Produced by Marvel Studios, Captain America: Brave New World is the fourth Captain America movie and a continuation of the American TV miniseries Falcon and the Winter Soldier. It shows the transition from Steve Rogers as Captain America to Sam Wilson and is part of the fifth phase of the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe). Starred by Anthony Mackie, Wilson is set to be the next shield holder.
The movie, directed by Julius Onah, is the 35th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Filming took place in Atlanta from March to June 2023 and was originally set to premiere in July 2024. However, the film’s production encountered many difficulties, and the premiere was delayed to February 11th, 2025, and took place in Hollywood. Indeed, the movie had to re-shoot many scenes from May to November 2024.
The story starts in Oaxaca, Mexico, where Sam Wilson (Captain America) and Joaquin Torres (Falcon) were sent by the president of the United States, Thaddeus Ross, to retrieve “adamantium.” Adamantium is a new metal, said to be stronger than vibranium, and was found on the Celestial Island, which was introduced in Eternals (2021). Japan initially found this metal, but the USA stole it from them, leading to disagreements between the two countries.
At an event at the White House, Ross asks Wilson to reform the Avengers. Later that night, several men lose control of themselves and try to shoot the president of the United States. With the help of Ruth Bat-Seraph, former Black Widow Sam Wilson quickly gains back control of the situation.
Later on, we learn that Dr. Samuel Sterns, introduced in The Incredible Hulk (2008), was responsible for the mind-controlling incident. We also discover that President Ross was dying from heart failure, and Sterns gave him pills supposedly made to prolong his life. However, the pills were spreading gamma radiation into his body, which led him to transform into Red Hulk and lose control of his anger.
Even though many people long awaited the movie, it wasn’t very pleasant. The movie scored 49% on Rotten Tomatoes (275 critics). The critics’ consensus said, “Anthony Mackie capably takes up Cap’s mantle and shield, but Brave New World is too routine and overstuffed with uninteresting easter eggs to feel like a worthy standalone adventure for this new Avengers leader.” CinemaScore gave an average “B-” grade on a scale of A+ to F. It is said to be the lowest grade for an MCU film.
Many people also noticed similarities between Red Hulk (President Ross) and the current president of the United States, Donald Trump. People like to say that the mad Hulk was only a funny pastiche of Trump. Entertainment Weekly writer Maureen Lee Lenker joked, “The most unbelievable part is a U.S. president with empathy, a sense of responsibility for his actions, and a capacity for change.”
In January 2025, before the movie was released, Anthony Mackie announced he wanted to portray Wilson for another 10 years. “I’m not trying to be a 60-year-old Captain America. That’ll hurt,” he declared.
Will another Captain America be released after Avengers: Doomsday (2026) and Avengers: Secret War (2027), or was this one too disappointing to deserve a sequel?
