We are living in a time where film adaptations of comic books are common practice. Some tend to be very good, such as Iron Man (2008), The Dark Knight (2008), The Avengers (2012), Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), Wonder Woman (2017), and Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021). Others can be rather poor in terms of quality, such as Batman & Robin (1997), Catwoman (2004), X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), and Shazam: Power of the Gods (2023).  Then there are films that are of mixed, average quality with a divisive reception, such as Hulk (2003), Watchmen (2009), Eternals (2021), and Thor: Love and Thunder (2023). A number of fans and critics have questioned whether there is an over-saturation of comic book films in today’s market. It also raises questions whether “too much” is indeed too much, or whether the superhero movie will fade in popularity like the Western genre. Yet there is another question to be raised: how do you tell a familiar story about a new hero?

Such is the case with Captain America: Brave New World. It is the fourth film of the Captain America franchise and the first not to be starring Chris Evans as Steve Rogers. Directed by filmmaker Julius Onah, the movie is the thirty-fifth entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Set nine years after the events of Captain America: Civil War, the story focuses on Rogers’ replacement, Sam Wilson, as he comes to terms with being the new Cap. It also serves as a loose sequel of sorts to the Disney Plus limited series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

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Brave New World opens in 2024 with former U.S General and current Secretary of State Thaddeus E. “Thunderbolt” Ross (Harrison Ford) winning a landslide victory to become President of the United States. Five months later, Ross has settled into his new role as leader
of the Western world, but he’s facing a number of problems. The Celestial Island in the Indian Ocean (as depicted in the 2021 film Eternals) is found to have an infinite source of a new substance called adamantium, and several nations are bidding for control of said territory. Furthermore, Ross finds himself estranged from his daughter Betty (Liv Tyler), whom he has not spoken to in several years. On a more personal level, he is having health issues and becomes dependent on medication to keep his heart steady. In order to rally America’s support around him, Ross decides to revive the Avengers as a peacekeeping team.

Now working as Captain America, Sam goes to Oaxaca, Mexico to thwart a black market sale of stolen items by members of a group called Serpent Society. He also has a sidekick in Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez), who served in the U.S Air Force and now goes by Falcon. Although the duo retrieve the stolen goods, the shady Sidewinder (Giancarlo Esposito) manages to escape for parts unknown. While the mission was largely successful, Sam and Joaquin find themselves at odds about the nature of their work. The former feels reluctant to put Joaquin in active combat situations since neither of them have powers like Steve Rogers, but the latter is eager to embrace his role as the Falcon.

When he’s not on missions, Sam also keeps in touch and trains with his mentor Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly), the previously-forgotten Cap of the late 1940s and early 1950s. Despite his status as the first black Captain America, he was locked up for several years and largely
forgotten for decades until Sam lobbied to have him recognized. Isaiah is not pleased with Sam’s affiliation with Ross, whom he feels represents a government that neglected and abandoned him. However, after some persuasion, he agrees to go to a White House summit
event after Sam insists on him attending as well.

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At the summit, it emerges that the stolen items recovered in Mexico were samples of adamantium metal found by Japanese miners on Celestial Island. Ross is concerned about the risk of an arms race between nations, so he wants to create a treaty to moderate the recovery
and distribution of adamantium. As the president gives a speech, Isaiah and a few other guests in attendance appears to have some sort of mental breakdown and attempts to shoot at Ross, who survives the assassination attempt. He tries to flee through Washington D.C, but Sam manages to get through to Isaiah and convinces him to surrender. Upon being detained by the Secret Service, Isaiah comes to his senses and has no memory of what he just tried to do. Nor do the other apprehended suspects have any recollection of the attack.

Deeply troubled by the assassination attempt, Sam promises Ross that he will investigate the matter further. After being attacked by Sidewinder once again, he defeats and apprehends the criminal. He and Joaquin discovers a black site located in West Virginia. It becomes apparent the individual pulling the strings is one Samuel Sterns (Tim Blake Nelson), an incarcerated scientist who created a supervillain back in 2008. Years afterward, Ross sought Sterns’ help to correct his heart failure and thus create a path to becoming President of the United States in exchange for the latter’s freedom. However, Sterns remains locked up indefinitely and has become increasingly furious with Ross’ betrayal. One of his methods is using mind control and technology to brainwash people into doing his biding, which explains how and why Isaiah and others were used in the assassination plot.

Meanwhile, Ross is facing security concerns from abroad and within America. He’s also blamed by the Japanese government for both the attack on the White House and the theft of adamantium. Ross slowly discovers that his anger is being elevated to certain levels, and he
momentarily seems to lose control before calming down again. Further complicating matters, a plot to discredit Ross’ reputation is underway via Sterns’ manipulation, and the plan is to frame and implicate America for an international incident. Now, Sam and Joaquin must foil the scheme before a new antagonist will have everyone seeing red.

