‘Captain America: Brave New World’ Is Now on Streaming

Captain America has arrived at a brave new world: Streaming on Disney+.

As a passionate film enthusiast, I’m thrilled to share that the latest Captain America installment, titled “Captain America: Brave New World,” is now streaming! This film marks Anthony Mackie’s debut as Captain America, and we see Sam Wilson squarely in the sights of the new U.S. President, Thunderbolt Ross, portrayed by Harrison Ford. Ross has a proposition for Cap – to work under his command and form a new team of Avengers functioning as an arm of the American government. However, history has taught us that even the most meticulously planned schemes of Red Hulks and men can sometimes go awry…

In my view, Mackie does an outstanding job as Captain America, and Ford seems to be enjoying himself immensely as Ross/Red Hulk. He truly gives his all. However, I found Brave New World to be less impressive compared to other Marvel Cinematic Universe productions, as expressed in my review from February…

Trying to find an apt term for Captain America: Brave New World, I keep circling back to ‘inconsistent’. The hand-to-hand combat scenes are impressively superior compared to most Marvel films, but the green screen backgrounds and visual effects can be quite rough, even by Marvel standards. Characters from other MCU franchises appear without proper introduction or context, while at times the dialogue is overly expository and heavy-handed, reminiscent of a punch to the face by Red Hulk. Good moments are often followed by questionable ones, if not two in quick succession.

As a Marvel fanatic, I’ve found that Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World” has carved out a significant role in the expansive Marvel Cinematic Universe. Notably, it was subtly referenced throughout the latest blockbuster, “Thunderbolts”. The intriguing cliffhanger at the end of that movie hints at its growing importance for the highly anticipated “Avengers: Doomsday”. So, if you want to stay in the loop with the upcoming Marvel movies, it might be wise to catch up on

Captain America: Brave New World is now streaming on Disney+.

Sign up for Disney+ here.

The Worst Performances in Marvel Movies

Zawe Ashton, The Marvels

It’s only fair to acknowledge that Zawe Ashton might have faced challenges in adding depth to a character like Dar-Benn, a vindictive alien ruler who believes Captain Marvel is responsible for the annihilation of her home planet. Essentially, she embodies bitterness and wields a powerful cosmic bracelet. Despite the shallow and formulaic nature of Dar-Benn’s motivations in the film, Ashton didn’t introduce any fresh dimensions to a character type we’ve frequently encountered in Marvel films before.

Gemma Chan, Eternals

In the romantic saga of Gemma Chan’s Sersi and Richard Madden’s Ikaris within “Eternals”, one would expect a deep emotional connection. However, despite Ikaris’ extraordinary energy abilities, there seems to be no chemistry between them, even in their highly anticipated love scene. This underwhelming portrayal of intimacy was a significant talking point for Marvel Studios and, unfortunately, one of the most uninspiring sexual representations in recent mainstream films. [I’m struggling to find an explanation, but perhaps because the Eternals are cosmic entities and may be unfamiliar with romantic interactions? This is my best guess.] The word “lifeless” might encapsulate the overall feel of “Eternals”, and it’s unfortunate that this sentiment extends to both leading performances.

Russell Crowe, Thor: Love and Thunder

Just as tales of the powerful Norse deity Thor have been passed down for centuries, stories about Russell Crowe’s eccentric accent in portraying Zeus in this film may become legends in the future. People might find it hard to believe, but they will certainly talk about it. It is said that Crowe was determined to use a broad Greek accent for Zeus, while director Taika Waititi wasn’t keen on the idea initially. To ensure there were no issues, Crowe recorded his scenes twice: once with the quirky Greek voice and once with a more standard British accent. In an interview, Waititi mentioned that the test audiences adored the Greek accent and was “very pleased” with the final outcome. I suppose opinions differ; personally, I found Crowe’s portrayal of Zeus’s accent to be so over-the-top that it made the “Cheezborger! Cheezborger!” characters from the classic Saturday Night Live sketch seem subtler in comparison.

Christopher Eccleston, Thor: The Dark World

One major factor contributing to the widespread perception of “Thor: The Dark World” as one of the weaker films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is the absence of a captivating antagonist. In this installment, Thor’s adversary is Malekith, a Dark Elf who seeks an Infinity Stone. However, if you found “Thor: The Dark World” tedious to watch, you might be surprised to know that making it was even more of a struggle. The actor who portrayed Malekith, Christopher Eccleston, has publicly expressed his disdain for the entire production, likening it to placing a gun in his mouth. In an interview with “The Guardian,” Eccleston himself stated, “I truly paid for my whoredom during those times.” The audience also shared this sentiment.

