Captain America: Brave New World hit theaters over the holiday weekend. The film stars Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson, the new Captain America. Wilson faces off against a newly elected president who turns into a giant red monster in a fit of rage.
The president, known for his anger issues and strong opinions against superheroes, goes on a destructive rampage through Washington, D.C. Wilson and his allies represent diverse experiences and perspectives. However, this is more a passing detail than a central theme in the film. Despite its global stakes, the central conflict is about individual wrongs and revenge rather than anything systemic.
The film arrives at a time when empathy for those we disagree with is a radical idea. America has become increasingly polarized, with some treating the humanity of underrepresented communities as just another topic to debate. Though many MCU installments have avoided making overtly political statements, Disney+’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier directly addressed systemic issues, including racism and other inequities.
Brave New World’s missed opportunity
The series engaged with themes such as America’s complicated legacy and what Captain America represents. More broadly, the MCU moved toward more diverse representation through films like Black Panther, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and Ms.
Marvel was itself a political statement. But Brave New World is ultimately a political thriller that shies away from politics. President Thaddeus Ross, played by Harrison Ford, is less a villain than a sympathetic character.
Perhaps it’s unfair to expect Brave New World to bear more weight than the three Captain America films that preceded it. Rogers was mainly pitted against Nazis and politics itself, which are much less complicated foes. But at a time when right-wing voices have been emboldened to speak out against diversity and inclusion, Wilson’s ascension to Captain America was bound to spark backlash.
Because of its cast and the groundwork laid by Wilson’s journey to becoming Captain America, Brave New World was a chance for the MCU to take a firmer stance. As The Falcon and the Winter Soldier made clear, the idea of Captain America is inherently political, making Brave New World feel like a step backward, even as the franchise continues to evolve.
