Isaiah, and the scenes of Sam, Joaquin, and Isaiah hyped about being invited to the White House are an absolute delight. Beyond that, Sam is friendly and personal with the other military guys he liaises with, and he has a friend in Ross’s administration who helps him navigate the political stuff. Like Steve before him, Sam encourages and inspires others to step up and find the hero in themselves, knowing that he may be the one with the shield but it takes a village to defeat the bad guys.
· While Falcon and the Winter Soldier dealt a lot with whether the U.S. would accept a Black man as Captain America, along with Sam’s thoughts about repping the stars and stripes for a country that marginalizes him/his community, Brave New World looks more at Sam being nonpowered. We see others questioning whether an “ordinary” human can step into Steve’s shoes, and Sam himself wonders if he has what it takes. To that end, there’s a strong emphasis in the action scenes on the hits Sam withstands, as well as the creative measures he has to take to get the job done. I’ve always liked how Sam’s wings get incorporated into the action, beyond just flying, and this is suped up even more now that Sam’s suit is Wakanda-made. There are scenes where he takes an absolute beating and has figure out how to win while protecting himself against further injury, and there are scenes where he needs to think tactically in order to get one over on an opponent who could easily crush him.
· In true Sam Wilson fashion—yes, everything I like best about this movie directly involves Sam—he never fully gives up on Ross, despite spending much of the film at odds with the president. Ross makes nice with Sam for the cameras when it’s to his advantage, but the moment they clash, he instantly starts throwing his weight around and outright refuses to see any nuance or work with Sam in a way that isn’t 100% on his own terms. And Sam is definitely willing to go against Ross when their goals are too misaligned, but he continually tries to get the president to see sense and come to a peaceful resolution. That right there is a huge part of the reason Sam is the one Steve trusted with the shield.
Warnings
Comic book violence, language, drinking, and thematic elements (including suicide through mind control.)
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