The first reactions to Captain America: Brave New World have dropped, and they're pretty mixed on the Marvel Phase 5 movie. Some have been calling it a return to form for the MCU, while others say the cast deserve better.
12DOVE's Lauren Milici tweeted: "I rly liked #CaptainAmericaBraveNewWorld not just bc i think we should put Danny Ramirez in everything but bc it wasn’t an over-the-top jaunt packed w/ cameos - it’s a simple heartwarming tale about good guys vs bad guys which imo is, at its core, what a Marvel movie should be."
Critic Laura Sirikul wrote: "#CaptainAmericaBraveNewWorld proves that Sam Wilson can lead a #CaptainAmerica movie. The writing & acting is very strong as a political thriller mixed with superhero elements. While not perfect, it was very engaging & entertaining."
Presenter Brandon Davis was also a fan, tweeting: "#CaptainAmericaBraveNewWorld is flat out good. It feels like an MCU return to form, progressing the overall story with a thrilling tale of its own. It’s pretty nonstop! The villain feels a bit secondary. Solid action. Harrison Ford is ALL IN. Mackie really claims the mantle."
Critic Scott Menzel writes: "Captain America: Brave New World is a game-changer for Phase 5 of the MCU. Mackie soars past the role of Falcon cementing himself as the new Captain America. Ford puts his signature grunting and crankiness to great use as Thaddeus Ross and Red Hulk. Brave New World is like Falcon and The Winter Solider but bigger and better because of the scope and scale of this big screen adventure."
Others were not as convinced, with freelance critic Cody Dericks writing: "Good news! If you’ve been missing the boring action and ugly visuals of post-Endgame MCU, then CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD is for you. Totally disposable, with inadvertent comedic moments and absolutely hollow political commentary…at least Harrison Ford is dialed-in."
Nerdist's Dan Casey agreed, tweeting: "CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD was unfortunately pretty disappointing. It’s a lumbering hodgepodge of MCU plot devices of Christmas past that collapses under the strain of its reshoots. It’s not a total wash, but Anthony Mackie in particular deserved better."
Check out some more below.
#CaptainAmericaBraveNewWorld finds the MCU back in fine form with a Winter Soldier-y thriller redolent of Manchurian Candidate & Parallax View. Mackie’s future as the new Cap shines incredibly bright! Bonus: you get to hear Harrison Ford say “Adamantium.” pic.twitter.com/grIM4x6N2kFebruary 12, 2025
CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD seems to only exist to wrap up loose ends to The Incredible Hulk and Eternals. And in doing so the plot is about as convoluted and dull as that all sounds. This should have been called Captain America: Loose Ends #CaptainAmericaBraveNewWorldFebruary 12, 2025
#CaptainAmericaBraveNewWorld made me feel like I was watching the MCU again—and that’s a good thing. Gritty, intense, and packed with Winter Soldier vibes. It’s not without its flaws—feels a bit disjointed at times—but Anthony Mackie owns the shield, and Red Hulk is a beast.… pic.twitter.com/jyzeKRVa4ZFebruary 12, 2025
Captain America 4 sees Anthony Mackie fully take on the superhero mantle for the first time after Steve Rogers gave him the shield in Avengers: Endgame. The movie sees Sam Wilson caught in the center of an international incident after Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford) is elected as the president of the United States.
Based on the trailers so far, it seems pretty likely this is going to be linked to the introduction of Adamantium to the MCU. As well as Ford and Mackie, the movie also stars Danny Ramirez as the new Falcon, Giancarlo Esposito as Sidewinder, and brings back Tim Blake Nelson as The Leader.
Speaking to 12DOVE, Mackie said he was "excited as hell" to finally be playing Captain America on the big screen. "You have to think about how much work and how much time went into this," he explained. "They told me I was gonna be Captain America five years ago. So I've just been biding my time waiting for this moment. But the excitement of it comes with the idea of, Marvel gave me the best cast, they gave me the best script, they gave me the best crew, they gave me the best director to make the best movie we could make. And I'm just really proud of it."
Captain America: Brave New World arrives in theaters on February 14. For more on the MCU, check out our guides to all the upcoming Marvel movies and shows on the way as well as our guide to watching the Marvel movies in order.
