In 2019, director Martin Scorsese declared: “I don’t think [Marvel movies are] cinema.” While at the time the statement amassed both accordance and controversy (Marvel was, after all, about to release the world’s second highest grossing film of all time: Avengers: Endgame [2018]), its most revealing aspect is perhaps when the comment was said — over five years on, with Julius Onah’s Captain America : Brave New World, the studio fails to bring its movies anywhere near the status they once enjoyed.
The film centres on Sam (previously known as Falcon), who has taken up the mantle (and shield) of the previous Captain America, Steve Rogers, following the time-bending, cataclysmic and cosmic events of Endgame. But rather than going for galactic or multiversal proportions, Captain America 4 is happy to ground itself here on Earth, right now.
Imagine a world like ours. Narcissistic presidents. Global conflicts. CIA meddling. Only, throw in a couple of superheroes and strangely coloured CGI men, and you have Brave New World.
What is stranger to me: in all the years of Superhero flick backlash and fatigue, Marvel seems not to have learned a thing. A familiar character like Sam is distant and forgettable. New ones like Joaquin Torres spring from absolutely nowhere. The narrative appears transposed over from little bits of all the previous Captain America films and strangely enough (given its fan status as a flop) The Incredible Hulk (2008). The result is an MCU mishmash of what could, as perhaps (once) did, work.
Save some glimpses of vision from cinematographer, Kramer Morgenthau, and an enthusiastic performance from Harrison Ford as President Ross, Captain America: Brave New World proves a tired old Marvel movie.
“Harrison Ford” by Gage Skidmore is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.