WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD
Among all of the Marvel Cinematic Universe films centered on a specific character, Captain America's films were the ones that really stood out to me, especially Winter Soldier and Civil War, since these films had that spy-thriller or conspiracy-esque vibe that really forces viewers to analyze the narrative as if they were part of S.H.I.E.L.D or the CIA.
But it's not only the general tone of these films that impressed me as the overall action sequences were breathtaking to watch, from the time when Captain America, Black Widow, and the Falcon challenged the Helicarriers, or that iconic airport battle scene featuring Spider-Man and Ant-Man, there were no shortage of jaw-dropping moments.
And with Steve Rogers retiring in the MCU, and with a new Captain America film centered on Sam Wilson, the big question remains: Is Brave New World a worthy successor?
Nostalgia strikes
It seems the recent entries in the MCU have focused heavily on nostalgia as seen from Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield's appearance in Spider-Man: No Way Home, or the cameos in Deadpool and Wolverine, and once again they strike back in Brave New World.
So who are the targets of the latest entry? Marvel Studios decided to reintroduce one of the most forgotten films in the MCU, 2008's The Incredible Hulk.
In my opinion, it was a great move for the Studios to venture into this path as the film had a lot of loose ends. What exactly happened to Samuel Sterns? How about Hulk's ex-girlfriend Betty Ross? Will the Abomination come back? (Ok the last one was already addressed in other MCU titles.)
In addition, the most casual Marvel fans would oftentimes overlook this film as part of the MCU especially since the main actor, Edward Norton, was replaced by Mark Ruffalo in succeeding appearances.
So when Brave New World decided to resurrect the characters from the 2008 film, I was really excited to see how they would fit the narrative.
And initially they didn't disappoint as we see Sterns evolve into a major threat in the film especially against General or President 'Thuderbolt' Ross. No longer was he one of the forgotten villains in the MCU as it was refreshing to see him resurfaced.
However...
But there were gaping holes that really pulled him down as a villain, as it can be argued that Sterns' character was inconsistent.
In the film, Sterns has officially adopted his comic book counterpart as 'The Leader,' one of the most renowned villains in Hulk's rogue's gallery.
Like in the comics, Sterns became radiated with gamma which gifted him extreme levels of intellect and this should elevate his status right?
His overall plan of destroying Ross' reputation as the President of the United States was a brilliant plot point especially when analyzing how he capitalized on Ross' personal struggles, while also seeking for revenge against his tormentor.
But there were moments that really made me question the execution of his plan. For instance, if he was really a genius tactician and if he could predict the probabilities of events, like that time when he already knew that the new Captain America and Falcon would enter his lab, why didn't he devise a plan to use his mind control tactics on them especially knowing that a simple flash from a phone can trigger these effects?
Imagine the bigger picture, The Leader manipulates Captain America to do evil deeds, which will tarnish Ross' reputation, and this would also destroy the legacy and prestige of Steve Rogers, making Sterns the ultimate mastermind.
Or alternatively, given Stern's scientific breakthroughs, which involved him experimenting on Ross to become the Red Hulk, why can't he just let him transform into the monster and attack the world leaders?
In the end, the final product made 'The Leader' into one of the weakest villains in the MCU as he couldn't capitalize on his abilities to the fullest.
And because of these problems, the film wasn't able to live up to the top notch spy-thriller narrative of the previous installments.
Should fans watch Falcon and Winter Soldier?
Moving on from the massive plothole, another reflection from fans would stem from the film's connection to the MCU's TV series, specifically Falcon and Winter Soldier.
They'll be notable references from this series, like the reasons as to why Sam Wilson took over the mantle, plus there were characters like Isaiah Bradley and Joaquin Torres who made their appearance.
Given their presence, are fans required to watch these shows? Nope since first time viewers can connect the dots in the narrative, however it can be argued that the experience could be different if fans were able to track back from the series.
In Falcon and Winter Soldier, Wilson had a massive dilemma on donning the Captain America persona and this was even explored further in the film. At the same time, the series gave us a deeper introspection on Isaiah Bradley, which could add a more layers to the film's emotional context.
But even if fans ended up watching the series, another problem arises. Since the film touches upon Wilson's morals on the Captain America persona, the plot simply rehashes the same themes from the series, marking a lack of ingenuity.
CONCLUSION
The first Captain America film without Steve Rodgers had its ups and downs, and I wouldn't put it at the same bar with the likes of Winter Soldier and Civil War, two films that really made me 'marvel' at the super soldier.
The callback to the MCU's Incredible Hulk, as well as the acting from Harrison Ford, were the film's biggest strength, but there was no denying that the film's flaws weighed heavily.
Despite moments that highlighted the typical MCU humor and the references to other Marvel titles, it wasn't enough to really elevate the film, and this somewhat worries me as Marvel may have once again fallen into the same trap that has recently plagued them.
Have they really lost their Midas touch? Is Deadpool's 'Marvel Jesus' persona the only saving grace?
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