Captain America: Brave New World’ misses mark as political Marvel thriller

CEBU, Philippines — The Captain America entries of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) are highly regarded as engaging political thrillers with timely social commentary.

2014’s “The Winter Soldier”, starring Chris Evans as Steve Rogers, showcased the dangers of invasive surveillance at the expense of citizens’ right to privacy, while “Civil War” released two years later explored how mass hysteria and government interference can do more harm than good.

When the mantle passed to Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson, his Disney+ 2021 mini-series “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier”, co-starring Sebastian Stan, tackled the negligence of the elites that forced the marginalized to become revolutionaries. It also highlighted how even an Avenger is not exempt from facing racism.

Online surveillance was a major topic during former President Barack Obama’s administration, and issues of race and civil unrest gained prominence following the Black Lives Matter protests and the January 6 Capitol riots during the final months of President Donald Trump’s first term.

The timely handling of these topics, laced with high-impact action scenes, played a significant role in why these entries were so successful and allowed for multiple replays. This makes it all the more puzzling why the latest installment, “Brave New World”, feels like a sore thumb in an otherwise excellent franchise.

The film’s core message revolves around unity – or at least adversaries finding common ground. General Thaddeus Ross (played by Harrison Ford, following William Hurt’s passing), who previously had a contentious relationship with the Avengers, is now willing to work with Captain America after becoming President.

This political shift occurs as an arms race intensifies among superpowers, including the U.S., as they seek to acquire a new metal called adamantium, discovered on Celestial Island near the Indian Ocean, which is the body of Celestial Tiamut shown in the 2021 film “Eternals.”

To avoid global conflict, Ross proposes a treaty allowing Japan, India, France, and other nations equal trade access to adamantium. However, Cap finds himself embroiled in an international incident when an enemy of Ross threatens to sabotage the treaty, jeopardizing his legacy and the geopolitics at large.

Joined by his new aide, Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez), who now dons the mantle of The Falcon, Cap embarks on a time-sensitive mission to uncover the saboteur before tensions worldwide spiral out of control.

The main reason the film’s messaging falls apart is the timing of its release – a few weeks after President Trump began his second term. As a result, critics viewed the film through the lens of Trump’s presidency, noting his controversial executive orders, including strict immigration lockdowns and heavy tariffs on neighboring countries.

Critics pointed out parallels between Trump and Ross, particularly in their rhetoric. However, Ross is no Trump. While the real-life U.S. President continues to pursue his agenda despite losing the 2020 election, Ross seeks redemption in the eyes of Americans, the global public, and most importantly, his daughter Betty (Liv Tyler). Unlike Trump’s isolationist stance, Ross advocates for international collaboration, as evidenced by his proposed treaty.

This dissonance between the fictional narrative and real-world events, especially given the timing of its release, creates cognitive dissonance for viewers overwhelmed by Trump-related headlines.

The film’s optimistic message of unity contrasts sharply with the divisive political climate, making it feel out of touch.

The MCU doesn’t need to exactly reflect reality, but the film could have offered more critical commentary for audiences to ponder after the credits roll, as it had been for the past Captain America films.

Of course, the producers of the MCU led by Kevin Feige are no time travelers. They couldn’t have predicted the outcome of last November’s election. Nonetheless, this doesn’t excuse the film’s messaging from feeling naive and tone-deaf.

Politics aside, the movie could have redeemed itself as an engaging thriller, staying true to the legacy of past Captain America films. Right?

The fast-paced plot makes “Brave New World” bearable, trimming much of the filler to deliver a streamlined, time-critical mission for Cap. But this comes at the expense of compelling character development.

Despite Mackie’s best efforts to bring charisma to his role as Captain America, the film offers little insight into Sam Wilson as a character. Much of his development was already covered in “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” series, making this a missed opportunity to expand on his internal struggles. The narrative briefly touches on his doubts about not taking the super soldier serum like his predecessor, but this is only explored as the movie reaches its conclusion.

This issue extends to most of the characters, who feel like mere chess pieces in the overarching Multiverse Saga of the MCU. Any potentially interesting arcs are sacrificed to maintain the franchise’s momentum.

Adding to this is the lackluster action choreography – a stark contrast to the previous films directed by the Russo Brothers. The fight scenes feel overly calculated and staged, lacking the intensity and realism that once left audiences on the edge of their seats.

It doesn’t help that the film reportedly underwent an unusually high number of reshoots. For MCU fans, it’s evident that “Brave New World” suffered from “too many cooks in the kitchen,” which contributed to its flaws, particularly in its political messaging.

If there’s one reason to see “Captain America: Brave New World” in cinemas, it’s for its fast-paced tone. For casual viewers seeking two hours of Marvel entertainment without much to ponder afterward, it delivers a decent popcorn flick.

However, for dedicated MCU fans, it’s hard not to feel frustrated by the film’s clumsy execution of its political commentary, uninspiring action scenes, and lack of character depth – all of which add to the MCU’s shaky reputation post-“Avengers: Endgame.”

We can only hope that the upcoming “Thunderbolts” and “Fantastic Four: First Steps” this year will steer the MCU back in the right direction – if only temporarily. Two and a half stars out of five.