Captain America: Brave New World (2025)

When Sam Wilson first picked up the shield at the end of Avengers: Endgame and carried that moment through the Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, there was a genuine sense of anticipation about what a Sam Wilson solo outing might look like. Captain America: Brave New World, released in February 2025 and running at 119 minutes, is that outing. The film puts Wilson front and centre in a geopolitical thriller centred on a newly elected U.S. President Thaddeus Ross, an international incident, and a shadowy global conspiracy that threatens to tip the world into chaos. It is the fourth film to carry the Captain America name under Marvel Studios and Kevin Feige Productions, and arrives at a moment when the wider Marvel Cinematic Universe is still finding its post-Infinity Saga footing. Whether it finds that footing itself is, of course, the question.

Behind the camera is Julius Onah, a director whose previous work includes the Netflix thriller The Cloverfield Paradox and the drama Luce. It is a filmography that suggests an interest in pressure-cooker situations and moral ambiguity, which on paper fits the geopolitical tone the film appears to be reaching for. Comparisons to Captain America: The Winter Soldier were inevitable in the build-up to release, given that film's reputation as one of the more grounded, espionage-driven entries in the Marvel canon. Whether Brave New World earns that comparison is another matter. Alongside Anthony Mackie, the cast includes Danny Ramirez, Shira Haas, and Tim Blake Nelson, the last of whom MCU watchers will recognise from a first appearance stretching back to The Incredible Hulk in 2008. The headline addition, though, is Harrison Ford, stepping into the MCU for the first time to play Ross following the passing of William Hurt. It is a significant piece of casting, the kind that tends to generate considerable column inches regardless of what surrounds it. For context on how action filmmaking of this scale can succeed or stumble, it is worth glancing back at reviews of films like Mad Max: Fury Road and The Raid 2, two pictures that set a high bar for propulsive, purposeful action cinema.

Anthony Mackie is a likeable, charismatic screen presence, and his journey to this point within the MCU has been a long one, built across numerous supporting appearances before the mantle was formally passed. Sam Wilson as Captain America carries with it a weight that goes beyond the narrative, touching on questions of representation, legacy, and what the symbol of the shield means when worn by a Black man in contemporary America. Those are rich themes, and the film at least gestures towards them. Whether it follows through is the sort of thing that becomes clear once you actually sit down and watch the thing. For another recent thriller with its own particular brand of tension and atmosphere, my thoughts on Pacifiction offer a useful point of contrast, and fans of big-canvas 2020s action cinema might also want to check out the review of Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. With all of that in mind, here is what I made of it.

Captain America: Brave New World (2025) arrives with legacy weight but delivers little more than Marvel’s current brand of formulaic, mid-tier spectacle. With Chris Evans long departed from the role, Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson steps fully into the Captain America mantle, but the film struggles to give him a compelling arc or distinctive voice. The result feels less like a bold new chapter and more like a contractual obligation dressed in vibranium plating. Yes, the action sequences are slick and the production design sharp, but beneath the polished surface lies a story that’s shockingly generic. Harrison Ford, stepping into the MCU brings gravitas but little chemistry with the ensemble, and his casting feels more like nostalgic stunt-casting than a meaningful narrative choice. His presence adds star power, sure, but not depth. The script leans heavily on geopolitical thriller tropes without the nuance or tension to back them up, resulting in dialogue that rings hollow and stakes that never quite land. Visually, the film is undeniably strong. Dynamic cinematography, clean visual effects, and a muted colour palette that nods to The Winter Soldier’s grit. But aesthetics alone can’t save a plot riddled with underdeveloped villains, rushed emotional beats, and the now-familiar Marvel problem of feeling like one piece of a larger machine rather than a standalone story. Brave New World isn’t terrible, it’s just disappointingly average. For fans who believe Chris Evans is Captain America, this will feel like an echo without resonance. It looks great and moves fast… but it doesn’t inspire.

I think that about sums up where I land on this one. There is genuine craft on screen, and I would not begrudge anyone an enjoyable enough Friday night with it, but craft in service of a story that never quite commits to itself is a frustrating thing to watch. The geopolitical ambitions feel like window dressing rather than substance, and the ensemble, talented as they are individually, never quite coheres into something you invest in. Marvel has produced films that work brilliantly as standalone stories while still serving the wider universe, so it can be done. This just is not one of those times. Brave enough in title, perhaps. Not quite brave enough in everything else.

Rating: ★★½  | Year: 2025  | Watched: 2026-04-23

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Trailer

▶ Watch the official trailer for Captain America: Brave New World (2025) on YouTube

Where to watch

Watch in the UK
Stream: Disney Plus
Rent: Apple TV Store · Rakuten TV · Amazon Video · Sky Store
Buy: Apple TV Store · Rakuten TV · Amazon Video · Sky Store
Physical: Amazon UK · Zavvi

Watch in the US
Stream: Disney Plus
Rent: Amazon Video · Apple TV Store · Google Play Movies · YouTube
Buy: Amazon Video · Apple TV Store · Google Play Movies · YouTube
Physical: Amazon US

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