Anthony Mackie gives a sterling performance as Sam Wilson. The established thespian has had a solid career of character roles on film and television, but apart from playing the Notorious B.I.G, he has never really carried his own movie. In this film, Mackie proves his dependability and stoic nature by depicting Sam coping with the changes happening around him. Unlike Chris Evans’ cheerful yet nuanced Rogers, Mackie is more thoughtful and troubled about his place in the world, as well as living up to the image of Cap. While he is not Evans, Mackie demonstrates that he is indeed a reliable actor and up to the task of carrying a franchise.

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Danny Ramirez brings a sense of youthful vigour and energy to Joaquin Torres. He manages to hold his own opposite Mackie, and they interact well together in their onscreen banter. The duo’s working in tandem indicates a solid respect between them, and it brings to mind the old Captain America and Bucky relationship of previous films. One can only assume that Torres will continue to be a presence in the Marvel Cinematic Universe going forward. Assuming that is the case, it would be a delight to see him co-headlining another film.

Harrison Ford delivers a layered, complex performance as President Ross. The veteran actor provides world-weariness and urgency to the Hulk’s long-time antagonist. Now in a leadership role, he aims to do what is best for the country but feels visibly pained at the personal toll his actions have taken. Ford manages to give the character some depth in trying to keep himself together while adapting to the intensity of his circumstances. Here’s hoping that he will stick around for the foreseeable future

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Tim Blake Nelson returns to the Marvel franchise as Samuel Sterns aka The Leader. He is equally compelling and creepy in his enigmatic presence as a shadowy villain in hiding and plotting his next move. Although it is nice to see the character again, his long absence does
make one question whether there are long-term plans for Sterns. The character mentions being locked away for nearly two decades, so it is believed that he was not blipped out of existence for five years as depicted in Avengers: Infinity War. While Sterns’ current deformity has some similarity to his comics version, the prosthetic makeup designs give off a cartoonish effect and feels like uncanny valley territory.

The rest of the cast does well with the material they’re given. Carl Lumbly gives a subtle, nuanced performance as Isaiah, and it is a welcome sight to see him interacting with the new Captain America. One cannot help but empathize with him as he still attempts to come to terms with his past and present. Xosha Roquemore plays Secret Service agent Lelia Taylor, and she has a number of scenes opposite Mackie and Ford. Unlike her comics counterpart having a relationship with Sam, there is no attraction or feelings depicted here between the two of them. Shira Haas plays security advisor and former Black Widow Ruth Bat-Seraph, but she more or less serves as a foil for Wilson. It is rather unfortunate, because the character’s past KGB training and time in the Black Widow program has potential to be explored further.

Perhaps most disappointing are those talented individuals who aren’t a lot to work with. Giancarlo Esposito plays the supporting role of Sidewinder, and he is sadly not given a lot of depth or focus in his limited screen time. The veteran actor has proven his dramatic ability on
series like Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, yet he’s woefully underused in this film. Liv Tyler has a few nice moments in reprising her Incredible Hulk role as Betty Ross, but she’s only in the film for a brief time. Sebastian Stan reprises James “Bucky” Barnes in a cameo scene, but it feels rather abrupt and not fleshed out. Also, Stan’s brief role hints at a new direction for his character, and this will most likely be explored in the upcoming Thunderbolts movie.

Onah’s direction keeps the action tight and focused on the plot and characters. The result is a taut, fast-paced thriller clocking in at a solid 118 minutes. It does bring to mind the paranoid conspiracy influence on past films in the vein of Captain America: The Winter Soldier and
Captain America: Civil War. Unlike those movies, however, the narrative opens up the focus on America’s relationship to the wider world in changing times. As a result, the story has similarities to previous Marvel installments but manages to stand on its own.

As par for the course in a Marvel film, there are a number of call-backs and references to previous movies in the franchise. While he does not appear in the film, Steve Rogers is mentioned and alluded to at various points, but it is never definitely stated whether he is living
or deceased. One of the opening scenes features archive footage of Ford’s Ross wearing a prominent mustache, which is in reference to his predecessor, the late actor William Hurt. The film also ties in plot elements of the Eternals and The Incredible Hulk (2008), specifically with
regards to the Celestial in the ocean and the Super Soldier program, respectively. Although it is nice to have events from the movies referenced, the fact that said events have been largely ignored up to this point feels frustrating. Furthermore, considering Ross and Sterns’
involvement in the plot, viewers might also be wondering why Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner/Hulk does not make an appearance or factor into this story.

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Much has been made about the film’s plot and comparisons to real-world events, such as the election of President Donald Trump. And yes, the assassination attempt in the first act might hit a little too close to home with regards to the events of 2024. However, it must be
noted that the film was made long before the U.S Presidential election took place, and Marvel has stressed any resemblances are purely coincidental. In addition, the character of Ross is merely attempting to solidify his presence and bring a sense of calm to the world, rather than plunge it into chaos. Nor does the real-life President Trump have any kind of superpowers, as far as we know.

Overall, Captain America: Brave New World is a fine film. Onah delivers a solid, gripping thriller that is on par with The Winter Soldier and Civil War. Mackie, Ford, Ramirez, Lumbly and Sterns give compelling performances. Three out of four stars.