If you are familiar with my previous published work, you’ll know I’m much more of a DC fan than a Marvel one.
This is due to the overall higher quality of DC’s comics but also because the recent offerings of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) have been lacking in almost every way.
So when I heard that ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ had the lowest MCU Metacritic score and was sitting at an even 50% on Rotten Tomatoes, I was worried it would be ‘The Marvels’ all over again, except for a character and movie I actually care about.
Captain America has always been my favorite MCU character and I was genuinely thrilled to see what Sam Wilson’s rendition would offer on the big screen.
The knowledge of the movie’s reception weighed on my mind as I walked into the theater.
Thankfully my concerns were baseless because I really enjoyed the film.
It was fun, engaging and incredibly watchable, even if it felt “safe.” The performances of the all-star cast (Anthony Mackie, Giancarlo Esposito and Harrison Ford) are incredibly strong and make none of the characters feel unlikable or annoying—an issue that has plagued the MCU in recent years.
The plot follows the MCU formula but the movie isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel or have an incredibly nuanced discussion of American politics.
It’s trying (and succeeding) at being cool. It’s no ‘Winter Soldier’, but it comes pretty darn close.
Much of the film’s criticism comes from the fact that the story falls flat (likely due to extensive reshoots) and Wilson’s character doesn’t grow or change much throughout the film.
I’ve already addressed the first complaint so I will address the second: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
The role Sam’s Cap plays in the film is that of the stalwart hero who lifts up the people around him.
He gives people something to aspire to by being a human hero who does his best even if he falters.
Anthony Mackie leads the film with strength and honor on par with that of Chris Evans’s Steve Rogers and I, for one, look forward to seeing more of him.