![\"Anthony](\"https:\/\/www.imaginarygardens.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Anthony_Mackie.jpg\")
But, how does it shape up against the previous three Captain America<\/em> films? What Marvel movies do you have to watch to know what the hell is going on? And, most importantly, how does Anthony Mackie embody the role? <\/p>\n\n\n\n Well, let me hit you with a spoiler-free review with answers to all these questions, and, as a bonus, my thoughts on the newest installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As many are likely aware, it\u2019s been quite some time since Captain America has had his very own film. It\u2019s been nearly a decade since 2016\u2019s Civil War<\/em>, and while Chris Evans\u2019 iteration of the mantle continued to be a large part of the MCU until Endgame<\/em>, the role of Cap has been relatively dormant outside of the season finale of 2021\u2019s television series, The<\/em> Falcon and the Winter Soldier<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n All of this to say, there is a lot of weight on this newest film\u2019s shoulders not only to bring back the character, this time embodied by Anthony Mackie\u2019s portrayal as former Falcon Sam Wilson, but also to continue paving the way forward for post-Endgame <\/em>Marvel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because of all this, comparing Brave New World<\/em> to the previous Captain America films is somewhat difficult. There are a lot of the same espionage\/political subversion vibes we saw in The Winter Soldier<\/em> and Civil War<\/em>, leaving Cap to discern who to trust like Evans\u2019 Steve Rogers did in those previous films. The problem is, the stakes just seem smaller in this one\u2026 more on that later. In terms of quality, I would say it\u2019s about on the level of The First Avenger,<\/em> not as great as the second and third films but still perfectly enjoyable and featuring a clear good vs. bad (even the villains are matching colors, Red Skull and Red Hulk).<\/p>\n\n\n\n This difficulty in comparison actually brings up one of my issues with the film: it really feels more like a sequel to 2008\u2019s The Incredible Hulk<\/em> than a sequel to any Captain America film. Don\u2019t get me wrong, I loved The Incredible Hulk<\/em>, <\/em>but I was constantly asking myself why getting a direct follow-up to that story came in the form of the fourth Captain America movie 17 years later. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So, you definitely need to see that movie to know what the hell is going on. While that\u2019s honestly the only \u201crequired\u201d watching, the film also follows up on plotlines from 2021\u2019s Eternals<\/em> and, of course, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier<\/em>. You\u2019ll notice I didn\u2019t mention any of the previous three Captain America movies, something that irked me as a longtime Marvel fan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Being a comic book fan first and comic book movie fan second, I find it interesting that the films still have yet to consistently crack the code on keeping stories that are centered on a character sequential to one another. In the comic books there are crossovers between characters and plotlines almost constantly, yet, if you read every Captain America book, you\u2019ll still understand what\u2019s going on in the next one. Even if you\u2019ve watched every Captain America movie, you won\u2019t have the context needed for Brave New World<\/em>, which is something I\u2019m both not crazy about and feel like should be known before going into the movie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n All of this aside, the acting was truly very good. I honestly enjoyed every performance from both old characters and new, which really gave strength to Mackie\u2019s portrayal as the titular character. The symbolic nature of the character\u2019s mantle is not lost in the slightest, and I feel like Mackie perfectly balanced following in Evans\u2019 footsteps with creating a unique and new iteration of the character. It was also fun to see him portray Sam Wilson\u2019s transition from sidekick Falcon to the main hero in a way that was believably smooth and natural. Steve Rogers\u2019 trust in him was clearly well-placed, as it\u2019s clear that Sam has learned from Steve\u2019s time with the mantle and is wanting to live up to the legacy that Captain America holds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Surprisingly, Brave New World<\/em> had not only one but two roles being taken over by new actors. Another stand-out performance I was worried about going in was Harrison Ford\u2019s portrayal as General Thaddeus \u201cThunderbolt\u201d Ross, a.k.a. Red Hulk, taking up the role after the tragic passing of William Hurt. Hurt had given life to the character in multiple MCU films prior, and Ford\u2019s interpretation of the character very much honors Hurt\u2019s decisions with the role while adding a deeper emotional core, something that I think really helps carry the film in some of its more fantastical sequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Overall, I thought it was a pretty good time, definitely not the best film we\u2019ve gotten in either the Captain America or larger MCU franchises, but definitely not the worst either. With a few twists and turns I can\u2019t go into without spoilers, a truly interesting\/unique story in the Marvel universe and a stacked cast of great performances, Brave New World<\/em> has a lot going for it. If only you didn\u2019t have to watch a combined 9 hours of content from films and a TV show that aren\u2019t Captain America-focused to know what\u2019s going on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ll go with a strong 6\/10 on this one, and I wish I could tell you more about why without spoiling the movie. Go see it for yourself and get back to me; after all that\u2019s the only way you\u2019ll really know what you think about it!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Draven Copeland, Editor in Chief Contrary to what seems to have been the popular sentiment, I\u2019ve been excited for Captain America: Brave New World for quite some time. 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