10 Harsh Truths Revealed Rewatching Captain America: Brave New World on Disney+

Brave New World” has contributed to a pattern in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) that has faced criticism, with the issue being that each highly-rated MCU film is often followed by another that receives mediocre reviews at best. This trend, unfortunately, extends to the Multiverse Saga as a whole.

While it’s not accurate to say that “Captain America: Brave New World” is a poor film, it has received praise from critics and fans alike for Anthony Mackie’s standout performance, thrilling action sequences, and Harrison Ford’s captivating debut in the MCU. Despite earning $413 million at the global box office, the movie has now become available on Disney’s streaming service, giving fans a chance to scrutinize it more closely nearly four months after its theatrical release, revealing some less favorable aspects that may have gone unnoticed initially.

10. Thunderbolts*’ New Avengers Team Undermines Sam Wilson’s Avengers

A New Team Of Avengers Have Formed Before Sam Could Form His

One significant theme running throughout the movie “Captain America: Brave New World” revolved around Sam’s hesitation about reassembling the Avengers. This reluctance stemmed from his doubts regarding government control, a standpoint he had persistently held since the events of “Captain America: Civil War”. However, at the end of “Captain America: Brave New World”, we see him recruiting Joaquin Torres’ Falcon, indicating that the world requires the Avengers following his encounter with Red Hulk. Interestingly, Sam appears to be creating this team without direct government involvement, generating anticipation about who else might join his squad.

New Avengers Members Main Powers
Yelena Belova/Black Widow Super Assassin
Bucky Barnes/White Wolf/Winter Soldier Super Soldier
Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian Super Soldier
John Walker/US Agent Super Soldier
Ava Starr/Ghost Quantum phasing
Bob Reynolds/Sentry
  • Super strength
  • Super speed
  • Invulnerability
  • Flight
  • Heat vision
  • Telekinesis

In the span of mere months following “Captain America: Brave New World,” Thunderbolts* unleashed chaos, disrupting my initial strategies. The finale of Thunderbolts* struck a familiar chord, as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine publicly introduced the New Avengers to the world – a team consisting of the Thunderbolts themselves and Bob Reynolds, whose Sentry and Void personas were being suppressed. With the New Avengers garnering official government support, they’re now being promoted as the primary team occupying the old Avengers Tower. This turn of events has left me simmering, as I find myself embroiled in a lawsuit against the New Avengers over their title.

9. Captain America Will Return… But Probably Not Until December 2026

Anthony Mackie’s Only Confirmed Upcoming Appearance Is In Avengers: Doomsday

In “Captain America: Brave New World,” Sam Wilson was successfully crowned as the next Captain America, demonstrating that it’s not just the super soldier serum that defines the role but a deep-rooted moral compass and unwavering determination. This dynamic new hero has captivated many, earning them as Steve Rogers’ successor. As the new Captain America, fans are eagerly anticipating more of him, although it seems we have to wait a bit longer.

During a five-hour live stream in March, it was unveiled that Anthony Mackie is part of the cast for “Avengers: Doomsday”. This implies that Captain America will make a comeback, though not until the end of next year. The wait has been prolonged more recently, as the initial release date for “Avengers: Doomsday”, which was set for May 1st, has now been moved to December 18th, 2026.

8. There Wasn’t Enough Red Hulk & He May Not Appear Again

Red Hulk Appeared For Less Than Ten Minutes

Despite being widely anticipated due to promotions for “Captain America: Brave New World”, the Red Hulk’s screen time in the movie’s concluding act was brief but impactful. The climactic battle offered a thrilling display of Red Hulk’s skills, featuring the well-known thunderclap and his ability to ignite with heat. Added to this were Captain America’s clever tactics to neutralize such an immense danger, making the final battle a memorable aspect of “Captain America: Brave New World”.

Regrettably, Red Hulk’s screen presence was quite fleeting, spanning barely over ten minutes. His appearance ended with Sam managing to calm him down. Subsequently, Ross, filled with remorse, surrendered himself, preparing for an undisclosed term in the Raft prison. This implies that we may not see Red Hulk again anytime soon, or possibly not at all, unless there’s a breakout from the Raft.

7. Bruce Banner’s Absence Makes No Sense

Several Characters From His Past Star In The Movie

Essentially, in every meaningful sense, “Captain America: Brave New World” can be considered a follow-up to the 2008 film “The Incredible Hulk”. This is because two of the Hulk’s most notable and enduring adversaries, the Leader and Red Hulk, first appeared in “The Incredible Hulk”. Furthermore, the film “Captain America: Brave New World” acknowledges this connection, as Bruce Banner, a key character from “The Incredible Hulk”, is frequently mentioned. For instance, during an expository scene early in the movie, a news broadcaster refers to Betty Ross as “Bruce Banner’s ex-girlfriend”.

It seems likely that Bruce Banner would have appeared in the movie, perhaps during the intense finale fight with Red Hulk. Regrettably, despite numerous references and transformations of characters like Thunderbolt Ross and Samuel Sterns, there was no appearance by Bruce Banner. Given the brevity of the final battle with Red Hulk, it’s challenging to imagine that he didn’t contribute in some way to the battle against the two gamma-enhanced antagonists.

6. We May Never See Giancarlo Esposito In The MCU Again

Sidewinder Didn’t Make Much Of An Impact

In the film “Captain America: Brave New World,” my role was kept under wraps during the marketing, but theories suggesting I’d be playing the iconic Captain America adversary, Sidewinder, proved true. As the secondary villain, I brought a realistic touch to a character who typically possesses teleportation abilities. Initially causing trouble for Cap in the early stages of the movie, ultimately, Sam managed to eliminate my character from the equation. Later on, my character’s knowledge was utilized by Sam to aid in defeating The Leader.

