Perhaps Marvel’s most enduring legacy to cinema is that they got all of us to sit through the credits until the very end. Since 2008, Uber Producer Kevin Feige and his legion of talented filmmakers (some more talented than others) have been inserting little snippets in their film’s credit sequences with teases of what’s next. This trend has caught on and now it feels like most genre movies slap on an end-credits scene.
People who used to bolt right after the big finale now stick around to the bitter end. They acknowledge the key grip and craft services people to savor that last drop of superhero goodness. There’s an end-credits scene after the new Captain America movie. It cryptically lays the groundwork for the next round of Marvel movies.
And I responded with a shrug. Unlike 17 years ago when Samuel L. Jackson popped up at the end of the first Iron Man, these revelations have become old hat. After 35 movies, we now stay glued to our seats more out of habit than anticipation. The MCU has become routine, which is shocking to this nerd.
I remember a time when superhero movies, especially good ones, were as rare as a shooting star. We now expect flicks with noble heroes in kicky outfits, fighting cataclysmic battles with mind-blowing effects. The stakes are so much higher now. Marvel has a rep to protect.
It’s been six years since they concluded their epic Thanos saga that linked 18 movies over a decade with a single storyline. It was a major storytelling achievement, but instead of letting audiences savor the moment, they just kept pumping out movies. This development has left me yearning for those early days of Marvel moviedom. Back when these flicks really surprised and delighted me. There have been exceptions, of course, but the majority of post-Endgame Marvel movies have struggled to find their way.
Captain America: Brave New World is a solid effort, but it falls short of earlier Cap movies like The Winter Soldier and Civil War. This has nothing to do with its star, Anthony Mackie. If you remember, original hero Steve Rogers (Chris Evans, who played Cap in 11 movies) passed the torch to his protege, Sam Wilson at the end of Endgame.
Mackie plays Wilson, the superhero formerly known as The Falcon who is now Captain America. He’s up to the task, rocking the action scenes while also expertly playing the movie’s more introspective moments (and there are a few). Mackie is a first-rate performer, who cut his teeth in dramatic roles in 8 Mile, Million Dollar Baby and The Hurt Locker before he joined the MCU in Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
Audiences have watched his progression as a hero now in five Marvel movies and a Disney+ series. They are now invested in his journey. We cheer his heroic feats and sympathize when he struggles with self-doubt. Unlike the previous Captain America, Sam wasn’t injected with a super soldier serum. Yes, he’s got a cool rocket pack that looks like giant wings, but his true superpowers are his dedication, courage, and moral fortitude.
This Captain America really does represent the little guy. He’s stepping up because if he doesn’t, who will? Cap is definitely the hero that we need right now. Mackie owns this movie and he leads a stalwart cast that radiates ample star power. In addition to him, this movie is flanked by Breaking Bad baddie (and Moff Gideon from The Mandalorian) Giancarlo Esposito, Coen Brothers vet Tim Blake Nelson, and the legendary Harrison Ford.
There are also a couple of really satisfying cameos with nods to past Marvel movies to keep you interested. It’s unfortunate that the script and the direction are not on par with the talent onscreen. The storytelling here is ho-hum. There are plot points that feel like a retread of Winter Soldier and Civil War without the tension and intrigue.
The movie picks up where the Disney+ series left off, but if you didn’t see that show then you’re a little in the dark about a few characters and their relationship to Sam. There’s also a story nugget from The Eternals movie, but please don’t submit yourself to that one to play catch up. I’m really not a fan of doing homework just to watch a movie and this time it’s really not worth it.
There’s a lack of momentum with this movie because it really doesn’t own its blockbuster vibe until the third act. That’s when all hell breaks loose and we’re finally having fun. Unfortunately, we’ve just sat through 90 minutes of setup just to get 30 minutes of payoff. And that payoff is diminished because Marvel showed all their cards in the marketing for this movie.
I guess when you have Harrison Ford hulking out, you don’t want to keep it to yourself. The final smackdown between Cap and the Red Hulk is a showstopper, but it would have been much more enjoyable had it been more surprising. Ford takes over for the late William Hurt as Thunderbolt Ross, who has been a minor antagonist in the Marvel movies since he first showed up in 2008’s Incredible Hulk reboot. In the comic books, Ross is a military man who pursues Bruce Banner’s Hulk. He’s also the disapproving dad of Betty Ross, Banner’s main love interest.
In Captain America: Brave New World, Ross has emerged as the new president of the United States, but his nefarious deeds are coming back to haunt him. It’s awesome to see Indiana Jones in a Marvel movie and he does not disappoint. His subplot could have had more teeth though if his giant hulk hands hadn’t been plastered over every movie poster in America, spilling the beans of his big reveal.
There is some juicy irony stemming from the Hulk’s main nemesis becoming a Hulk himself, but really it’s all about the smashing here. Captain America: Brave New World is essentially a deep-cut sequel to Ed Norton’s Hulk movie, which is kind of fun. I actually love the throwbacks to this nearly forgotten flick and have enjoyed its resurgence lately. This movie had been swept under the rug since Mark Ruffalo replaced Norton as the big green guy in The Avengers.
This connection provides some deliciously nerdy Easter eggs for super fans. However, it also makes me wonder if the MCU is running out of ideas. Everything just feels a little “Been there, done that. Bought the souvenir popcorn bucket.”
While it’s not the best Marvel movie, Captain America: Brave New World is far from the worst (Ahem, The Eternals). It generates enough fun to keep things watchable with the main reason to check it out being star Anthony Mackie.
This guy makes an awesome big screen hero. I feel like like the sequel to this movie is going to be really, really good. Maybe they should have started there?
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Author: Jeff Stanford
Nerd Dad who loves his family, coffee and movies.
