The Falcon Takes the Shield—But Does Brave New World Deliver?

Captain America: Brave New World had the daunting task of following in the footsteps of some of Marvel’s most iconic films. 

The film hit theaters Feb. 14 and quickly sparked a wave of disappointment among audiences and critics. Most notably, it faced criticism for lacking the excitement and impact that made the previous Captain America movies so memorable. Receiving 49% on Rotten Tomatoes, many are left wondering if this film truly deserved this rating. After seeing the film, there are some critiques.

First, the overall plot lacks the tight focus and emotional depth that fans have come to expect from the Captain America films. There’s a lot of disjointedness throughout, with the story feeling more like a patchwork of disconnected moments rather than a cohesive narrative. Let’s dive into the specifics. 

At the end of Avengers: End Game, we see Steve Rogers—the original Captain America, played by Chris Evans—passes his shield to Sam Willson, aka, the Falcon played by Anthony Mackie. The heartfelt scene foreshadows Brave New World, where we follow Wilson as he navigates his new role, struggles with identity, and grapples with comparison.  

The film references Steve Rogers multiple times, which is a nice touch, especially considering he was the former Captain America. And while one can appreciate how they didn’t disregard the entire storyline, to fully grasp the movie’s plot, it is necessary to have watched the Disney+ series, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.  

Towards the end of the film, there’s a heart-to-heart between Bucky Barnes, aka, the Winter Soldier, when Same begins to doubt that he’s fit for the job. In the previous Marvel films, Bucky and Sam weren’t the “buddy-buddy” pair we see here. 

While this relationship is crucial in Brave New World, the film assumes viewers have watched The Falcon and the Winter Soldier series to fully understand the depth of their dynamic. Unfortunately, this makes their friendship a bit inaccessible to those who haven’t seen the series—and for some, like me, it may come as a bit of a shock. 

Similarly, the relationship between Sam and President Thaddeus Ross, played by Harrison Ford, also relies heavily on the knowledge from the series. Ross, a former general in the U.S. military, shares a past with Sam before his inauguration; and without the series’ context, viewers may feel somewhat detached from the nuances of their relationship and lost about where the two truly stand with one another.

Ultimately, there shouldn’t be this big of a disconnect. You should be able to watch the film without any prior knowledge from the show and still follow the story. 

While these fragmented relationships contribute to my overall opinion of Brave New World, my biggest critique is the script. The plot of the movie is arguably chaotic. It’s almost like the writers attempted to tackle too many stories at one time.

There’s an arms race for a new element called “adamantium”. Upon the tension in the race there’s a villain mind controlling individuals in the White House. As a part of his plan to do this he poisoned President Ross with pills infused with gamma rays, which turned him into a red version of the Hulk. They were clearly attempting to match the level of intensity the previous Marvel films have, but missed the mark. 

Additionally, when you take a step back and dissect the dialogue, it feels a little flat. Despite Sam’s character being sarcastic, the humor at times feels forced. As a result, these moments—along with more emotional scenes—don’t quite land the way I’m sure they were intended to.

All that to say, I question if Captain America: Brave New World deserves the rating it received. While the film still offers some entertaining moments, in the grand scheme of things, yes—it struggles to live up to its predecessors. The fragmented relationships, reliance on prior series knowledge, mediocre dialogue and scatter-brained script leave the film feeling a bit disconnected, lacking the depth Marvel fans have come to expect. 
Though it explores new territory for Sam Wilson and delivers the action-packed sequences the MCU is known for, it ultimately falls short of the high bar set by the Captain America legacy.