Captain America: Brave New World

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Captain America: Brave New World
An illustrated collage of the film's characters.
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Julius Onah
Produced by <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
Screenplay by <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
Story by <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
  • Rob Edwards
  • Malcolm Spellman
  • Dalan Musson
Based on Marvel Comics
Starring
Music by Laura Karpman
Cinematography Kramer Morgenthau
Edited by <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
Production
company
Distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Release dates
<templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
  • February 11, 2025 (2025-02-11) (TCL Chinese Theatre)
  • February 14, 2025 (2025-02-14) (United States)
Running time
118 minutes[1]
Country United States
Language English
Budget $180 million[2]

Captain America: Brave New World is a 2025 American superhero film based on Marvel Comics featuring the character Sam Wilson / Captain America. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is the fourth installment in the Captain America film series, a continuation of the television miniseries The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021), and the 35th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The film is directed by Julius Onah from a screenplay by Rob Edwards and the writing teams of Malcolm Spellman & Dalan Musson and Onah & Peter Glanz. It stars Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson / Captain America alongside Danny Ramirez, Shira Haas, Carl Lumbly, Xosha Roquemore, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson, Giancarlo Esposito, Liv Tyler, Tim Blake Nelson, and Harrison Ford. In the film, Wilson finds himself at the center of an international incident.

Captain America: Civil War (2016) ended the Captain America trilogy starring Chris Evans as Steve Rogers, and Wilson becomes the new Captain America in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Series writers Spellman and Musson were writing a new Captain America film by April 2021. Mackie signed on in August, Onah joined in July 2022, and the title Captain America: New World Order was announced later that month. Additional cast members joined later in 2022. Nelson returned from the second MCU film, The Incredible Hulk (2008), and Ford replaced William Hurt as Thaddeus Ross following Hurt's death. Ross becomes the president of the United States and the superpowered Red Hulk in the film. Filming took place from March to June 2023 at Trilith Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, with additional filming in Washington, D.C. The subtitle was changed to Brave New World during filming. Matthew Orton joined in December 2023 to write for reshoots, which took place between May and November 2024. The involvement of Edwards and Glanz was revealed in December.

Captain America: Brave New World premiered on February 11, 2025, at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles, California, and will be released in the United States on February 14, as part of Phase Five of the MCU. It has received mixed reviews from critics.

Plot

Sam Wilson and Joaquin Torres successfully intercept an illegal sale of adamantium in Mexico. As a reward, Wilson introduces Torres to Isaiah Bradley. At the same time, Wilson receives a call from President-elect Thaddeus Ross inviting him to the White House, bringing along Torres and Bradley. At the White House, Ross talks Wilson in to his plan of reforming the Avengers, as well as picking the new Captain America as the face of the adamantium treaty. While addressing the international leaders, Bradley and four other men attack Ross. Bradley is arrested and Wilson is fired.

Wilson and Torres investigate a hidden site and discover Samuel Sterns and his laboratory. The duo also find out Sterns was behind the attacks on the president, after Ross reneges his promise to release Sterns. Agent Ruth Bat-Seraph's investigation also leads her to the site. After the trio escape from the laboratory, Wilson is taken into custody.

At Celestial Island on the Indian Ocean, Wilson and Torres stop two rogue pilots from attacking the Japanese fleet to prevent a war between Japan and the U.S. Although successful, Torres is injured. Dunphy discovers the Ross's pills contains Gamma radiation, but is unable to inform Wilson after being intercepted and murdered by Sterns.

At the White House, Sterns exposes Ross to the public, causing the president to change into the Red Hulk. Wilson lures Ross to the cherry blossom field in Washington in an attempt to use the president's memories with his daughter Betty to stop his rampage. Using the kinetic energy stored in his Vibranium wings, Wilson knocks down Ross. An injured Wilson then reasons with Ross, allowing the president to revert to his normal self.

