Light spoilers for Marvel’s Captain America: Brave New World lie ahead.
The highly anticipated Captain America: Brave New World finally arrived in theaters this weekend and, as you’d expect, fans are flocking to their local cinemas to catch a screening. I was able to see the Anthony Mackie-led film myself and, for the most part, I enjoyed it. However, director Julius Onah’s flick isn’t perfect and specifically highlights one issue I’ve had with recent Marvel Cinematic Universe productions. On that note, I’m hoping the problem is handled ahead of the forthcoming Avengers: Doomsday.
What Was My Biggest Issue With The Latest Captain America Film?
Brave New World sees Sam Wilson embarking on a mission to clear Isaiah Bradley’s name, after the seasoned super soldier was framed in an incident involving the President of the United States (Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross). There are some solid story beats, including the actual shooting at the White House, Sam and Joaquin Torres’ (Falcon’s) infiltration of Camp Echo One as well as the final fight between Wilson and the hulked out Ross.
What I took issue with, however, was the screenplay. There are a number of good ideas to be found in this 2025 movie schedule release, but the narrative sometimes feels scattershot. At times, it feels as though the film jumps from one plot thread to another without any true rhyme or reason. In general, some of the transitions between Sam and Joaquin’s journey and President Ross’ briefings and meetings with diplomats felt jarring here and there.
Another sticking point regarding the script is the actual dialogue, which can feel a little too cheesy in some spots. One example is Sam’s fight with the Serpent Society enforcer who, at one point, muses that he wants to add the star on Sam’s suit to his collection. Ross’ explanation of adamantium, specifically how it compares to the strength of vibranium, also doesn’t feel that smooth.
Captain America 4 isn’t the only MCU production that’s had a less-than-stellar script in recent years either. When it comes to feature films, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Thor: Love and Thunder and The Marvels also suffered from such issues. The TV side of this franchise is no different, as Secret Invasion and Echo are amongst the titles that could’ve been tightened up a bit more on varying levels.
How Can Marvel Make A Change Before Other Major MCU Titles Drop?
Fans surely know, at this point, that when it comes to the schedule of upcoming Marvel movies, Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars are approaching in 2026 and 2027, respectively. Those films do have a seasoned writer in Stephen McFeely, who’s co-written some major MCU installments like Captain America: The Winter Soldier as well as Infinity War and Endgame. He certainly understands this universe, but one would hope that he’s given an ample amount of time to truly polish the script.
When it comes to filmmaking, it’s certainly not uncommon for films to go through multiple drafts, and that’s been the case when it comes to Marvel Studios productions as well. So I’m hopeful that Stephen McFeely – who joined these films after ex-writers Jeff Loveness and Michael Waldron were dropped – has had time to let these scripts marinate. That would be a viable approach not only for these next two films involving Earth’s Mightiest Heroes but other flicks as well. (I’m also thinking about Tom Holland’s fourth Spider-Man film.)
Don’t get me wrong, there have still been some solid MCU flicks and shows amid the Multiverse Saga. One would just hope that Marvel lets the scripts cook a bit more, via a few additional passes, before entering production on a project. In the meantime, check out Captain America: Brave New World in theaters. Also, stream past films in the franchise using a Disney+ subscription.
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