For the past 10 years Marvel has left Captain America fans with scraps since. After the last Captain America appearance in “Avengers: Endgame,” Steve Rogers decided to give his mantle to Sam Wilson, previously known as The Falcon. Though a bleak and feeble wish, that left viewers with hopes of a fourth movie that wasn’t delivered for almost a decade.
In July of 2024 the long-awaited fourth Captain America movie, “Captain America: Brave New World,” was announced, with a focus on Wilson’s brotherly relationship with Joaquin Torres, the new Falcon. The pause on romance- focused relationships was refreshing, considering Marvel’s tendencies to focus too heavily on the romantic side of relationships.
Compared to the last three movies, it was much more action heavy than anticipated. The previous Captain America movies were very plot- heavy, being one of the reasons that it was and is one of the most beloved trilogies that Marvel has produced in quite a while. The lack of plot, compared to the others, made it extremely obvious that there weren’t exactly any political implications intended to be made in the most recent movie.
The namesake of the movie, “Brave New World” — a 1932 novel depicting a sci-fi scenario where citizens are manipulated by their government — led to an expectation of political references in the film that weren’t followed through on.
The previous three movies had extreme political implications, through impactful scenes and famous historical settings. As an example, the first one being set in World War II made for a pretty inherently political movie, even if it wasn’t the point of the movie. The politics of the most recent movie faded in contrast to the others.
Wilson’s characterization was a bit confusing throughout the movie, doing things that Captain America wouldn’t typically do. Though that may have been a conscious choice on Marvel’s part to create distance between Wilson’s Captain America versus Rogers’s.
The plot was also confusing at times, going in different directions at once, something Marvel has long struggled with. The plot itself wasn’t necessarily bad, it just seemed so far from the plots of the previous movies, it was like there wasn’t an element to tie them all back together.
Beyond plot, the indoor settings were pretty incredible. They were intricate and detailed when needed, and toned down when the scene called for it. Though the same can’t be said about the outdoor settings; they appeared artificial and fake, and seemed ridiculous considering the movie’s budget was over $180 million.
The sound quality of the movie also wasn’t to die for. It was grainy at some points, and inaudible at others. Which was, again, strange, considering the fairly high budget. Though, the camera quality did not disappoint. Many fans have argued that the crystal clear camera quality ruins some of the high intensity moments, making them look over- produced, but it worked really well for this movie.
All in all, it wasn’t an awful movie, but it definitely wasn’t amazing either. It’s a good watch if you aren’t a particularly hardcore Captain America fan, as it strays from the original character that has been cherished by many for decades.
