Like most people, I consumed my fair share of Marvel entertainment as a child. Although I was never a comic book reader, I have fond memories of spending evenings watching Avengers movies and TV shows. So, I figured watching Captain America: Brave New World, the latest installment in the Captain America franchise, would be an entertaining and nostalgic way to spend an afternoon.
This film follows the new Captain America (Anthony Mackie) and Falcon (Danny Ramirez) as they uncover a sinister plot to assassinate fictional U.S. President Ross. In the process, they try to rescue their trainer, Isaiah, who has been falsely imprisoned after being brainwashed into carrying out the assassination attempt.
Despite the film’s high-stakes premise, most scenes and visuals are unremarkable and forgettable. I have yet to discover how the movie adds substance to the Marvel universe except for setting viewers up for the future movies.
For example, Betty, the president’s daughter, seems to serve little purpose. She only appears in a single scene toward the end, missing an opportunity for the film to explore her strained father-daughter relationship in a way that could have added emotional depth.
That said, Captain America: Brave New World does present important themes that echo modern day politics. The story revolves around President Ross’s attempt to form an international treaty to prevent conflict over the exploitation of adamantium, a precious metal in the Marvel universe. However, a war between the U.S. and Japan nearly breaks out due to miscommunication and impulsive decisions.
This hits too close to home as the threat of resource wars in the real world continues to grow in face of climate change, and the president’s trigger-happy and irrational military commands are reminiscent of fascist world leaders and dictators. In the film’s climax, the president transforms into a raging, crimson beast and literally destroys the White House — an unsubtle metaphor for the erosion of democracy under an inept head of government.
Additionally, Captain America and Falcon are sent to Mexico by the president to recover stolen adamantium from the Serpent Society. Captain America successfully retrieves the stolen metal from the leader in what appears to be small-scale military operation on foreign soil. Given the current global tensions around borders and sovereignty, the scene raises questions about whether his mission violates international law.
None of these political themes were too surprising, as the original Captain America was first created in the 1940s, a time in history when Nazis and Japanese imperialists were a major threat to the U.S. In the very first comic, he is clad in red, white and blue and strikes Hitler in the face — Captain America is in every way a product, if not the very symbol of American political culture.
Ultimately, Brave New World may satisfy casual viewers looking for escapist action. Those who enjoy analyzing pop culture will find plenty of striking parallels to real-world events. But for diehard Marvel fans, this entry in the Captain America saga may feel disappointingly lackluster.
