Summary
Captain America: Brave New Worldwill be the next blockbuster to come out of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it could provide one important thing for the franchise that was lost afterSecret Invasion’srelease.
The fourthCaptain Americafilm will be the first time Anthony Mackie’s character officially holds the moniker left by Steve Rogers.The Falcon and the Winter Soldierexplored Sam Wilson’s journey to pick up Captain America’s shield and ended with the character establishing himself as a new version of the idealized superhero. Wilson’s Captain America has the advantage of Rogers’ shield in combination with his vibranium wings, making him a force to be reckoned with on land and in the air. However,Captain America: Brave New Worldsets up a problem that Sam will need more than just his fighting skills to solve, leaning into a tone that the priorCaptain Americafilms excelled at.
The Captain America Movies Set A High Bar For MCU Thrillers
Captain Americawas one of the first MCU movies ever released. It introduced wartime hero Steve Rogers and was, for the most part, a war film, but it also established the origins of Hydra, the subversive terrorist organization that went on to cause so many troubles in the MCU. It wasCaptain America: The Winter Soldierthat really set a precedent for theCaptain Americamovies’ espionage tone, following Steve Rogers’ fight touncover the Hydra conspiracyinvolving his best friend, Bucky Barned (aka the Winter Soldier). The film was a perfect blend of superhero action and high-stakes conspiracy thriller, which set a high bar for the genre moving forward in the MCU.
In many ways,Captain America: Civil Warcontinued this tone and story, by introducing the controversial Sokovia Accords which divided the Avengers team members by their individual morals and ethics. The movie also hinged much of its plot in that political and conspiracy tone, with Captain America forced toreckon with Thaddeus Rossand the government’s demands of the team, whilst also dealing with a Hyrda insurgent, Helmut Zemo, who was intent on activating the Winter Soldier for his gain. TheCaptain Americamovies established the MCU’s take on espionage, which is something many were expecting to see continue inSecret Invasion.
Secret Invasion Was Marvel’s Next Big Spy Thriller
When teasers forSecret Invasionfirst debuted, many were hooked by the twisty espionage tone it presented.Secret Invasionoffered the MCUa chance to introduce an even more elevated spy-thriller to the franchise. The series focused on Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury, the ex-director of SHIELD, as he was sucked into an unseen war with a faction of radicalized Skrulls who were intent on making Earth their home.
Given their shapeshifting powers, this meant no one inSecret Invasioncould truly be trusted and provided the perfect opportunity for the MCU to capitalize on that environment of paranoia. The Disney+ series’ stakes were high with much of the action taking place in the political sphere, with global ramifications, and it dipped into more mature territory as it explored terrorism and torture. It also did away with a lot of the more fantastical superhero action, putting the focus on its street-level heroes whose only powers are their intelligence. Unfortunately,Secret Invasiondidn’t quite deliveron what it promised.
What Was Secret Invasion’s Mistake?
Secret Invasionhad all the ingredients to continue the tone set-up in theCaptain Americafilms, and perhaps even push it into even darker territory. While the series provided some of this, it ended up wasting the potential of its premise. It was full of wasted character deaths, dull action,rushed pacing, and twists with no stakes. But perhaps its greatest mistake was being too much of a superhero series.
Secret Invasioncould have been a corner of the MCU that provided clever twists, fueled by intriguing character motivations, set in a high-stakes espionage world. But by the end of the series, it had traded this in for an uninteresting superhero plot involving makingEmilia Clarke’s G’iahthe most overpowered hero in the MCU. It felt likeSecret Invasionwas just there to set up the idea of Super Skrulls and found the least interesting way to get there. It was an unfortunate waste of a great comic book arc, butCaptain America: Brave New Worldmight be able to reaffirm that the MCU can still do spy thrillers.
The most recent trailer forCaptain America: Brave New Worldwas reminiscent of the previousCaptain Americafilms, setting up a tale of political intrigue and global stakes amid a suspenseful espionage tone. While the trailer features its share of blockbuster action, it also sets up a conspiracy that means Sam Wilson will need to use his smarts as much as his brawn. Moments in the trailer allude toCaptain America: Brave New World’splotdealing with a new terrorist organization and a sense of paranoia as Sam searches for the mole in President Thaddeus Ross’ political sphere.“you may’t trust anyone,”Joaquin Torres says at one point in the trailer. In another moment a mysterious voice says “Captain America, you have to ask yourself: who is playing who?” This paranoid game of cat-and-mouse was also inherent toSecret Invasion’splot, butCaptain America 4now has the chance to fully deliver on that concept and tone.
Captain America, you have to ask yourself: who is playing who?
Captain America: Brave New World Could Fall Into The Same Trap
While everything shown forCaptain America: Brave New Worldso far seems to suggest it will deliver that high-stakes political thriller Marvel fans have been wanting, it does run the risk of falling into the same trap asSecret Invasion. Another publicized element of the new Marvel movie is that it will involve Harrison Ford’s Thaddeus Rosstransforming into the Red Hulk. It’s still unclear howCaptain America: Brave New Worldintends to use Red Hulk, and whether the character will be a hero or a villain in the story.
The inclusion of Red Hulk could become a problem simply because the character is the most exaggerated superhero element in an otherwise grounded plot. The movie is also set to bring backTim Blake Nelson as the Leader, who may introduce another superhuman element to the story. Given these super-powered foes, there is potential forCaptain America: Brave New Worldto fall into the same final act problems asSecret Invasion, which relied on a bombastic CGI fight to raise the stakes. However, as long as the movie finds grounded ways to incorporate these characters into its political plot, there are still ways for them to elevate the film’s story rather than diminish its stakes.
Captain America: Brave New Worldwill be released in theaters on July 21, 2025.
Captain America: Brave New World
Captain America: Brave New World (formerly titledNew World Order)marks Sam Wilson’s first MCU big-screen appearance as Steve Rogers' successor after receiving the suit and shield in Phase 4’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Anthony Mackie returns as the titular Avenger alongside Danny Ramirez as Joaquin Torres, Carl Lumby as Isaiah Bradley, and Tim Blake Nelson as The Incredible Hulk’s former ally Samuel Sterns. Harrison Ford makes his MCU debut replacing the late William Hurt as Thaddeus Ross.