Following the incident, Bradley is exonerated while Ross has himself incarcerated at the Raft, where Wilson and Betty pay him a visit.

In a post-credit scene, Sterns warn Wilson of an incoming attack from another world.

Cast

  • Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson / Captain America:
    An Avenger and former pararescueman who was trained by the military in aerial combat using a specially-designed wing pack.[3] Producer Nate Moore said Wilson's Captain America is an underdog similar to Rocky Balboa from the Rocky film series, because he does not have the abilities or allies of the previous Captain America, Steve Rogers. He has to earn the mantle after claiming it without support.[4] Director Julius Onah said the film would show Wilson "stepping up to be the leader as Captain America".[5] Mackie said Wilson would not be a judgmental Captain America and has a different understanding of good and evil.[6] He likened his performance to the Tupac Shakur song "Hit 'Em Up" (1996).[7] Since Wilson is not a super soldier like Rogers, he uses Captain America's shield and his wingsuit—both made from the fictional metal vibranium—to "level the playing field" in fights.[8] To prepare for the film's action sequences, Mackie focused on yoga and Pilates routines to improve his flexibility and core strength.[9]
  • Danny Ramirez as Joaquin Torres / Falcon:
    A first lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force who takes on Wilson's former mantle of Falcon, using a similar wing pack.[10][11] Mackie said Wilson and Torres have an equal friendship, compared to Wilson's admiration of Rogers and dislike of Bucky Barnes in previous MCU projects.[12] Mackie gave Ramirez advice on wearing the Falcon costume.[13]
  • Shira Haas as Ruth Bat-Seraph:
    An Israeli former Black Widow and high-ranking U.S. government official who is a close ally of President Thaddeus Ross.[14][15] Moore said the character's perspective on Ross puts her on a collision course with Wilson, and Onah described her as a "great part of the tapestry" of the film's paranoid thriller story.[16]
  • Carl Lumbly as Isaiah Bradley:
    An African-American Korean War veteran and super soldier who was imprisoned and experimented on for 30 years.[10] In the film, his mind becomes controlled when triggered by certain music.[12]
  • Xosha Roquemore as Leila Taylor: A Secret Service agent working under President Ross.[17][18][better source needed]
  • Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson as Copperhead: A brute member of the Serpent Society working under Sidewinder.[19][additional citation needed]
  • Giancarlo Esposito as Seth Voelker / Sidewinder:
    A scientist who is the leader of the Serpent Society.[20][21] Esposito described Voelker as an intelligent "badass". He said the physicality of the role differentiated Voelker from his Breaking Bad character Gus Fring, who is also an intelligent antagonist,[21] and he was excited to show his physicality on screen. Esposito does not wear a comics-accurate, snake-themed costume in the film, but wanted to include some references to the comic book costume by including some of the colors from the comics version in his film costume. Esposito's eyes were also changed to be blue to match the comic version of Voelker.[22]
  • Liv Tyler as Betty Ross: A cellular biologist and Thaddeus Ross's daughter. Tyler reprises her role from The Incredible Hulk (2008).[23]
  • Tim Blake Nelson as Samuel Sterns / Leader:
    A cellular biologist who was accidentally cross-contaminated with the blood of Bruce Banner / Hulk during the events of The Incredible Hulk, gaining superhuman intelligence.[10][24] The character's inclusion was one of the reasons Onah was interested in the film, feeling that someone who operates from intellect would be a good adversary for Wilson.[24] Nelson was satisfied with what the writers conceived for what Sterns had been doing since The Incredible Hulk.[25] He said portraying Sterns's pathos and rage required him to "grow up" as an actor.[26] The Leader has a more comic-accurate look in the film compared to his introduction in The Incredible Hulk,[27] which was achieved largely through practical effects. Nelson had requested this and was excited to have the character's "deformation" visible on set for himself and the other actors to experience.[26]
  • Harrison Ford as Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross / Red Hulk:
    The newly-elected president of the United States who wants to work with Captain America.[28][12][29] Ross, who was previously a U.S. Army general and then the U.S. Secretary of State in the MCU,[30][31] transforms into Red Hulk in the film;[32] Ford portrays Red Hulk through motion capture.[33] Moore said there would be "natural sparks" between Wilson and Ross due to the events of the film Captain America: Civil War (2016),[34] but producer Kevin Feige said their dynamic is changed now that they are Captain America and president, respectively.[30] Marvel Studios was excited for Ross to become Red Hulk considering the character's history of hunting for Bruce Banner / Hulk, with Moore stating: "Turning a guy who hunted Hulks into a Hulk himself makes him more than an antagonist; it makes him a tragic character."[8] Ford replaces William Hurt, who portrayed Ross in the MCU from 2008 to 2021 before his death in March 2022.[31] Before his death, Marvel Studios informed Hurt of their plans to have Ross become Red Hulk and he had been eager to portray that aspect of the character.[8]