Due to lower-than-expected box office earnings for “Captain America: Brave New World,” there’s uncertainty about whether Giancarlo Esposito will reappear in a future Marvel Cinematic Universe project. Despite the film’s director, Julius Onah, suggesting that the story was intentionally left open, the size and relatively unremarkable nature of Esposito’s role might exclude him from future MCU projects. This could be disappointing given Esposito’s acting abilities, but it appears he might end up among the MCU’s most underutilized actors.

5. There Was Plenty Of Other Reasons For Captain America To Rebuild The Avengers

Red Hulk Isn’t The First Big Threat Of The Multiverse Saga

In an initial sequence, prior to Isaiah Bradley’s mind-controlled assault on the President, Sam Wilson is requested by Thaddeus Ross to reassemble the Avengers. However, Sam appears skeptical and even a bit taken aback at the suggestion that the world requires the Avengers at this moment. It isn’t until his confrontation with Red Hulk that Sam comes to realize the necessity of the Avengers, ultimately deciding to establish them on his own accord.

It’s puzzling why Sam didn’t realize this sooner, but here’s the thing: Even though Thanos was the most formidable adversary the universe had ever known, his defeat didn’t signal the end of all threats. The Avengers, who have been active far before Thanos even appeared on the scene, are still vital to our world’s safety. In fact, numerous dangers have arisen since then, such as the Skrull invasion and a potential rift in the multiverse over New York. This late response has created tension between Captain America and the New Avengers, with the latter essentially stepping into the void left by the original team.

4. SERPENT Should Have Had Superpowers

The Movie Wasn’t Completely Grounded

In the film “Captain America: Brave New World,” some of Captain America’s unusual adversaries from the comics were reimagined as the SERPENT, a group formerly known as the Serpent Society in Marvel Comics. Unlike the original Serpent Society, who possessed snake-related abilities, this version is portrayed as a straightforward mercenary organization, with Sidewinder at its helm. The initial part of the movie adopts a realistic tone, as the majority of the SERPENT members are depicted as nameless foot soldiers with no special powers or unique appearances.

Although Captain America: Brave New World generally managed to create the espionage-thriller atmosphere it intended, it’s challenging to overlook the Red Hulk in the picture. While Captain America: The Winter Soldier dealt with topics such as super soldiers, mind control, and Arnim Zola’s digitized consciousness, Captain America: Brave New World struggled to make a believable storyline involving a massive, enraged red monster, a gamma-enhanced superintelligence, and a Celestial emerging from the ocean seem plausible. Given the already fantastical nature of the Multiverse Saga, endowing the Serpent Society with powers might not have been an excessive step.

3. Isaiah Bradley Deserves Better

Isaiah Bradley Is Tragically Mistreated

In Captain America: Brave New World, Isaiah Bradley is chosen by Tim Blake Nelson’s character as a pawn in a sinister mind-control scheme, causing him to orchestrate an assassination attempt on President Ross. Consequently, his actions land him in prison and on the brink of execution, inflicting deep emotional scarring upon him. His character serves a crucial plot device and is a driving force behind the main character’s journey. Fortunately, when the truth about the attempted assassination was brought to light, Isaiah was exonerated from his charges.

In my humble opinion as a movie critic, the narrative arc of Isaiah within the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been marked by a series of heart-wrenching hardships. Despite his valiant efforts to carve out a tranquil existence, even refusing the allure of the White House invitation initially, his past mistreatment continues to haunt him. This time, he finds himself unjustly incarcerated for circumstances beyond his control. As we await news on whether Isaiah will reappear in the MCU, I firmly believe that if he does, he deserves a chance at redemption and a more compassionate treatment.

2. Ross’s Gamma Poisoning Is A Huge Plot Hole

Ingesting Gamma Isn’t Typically How Hulks Are Created

In my perspective as a movie reviewer, as the intricate plot unfolds, it becomes clear that Thunderbolt Ross struck a deal with Samuel Sterns to secure his freedom. In return, Sterns provided Ross with a pill meant to cure his heart condition. Little did Ross know, Sterns had laced the pill with gamma radiation, setting in motion a slow, insidious transformation over the years that would culminate in a career-shattering metamorphosis into the Red Hulk. This new form, while strikingly similar to the original Hulk, is distinguished by its red hue and heat generation.

In the storyline of “Captain America: Brave New World”, it’s explained that only gamma radiation was used in the pills. However, this idea doesn’t hold up under close examination when considering the rules set for Hulks in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). All other Hulk characters, including the leader, are transformed through exposure to Bruce Banner’s blood, while Bruce Banner himself was transformed by a combination of gamma radiation and the Super Soldier Serum. Essentially, Captain America: Brave New World seems to imply that consuming enough gamma radiation could transform an individual into a Hulk, which seems overly simplistic as a transformation process.

1. The Marketing Should Have Kept Red Hulk Secret

The Moment Would Have Had More Of An Impact

In the film “Captain America: Brave New World,” the Red Hulk served as the main attraction, a fact that was evident from the promotional materials. It wasn’t long before trailers and pictures revealed that Thunderbolt Ross would indeed become the Red Hulk in this movie, ending years of fan speculation about the transformation within the franchise. Given the grandeur associated with the Red Hulk and the significant power disparity between him and Captain America, this development seems fitting.

Despite this, it’s clear that the marketing had lessened the dramatic effect of the climactic scene. Watching Captain America: Brave New World, the earlier scenes lose some of their intensity due to the build-up around Red Hulk’s appearance. If Red Hulk had not been featured in the marketing and his role kept as secretive as the trailers for Captain America: Brave New World, rewatching that scene would have created a more powerful feeling of nostalgia, similar to the surprise of discovering Bucky Barnes was the Winter Soldier in Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

Read More

2025-06-02 04:21