On Feb. 14, Marvel Studios released the fourth installment of the “Captain America” franchise titled “Captain America: Brave New World,” which surprisingly exceeded my expectations.
Because the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is at a low point right now in my opinion, I did not expect to enjoy the movie as much as I did.
The film follows Samuel Wilson, played by Anthony Mackie, as he is given the shield and takes on the mantle as the next Captain America by the original Captain, Steve Rogers in “Avengers: Endgame.”
Wilson tries to uncover a terrorist plot from an unknown lone-wolf terrorist who is set on watching the world be destroyed through the art of war.
One of the main reasons I enjoyed this film is because it showcased Wilson in a way that hasn’t been seen before in the franchise.
Since his MCU debut in the 2014 movie “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” his character always seemed to take a backseat as a secondary character, but “Captain America: Brave New World” did him justice as the new Captain America.
I also really enjoyed the fact that even though the main character is a different Captain America, the movie stayed consistent with the previous installments and was centered around the political realm, which is something that has been lacking from the MCU for the past couple of years.
For example, while “Deadpool & Wolverine” was a good movie, it was centered around the multiverse which is a supernatural and fictitious concept.
In the new “Captain America” film, President Thaddeus Ross, played by Harrison Ford, engages in peace talks with other countries as a means to settle a land dispute and avoid a multinational war.
While superhero movies with omnipotent beings and powers are enjoyable from time to time, it’s always refreshing to watch movies where the main character doesn’t have that kind of power and is operating in the capacity of a real institution such as the United States government.
That setting brings a sense of realism and relatability to these kinds of movies. What makes Samuel Wilson’s Captain America special compared to the other movies’ iterations is that he never took an enhanced serum, making him a regular person who’s faced with trying to stop these big threats.
That minor detail reoccurs in the film when Wilson has a moment where he regrets not taking the serum when given the chance but realizes that it makes him a figure that people can realistically aspire to be rather than wish to be.
The movie also explores the idea of Wilson being in the constant state of having to prove himself to others because he felt like he wasn’t adequate enough to be Captain America after the legacy Steve Rogers left.
Critics gave the movie a 49% while the audience gave it an 80%, according to the movie review website Rotten Tomatoes.
I am inclined to agree with the audience because it was a solid superhero movie that I would happily rewatch.
The fight choreography was good and the humor was just right. It was the right amount of dry humor without being too bland or too corny like it has been in recent MCU shows and movies.
I thought the humor in MCU projects like “She-Hulk” and “The Marvels” were trying too hard to appeal to the new generation of kids, making it hard to stomach.
There were also some surprising cameos and introductions of new characters that I really enjoyed which I won’t reveal because I don’t believe in spoiling movies.
I highly recommend fans of the MCU or Marvel Comics to watch this movie while it is still in theaters. It’s looking like the MCU might be rebounding and building up to something bigger again.