Richard Madden, Eternals

In “The Eternals”, it appears that Ikaris, the team’s bravest and most determined hero, is actually working against his fellow Eternals to bring about the birth of a Celestial on Earth, which would ultimately lead to the destruction of all life. Despite being a well-worn trope, the character of the secret villain can still be made compelling with strong acting – but Richard Madden’s portrayal of Ikaris is as lifeless as a wooden block that shoots lasers. (It should be noted that the Eternals are highly advanced alien robots, so perhaps this was an intentional choice that didn’t quite work out?)

In just a few scenes, Ikaris attempts to stop his teammates, kills one of them in a flashback, then decides to help them, only to ultimately sacrifice himself by flying into the sun. Throughout all these moments, Madden’s expression remains unchanged, and it’s worth noting that he lacks any on-screen chemistry with Gemma Chan. No spoiler alert is needed for this observation, as it can be clearly seen in the film.

Guy Pearce, Iron Man 3

Critics and Marvel enthusiasts were displeased when writer/director Shane Black transformed the character who seemed to be the MCU’s Mandarin – Iron Man’s classic comic book nemesis – into a laughable figure, portrayed as a struggling actor playing a stereotyped Middle Eastern terrorist. I found this unexpected twist intriguing; why not mislead the audience by providing them with something they least anticipate? The main issue was that the “real” Mandarin, played by Guy Pearce, was exactly what we’d expect from an Iron Man villain in the previous films: A money-hungry businessman seeking revenge on Tony Stark for thwarting his schemes. Moreover, instead of one of the comics’ intriguing Mandarin designs, they made Pearce’s Mandarin a muscular man in dress pants with hideous chest tattoos. Despite Pearce being one of my favorite actors, it appears that the poor tattoo design reflects his own dissatisfaction with the role.

Bill Murray, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

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> Curious question: Isn’t it plausible that Bill Murray has never watched a Marvel movie in his entire life? The way he acted in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania was just so incredibly out of sync with the rest of the film. To be precise, who is he supposed to represent? His character is called Krylar and is said to be an influential inhabitant of the quantum realm. However, Murray portrayed him as a strange eccentric and flirt. After a short period on screen, his character disappeared from the movie entirely, leaving one to ponder if additional scenes with Krylar were removed because they were deemed superfluous, or if Murray simply failed to grasp the role requirements. In either case, it seems unlikely that we’ll see Krylar reappear in Ant-Man 4: Yes, but this time he shrinks really small.

Will Poulter, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

In the ensemble of characters for “Guardians Vol. 3”, the character generating the most buzz prior to release – when considering hype and media coverage – is Adam Warlock, skillfully played by Will Poulter. Known for his exceptional performances, fans anticipated that Warlock, a significant figure in Marvel’s comics who significantly influenced the original “Infinity Gauntlet” series, would finally receive the limelight he deserved. However, the MCU’s portrayal of Warlock fell short of expectations, as he was merely a secondary character in “Guardians Vol. 3”, often serving as a punchline and, unfortunately, not delivering many laughs due to his somewhat unclear portrayal by Poulter.

Mickey Rourke, Iron Man 2

Mickey Rourke capitalized on his career resurgence (and an Oscar nomination) in “The Wrestler” by accepting the high-profile role of Iron Man 2 villain Whiplash. However, the intricate psychological depth and profound melancholy that he embodied as Randy the Ram were completely absent when Rourke appeared as Whiplash. This character was known for his exaggerated Russian accent, numerous eccentricities, and a fondness for birds – traits which contrasted sharply with the subdued performance Rourke delivered. Despite Whiplash’s supposed hatred for Tony Stark’s father due to allegedly stealing the original arc reactor concept, Rourke portrayed his quest for revenge with as much emotional intensity as someone waking from a long nap.

Sylvester Stallone, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

During his time with Marvel, James Gunn directed some exceptional performances across the MCU, including both human and raccoon actors. However, on occasion, secondary or tertiary characters in the Guardians films seemed like they were added as extras without much purpose. For instance, the movie Guardians Vol. 2 introduced another team of Guardians, which included Sylvester Stallone as Starhawk. One may wonder what Rocky Balboa was doing in space and how he contributed to the film. Similar to Bill Murray’s appearance in Quantumania, Stallone’s presence amidst a cosmic adventure felt more like a distraction than anything else. The adage “less is more” comes to mind when considering this cameo, as it seemed that adding more characters detracted from the overall impact of the film.

2025-05-28 22:55