Anthony Mackie deserves better from the MCU. Same for Sam Wilson, a hero truly worthy of Captain America’s shield. Because, somehow, the uneven and disappointing Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was a better showcase for both actor and character than Captain America: Brave New World. The fourth film in the franchise is a disjointed, poorly paced, poorly edited movie whose exciting action sequences can’t overcome some of the worst dialogue in MCU history.
There’s no way to sugarcoat Captain America: Brave New World‘s dialogue. Much of the film feels like someone tried to write Aaron Sorkin-esque quick banter without ever having actually seen anything Sorkin has done. It’s rarely funny or witty but often awkward. It doesn’t help that Captain America: Brave New World also feels like it’s frequently playing at 1.25x speed. Characters respond to each other before any human could even process what is being said to them. That makes for some cringey, forced interactions. The harder the movie tries to be funny, the worse it gets.
When Captain America: Brave New World isn’t busy being painfully unfunny, it goes for big, inspirational moments. Unfortunately, they fall as flat as Sam Wilson’s big monologue from the last time we saw him on Disney+. It’s not Mackie’s fault because, once again, he’s having to carry a chunky script. But his performance only makes the movie even more disappointing. In the few scenes where Mackie gets to work with good material, you can see that the film could have been better with a better screenplay.
One thing that doesn’t disappoint are the action sequences. There are two major set pieces in Captain America: Brave New World, both teased in the film’s trailers. One is a battle that sees Sam and his new partner—Danny Ramirez’s returning Joaquin Torres, the new Falcon—take to the sky in a dogfight with fighter jets. Ramirez has a natural charm, but no one suffers more from the script than him because Torres is the proverbial “funny one.” That’s not the best spot for anyone in a movie that rarely executes on its attempts at wit. Bad dialogue is not a problem during their big fight, though. It also looks great and is very well-executed, something that is only true during action sequences. It’s almost as though a totally different team edited scenes where people are in peril.
The big Captain America/Red Hulk showdown is also very entertaining. It’s one of the movie’s most impressive feats since we’ve seen so many Hulk fights at this point. But using the White House and DC as the setting makes it feel fresh and original because Captain America: Brave New World doesn’t tone down on the destruction.
There are a few huge exceptions to the movie’s otherwise very good CGI. The first is Tim Blake Nelson’s Samuel Sterns, a.k.a. the Leader. His appearance is unintentionally hilarious when it’s supposed to be upsetting. The other VFX problem is Marvel clearly did some reshoots on green screens it bought at a yard sale—in 1997. Those moments stick out like a giant red rage monster atop the White House. Some are so bad I was genuinely shocked they made it into the final edit of Captain America: Brave New World. They looked like something from a Sharknado movie.
The two big action sequences happen in the second half of the film, which is a big improvement over the first half since there’s less talking. However, there are some aspects of Captain America: Brave New World that work throughout. Harrison Ford is very good as new President of the United States, Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross. He’s a man struggling against his natural instincts for a good reason. He’s desperate to change his image and his legacy so his daughter will see he’s a good man. That’s one of the movie’s best ideas, but it doesn’t invest in it as much as it could.
Brave New World also undercuts itself by actually having Red Hulk show up at all. I get it. I get it. People want to see Red Hulk. It’s a comic book story, after all. But the movie is still telling a story, and it would be far more meaningful and effective one if Ross never hulked out. (We’d have to get into spoilers to explain why.)
Captain America: Brave New World also avoids being a total disaster, thanks to some very good supporting performances. Giancarlo Esposito is predictably great as Sidewinder. He doesn’t quite have the role you might expect, but he’s important to the plot. Carl Lumbly is just as predictably excellent as the super soldier Isaiah Bradley. His role is actually much bigger than trailers indicated, and he serves as a grounding, emotional anchor for the story. And throughout the film, minor characters respond to Sam Wilson in a way that feels real and human. It strengthens both “Cap” as a character and the story.
Ultimately, though, Captain America: Brave New World fails to deliver the movie that both its leading man and its titular hero deserve. Not when it can’t even clear the low hurdle of being better than The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, the first time the MCU let down Anthony Mackie and Sam Wilson.
Captain America: Brave New World comes to theaters on February 14, 2025.
Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. He only wants good thinks for Anthony Mackie. You can follow him on Bluesky at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.