We’re nearing the end of Phase Five of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and audience burnout is strong. Phase Five hasn’t been the financial juggernaut for Disney that the previous phases of the MCU have been and there have been as many hits in this phase as there have been misses. ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA failed to breakeven but GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3 was a hit. THE MARVELS was a huge bust while DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE was a box office bonanza. We now have CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD featuring Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), who was formerly Falcon, stepping into the role that was held by Steve Rogers (Chris Evans). The futures of both the world and MCU couldn’t be more at risk.

Former US Army general Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford, replacing William Hurt who died in 2022) has just become president and he announces that he now wants to work with Captain America even though they have a rocky past. Ross is trying to cobble together a global agreement on the stewardship of some Celestial real estate that landed in the Indian Ocean. It turns out that this piece of rock contains adamantium, an element that is “even more indestructible than vibranium”. Wait a second. Isn’t “indestructible” an absolute? How can something be even more indestructible than something else? Okay, let’s move on. It seems that a canister containing some of that adamantium has fallen into the hands of the Serpent Society, which is headed up by Seth Voelker aka Sidewinder (Giancarlo Esposito, ABIGAIL; TV’s BREAKING BAD and BETTER CALL SAUL). Cap and his new Falcon sidekick, Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez, TOP GUN: MAVERICK) retrieve the canister but all hell breaks loose at a White House event meant to celebrate the signing of the global pact. It seems that someone is nefariously controlling the minds of certain people around the president. Ross, meanwhile, is having is own health issues and is popping mysterious pills like they’re candy to keep his blood pressure in check.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD isn’t going to set any box office records for MCU. It’s not a terrible movie but it’s not a brilliant movie either. It’s safely right in the middle. In fact, everything about this film is safe. If it’s meant to introduce audiences to Sam Wilson as Captain America, assuming they haven’t already watched the TV miniseries, THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER, then it does just that. But this is the big problem with the MCU these days. Unless you watch every MCU film and every MCU TV series, you’re left wondering who half these characters are. Case in point is Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly, TV’s ALIAS), who appeared in three episodes of THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER. Of course, it’s quickly mentioned who he is and what his connection is to Cap but the depth of their relationship is lost on people like me who don’t watch every MCU TV series.

What CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD will do, however, is piss off all the MAGA folks. Marvel has decidedly leaned into diversity and inclusion with this film. Aside from Cap being African-American, Falcon is Latino, Ross’ Secret Service agent Leila Taylor (Xosha Roquemore, TV’s THE MINDY PROJECT) is also African-American and former Black Widow Ruth Bat-Seraph (Shira Haas, MARY MAGDALENE) is Israeli. Gasp! It’s like America is suddenly multi-racial and multi-ethnic.

Thankfully, CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD doesn’t overstay its welcome and its running time comes in at just under two hours. Like the 34 other MCU films that came before it, this one also teases a few plot developments to come including the return of the multiverse (ugh!) and, I assume, the return of evil cellular biologist Samuel Sterns (Tim Blake Nelson, THE INCREDIBLE HULK), whose grudge against Ross seems to know no bounds.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD opens around the world today (February 13th). While it’s anything but brave, it’s not MADAME WEB.

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