Summary
Marvel Studios has successfully created multiple superhero franchises within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but there’s one franchise that has possibly been the most successful:Captain America. Despite not being a household name whenCaptain America: The First Avengerwas released, the MCU helped to turn the character into one of the biggest superheros in the world following the success ofCaptain America: The Winter Soldier. Now, the studio is hoping to recreate that success withCaptain America: Brave New Worldstarring Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson in the titular role.
The new film follows the release of the Disney+ series,The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which debuted to mixed reviews. The series was met with plenty of behind-the-scenes drama thanks to COVID, and now the forthcoming film looks likely to repeat most of the same mistakes as the series. If Marvel Studios hopes to find success withCaptain America: Brave New World, the studio is going to need to pull from its most popularCaptain Americafilms.
Captain America 4’s Production Woes
Like withThe Falcon and the Winter Soldier,Captain America: Brave New Worldhasn’t been without its issues. The film, which entered production before the writers strike last year, had successfully finished production before the strikes caused Hollywood to shut down. However, it’s been rumored that Marvel Studios hasn’t been thrilled with the movie and that it needed to undergo massive reshoots -which are now officially underway. Even worse for the film is that, with its release date being pushed back, the original promotion schedule for the movie couldn’t be pushed. This led to McDonald’s inadvertently spoiling the movie byrevealing Red Hulkand one of the film’s other villains aspart of the toys for its Happy Mealslast month. A hit the film didn’t need.
While the movie is undergoing reshoots, whichshould hopefully get the film back on track, early reactions to the film were said to be less than positive. With the writer ofThe Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Malcolm Spellman,on board as the head writer, fans and critics are already skeptical, as the show’s story was viewed as overstuffed and uneven. However, in December 2023, it was revealed that Marvel Studios had hired writer Michael Orton to work on the reshoots. Orton, of course, worked with Marvel Studios on the Disney+ series,Moon Knight, and has also penned the television series,Devil’s Peak. With Orton on board to help tweak the film’s reshoots, one can hope that the film will benefit from a new pair of eyes.
Captain America 4 Has the Potential to be Great
If Marvel Studios’Captain America: Brave New Worlddoes anything, it needs to take inspiration from two of Marvel Studios' strongest movies:Captain America: The Winter SoldierandCaptain America: Civil War. The former of which is still hailed as one of the best comic book adaptations to date, both for its standout action scenes and strong plot. While the latter managed to handle a massive cast, while never forgetting it wasn’t anAvengersfilm despite the appearance of other heroes. Both films focused on the titular hero, delving deep into the character, while also focusing on crafting well-thought-out action scenes that help strengthen the story overall. As it stands,Captain America: Brave New Worldis set to introduce a slew of new characters, as well asbring back some old faces, which could lead to an overstuffed mess that forgets to focus on the hero at hand. Spellman had plenty of excellent ideas in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, but they weren’t necessarily executed properly in the series.
With Mackie taking over the shield, it’s important to ensure the forthcoming film does an important job of establishing Sam’s future as one of the leaders of the MCU. His turn as Captain America is an important one, one that should be celebrated. Should the movie follow the likes ofThe Winter SoldierandCivil War,Brave New Worldcould easily become one of Marvel Studios' best films. If Marvel Studios could help to recognize the issues fromThe Falcon and the Winter Soldier, it’s more likely the film will be a success. But it ultimately comes down to the movie’s action scenes, which were often criticized in the Disney+ series, and the ability to ensure the story’s strong enough to stand on its own.
In the end, Marvel Studios’Captain America: Brave New Worldhas the potential to be a success. However, the film’s success hinges on its ability to right the wrongs ofThe Falcon and the Winter Soldier. With the reshoots,Brave New Worldcould easily draw inspiration from bothThe Winter SoldierandCivil War, assuming Orton and Marvel Studios realize what is necessary to help the film find its footing. Here’s to hoping the film manages tosecure positive reactionsonce reshoots are completed. Until then, fans can rewatch the first threeCaptain Americafilms on Disney+ now.
Captain America: Brave New Worldwill hit theaters on May 23, 2025.
