Brave New Cap: Does Sam Wilson Soar as the New Captain America?

Anybody who knows my taste in movies knows I’m a massive fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. For over a decade, there’s been at least one MCU film at or near the top of my best-of list every single year, so naturally, I’ve been anxiously awaiting the latest installment, Captain America: Brave New World. Granted, I didn't love the idea of Steve Rogers handing the mantle of Captain America over to someone else, but I was willing to judge the movie on its own merits rather than on my own preconceived ideas of what should or shouldn't happen. I bought a ticket for opening night as soon as I got the chance, and now that I've finally seen the film, I'm happy to report that it does not disappoint.

Captain America: Brave New World was directed and co-written by Julius Onah, and it stars Anthony Mackie, Danny Ramirez, Shira Haas, Carl Lumbly, Tim Blake Nelson, and Harrison Ford. In the movie, Sam Wilson, the new Captain America, gets invited to a special event at the White House along with two of his closest allies: Joaquin Torres, the new Falcon, and an old super soldier named Isaiah Bradley.

At the event, Bradley tries to kill President Thaddeus Ross, but soon afterwards, he has no memory of ever doing it. It seems like he was somehow being controlled or possessed, and that sets off a huge red flag for Sam. To make matters worse, the assassination attempt kick-starts a chain reaction that just might cause World War III, and when Sam investigates these shady goings-on, he uncovers a dark web of secrecy, deceit, and sci-fi tech only an unfathomable genius could create.

As you can might be able to guess from that plot synopsis, Captain America: Brave New World is a relatively grounded (by MCU standards, that is) action thriller that eschews aliens, the multiverse, and magic in favor of political intrigue, and it works wonderfully…well, mostly. From the moment Isaiah Bradley got out of his chair and shot at the president, I was all in. The mystery surrounding his actions had me on the edge of my seat, and as the film added more layers to this already captivating puzzle, I became more and more hooked.

I couldn’t wait to find out who was behind it all, but unfortunately, when the big reveal finally comes, it’s a bit of a letdown. I can’t get into specifics without spoiling the movie’s secrets, but I can tell you that the villain’s motives are pretty underwhelming. They don’t fit the grand scale of his evil schemes, and that mismatch almost makes him come across as petty. It’s a weird way to feel about a supervillain, so it takes a bit of the wind out of the film’s sails.

There are also a number of smaller issues I could nitpick about all day, but thankfully, none of these problems ruin the entire experience. There’s still enough fun to be had with the political intrigue that the good in it handily outweighs the bad, and the great characters and awesome action decisively tip the scales in the movie’s favor. In particular, Captain America: Brave New World revolves primarily around three major players, and they’re all fantastic.

Let’s start with Thaddeus Ross. He’s brought to life by Harrison Ford, and he’s exactly what you’d expect. Ford imbues the president with just enough of his signature curmudgeonliness to be fun, but he also hits all the emotional beats the role requires. As you might remember from The Incredible Hulk, Ross is estranged from his daughter Betty, and when the topic comes up in conversation, Ford makes you believe that he desperately wants to see her again.

On the complete opposite end of the spectrum, we have Joaquin Torres, the new Falcon. He’s a young up-and-comer who loves what he does, and actor Danny Ramirez is perfect in the role. He just oozes the kind of youthful, almost flippant exuberance you’d expect from a guy living his dream life, and that joy is pretty contagious. He quickly became one of my favorite characters in the movie, so I can’t wait to see this guy again in future MCU projects.

Next, we have to talk about the titular hero, Sam Wilson. He’s been a highlight of the MCU ever since he was first introduced as a secondary character in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and now that he’s the star of the show, he ups his game tremendously. Actor Anthony Mackie plays the part with enough charm to make the character an absolute joy to watch whenever he’s on screen, but when things get serious, he also has the gravitas to make you believe he’ll get the job done.

On top of all that, Sam also exhibits the strength of character that made Steve Rogers such an important part of the MCU. Steve often functioned as the Avengers’ moral compass, and Captain America: Brave New World made me believe that Sam can (and probably will) have a similar role in future movies. Again, I can’t say much without spoiling some key plot points, but I can say that Sam upholds human dignity in a way that would make his predecessor proud, so I walked out of the theater with a newfound respect for the character.

Last but not least, I have to say a few words about the action in Captain America: Brave New World. It doesn’t reach the heights of the previous two Captain America films, but it’s pretty good. Anthony Mackie proves himself to be a legit action star, and when Sam and Joaquin take to the sky, their aerial fights are genuinely thrilling.

It’s a great combination of (relatively) grounded hand-to-hand combat and outlandish sci-fi fun, and it puts the icing on the cake of this awesome new chapter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Sure, Captain America: Brave New World isn’t top-tier Marvel, but it did what it needed to do. The movie made me accept Sam Wilson as Captain America, it thrilled me and entertained me, and it added a dash of moral substance into the mix as well, and when you put that all together, you get another solid entry in this long-running franchise.