Sitting through the lengthy end credits of Captain America: Brave New World, waiting for the obligatory post-credits scene, I felt that shift more clearly than ever. The IMAX theater was almost full but near silent, as if everyone was there out of habit rather than excitement. After two hours of muted laughs and a softer reaction than you would expect from a major Marvel event, it felt like the entire room was fulfilling an obligation, much like the movie itself.
That is not to say Brave New World is outright terrible. If anything, it is a step up from The Marvels, Deadpool and Wolverine, and Ant Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, all of which pushed the MCU’s recent trend of barely watchable content. But while this film avoids those lows, it also never reaches any real highs. It moves with a mechanical efficiency, delivering the expected beats without an ounce of ambition. The humor is dialed back, the energy feels drained, and there is an overwhelming sense that no one involved is trying to make something memorable.
The film picks up with Sam Wilson as the new Captain America, a role he assumed after Avengers: Endgame and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Like The Winter Soldier and Civil War, it leans into political intrigue. Newly elected US President Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross (now played by Harrison Ford) wants to usher in a “new world” by sharing the adamantium discovered on the Celestial remains from Eternals. He enlists Captain America’s help, but when an assassination attempt links back to one of Sam’s allies, the film shifts into the usual web of betrayals, villainous manipulations, and routine MCU thrills.
But while the Captain America films have traditionally been some of the MCU’s strongest, Brave New World lacks their drive. Perhaps to accommodate those who skipped The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, the film revisits Sam’s arc from the show, once again focusing on whether he fully embraces the responsibility of being Captain America. It is a frustratingly redundant choice that stalls his character growth. Anthony Mackie does his best to portray Sam as a steadfast, capable leader, but the script gives him little to work with, keeping him safe and unchallenging. At least he gets to speak Spanish early on, which is a nice touch.
His new “Robin”-like sidekick, Danny Ramirez’s Joaquin Torres, is meant to bring fresh energy and humor. Still, like so many recent MCU supporting characters, he is just another stock figure who exists to crack jokes without any fundamental defining traits. Meanwhile, the villain is yet another forgettable presence, burdened with the MCU’s most overused motivation, a personal vendetta.
In 2022, William Hurt, who played Ross in five previous MCU films, passed away, forcing Disney to recast the role. Instead of choosing someone who could naturally continue what Hurt established, they went with a major star. Hurt’s Ross was a manipulative and morally ambiguous figure whose presence carried the weight of past mistakes. Ford brings his own energy, but the script resets Ross entirely, presenting him as a reformed man with almost no connection to his past, aside from a few awkwardly edited photos meant to bridge the gap. With a completely new face in the role, it is hard to associate him with the same character, and the film never challenges Ross with a decision that could make this transformation feel earned. His entire arc ends up feeling tame and unremarkable.
At least the movie flows well and doesn’t significantly drag. Technically, everything is competent; effects, action, and choreography are all serviceable but not particularly impressive. Perhaps that is why Brave New World is easier to watch than some of Marvel’s recent disasters; it never aims for more than passable entertainment. It is a film that exists to fill a slot on the release calendar, to remind audiences that Captain America is still part of the MCU, without ever justifying why we should care. It does not frustrate, nor does it excite. It is just another Marvel movie, another obligation, another box checked.