Marvel’s long-gestating Captain America: Brave New World is finally here and the first wave of reviews is in. The Anthony Mackie-starring action thriller, directed by Julius Onah, is Mackie’s first solo outing as Captain America after taking over the shield from Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers. Harrison Ford co-stars as Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, and the film has received various reviews from critics. While some laud its action and performances, others accuse it of being superficial and incoherent. Here’s a rundown of what critics are saying.
What Worked: Mackie as Captain America
But one thing nearly all of the critics can agree on is that Anthony Mackie was fantastic as Sam Wilson. “Anthony Mackie slips into Chris Evans’ boots beautifully as Captain America,” David Thompson said, one of many who described him as a worthy successor to Chris Evans. “No one else is worthy of holding the shield except Sam Wilson”. Critics praise Mackie’s charisma and emotional range as the film’s strongest points — highlighting his chemistry with Danny Ramirez, who stars as Joaquín Torres, the latest title-holder of the Falcon mantle.
Harrison Ford’s performance as Thaddeus Ross has also drawn some praise. To stampede all those expectations, critics have observed that Ford lends weight to the character, not the least the red variety that is his Hulk alter ego. “Harrison Ford steals each scene,” Austin Putnam observed, and many agree that his performance brings an extra level of thrill to the film.
The action sequences are another highlight. Rotem Rusak at Nerdist called the action “sharp,” and the film would touch on thrilling hand-to-hand combat and shield-slinging scenes that fans have come to expect from the Captain America franchise. The climactic battle between Red Hulk and Captain America is a high point, and it has specifically been praised — “even more epic than the trailers sold us” — by Rama’s Screen.
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A Complicated Plot, and Some Pacing Issues
Despite the strong performances and action, many critics have noted flaws in the film’s script and pacing. The plot is “convoluted and dull,” according to Mike Ryan of Uproxx, who suggested that the film seems to exist only to tie up loose ends from The Incredible Hulk and Eternals. John Flickinger expressed a similar opinion, calling the movie “clunky, anticlimactic, and about as exciting as a rerun”.
The film’s pacing has also drawn brickbats. While Sam, Joaquín, and Isiah (Carl Lumbly) have good chemistry — much of Metal of Honor seems to revolve around them shooting the breeze together — the story is frequently sidelined in a way that detracts from the overall flow, Leo Rydell of Geekly Goods wrote. Germain Lussier said the film’s themes seem “all over the place” and end up “ultimately a little pointless,” missing the emotional depth required to properly pull the audience in.
Return to Form or Missed Opportunity?
Who among them thinks that Brave New World is a step on the road that the MCU has been intending to take since Iron Man, especially after much of Phase 4’s product received mixed reviews? Ben Kendrick described it as “a return to form for the mainline MCU,” complimenting its political undercurrents and message during a divisive time. Josh Weiss likened the movie to classic political thrillers such as The Manchurian Candidate and suggested that the film embodies the grounded tone of Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
But others say the film doesn’t quite live up to what it could be. Cris Parker called it “an enjoyable watch with decent action sequences & some standout moments,” but added that it “didn’t quite hit the emotional or narrative highs” that it maybe could have. Likewise, Emmanuel Noisette found that the film “pulled a lot of political punches,” leading to a film that was OK, but left something to be desired .
Shooting Difficulties and Re-Shoots
The film’s production history has also generated discussion. Between May and November 2024, extensive reshoots were carried out, which some critics say are perceptible in the final product. “You can feel the reshoots throughout the film,” Sean Chandler criticized, while Kaitlyn Booth noted “stitches where the rewrites/reshoots are,” resulting in missed opportunities. Nonetheless, quite a few feel that the film offers some measure of satisfaction, if not greatness, in overcoming them.
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Conclusion
All in all, Captain America: Brave New World is not without its entertainment value. But its rambling plot, uneven pacing, and visible production issues keep it from matching the heights of other early Captain America source material, like The Winter Soldier. For MCU fans, it’s a reasonably good watch, if only for Mackie’s shining performance and the introduction of Red Hulk. But for the aspirants expecting a game-changing entry, it might come off like a missed opportunity.