William Mark McCullough appears as Dennis Dunphy, a U.S. military commander who is an ally to Wilson, while Takehiro Hira appears as Japanese prime minister Ozaki.[35][better source needed] Sebastian Stan also reprises his MCU role as Bucky Barnes in a cameo.[36]

Production

Development

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Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige said in October 2015 that Captain America: Civil War (2016) was the conclusion of the Captain America trilogy starring Chris Evans as Steve Rogers / Captain America, after Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) and Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014).[37] Civil War was Evans's last contracted standalone Captain America film,[38] but he was open to extending his contract beyond the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) crossover films Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019).[39] In January 2021, Evans was reportedly close to signing a deal to return as Rogers in at least one project. Evans's involvement was said to be similar to how fellow MCU star Robert Downey Jr. had supporting roles as Tony Stark / Iron Man in other MCU films following the Iron Man trilogy.[40] Evans said the report was "news to [him]".[41]

File:Anthony Mackie by Gage Skidmore 2.jpg
Anthony Mackie at the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con announcing the series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, in which his character Sam Wilson accepts the mantle of Captain America; this film is a continuation of the series starring Mackie

By October 2018, Marvel Studios was developing a limited series for Disney+ starring Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson / Falcon and Sebastian Stan's Bucky Barnes / Winter Soldier from the MCU films. Malcolm Spellman was hired as head writer of the series,[42][43] which was officially announced as The Falcon and the Winter Soldier in April 2019.[44] After Rogers bequeaths his shield and the mantle of Captain America to Wilson in Endgame,[45] the series shows Wilson accepting the mantle and coming to terms with the implications of that as a Black man. Before the series premiered, Mackie said there had been no discussions regarding a second season and he was not sure when he would next appear in an MCU film because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[46] Series director Kari Skogland was also unsure whether there would be a second season, saying she told the story she wanted to with the first season but there were more stories and characters to explore if a second was made.[47] Executive producer Nate Moore said the series had "evergreen" topics that lent themselves to further exploration and set up ideas for a potential second season.[48] Feige said there were ideas for what "another one" could be, but Marvel intended for the series to lead into an MCU film first as they did with fellow Disney+ miniseries WandaVision (2021).[49]

After the series finale of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, "One World, One People", was released in April 2021, Spellman and series writer Dalan Musson were revealed to be writing a fourth Captain America film that continues Wilson's story.[50] Evans's reported return as Rogers was expected to come in a different project.[51] Mackie said he was unaware of any plans for a film or second season, but he was excited to see what happened next and said it would be monumental for him to headline an MCU film, particularly as a Black actor.[52][53] Mackie negotiated a deal to star in the film over the next few months,[54] and officially signed on in August.[3] He later said he had been excited to make a second season of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier with Stan and their co-star Daniel Brühl—who portrays Helmut Zemo—and was disappointed by the pivot to starring in a film without them.[55]

Pre-production

Julius Onah was hired to direct the film in July 2022.[56][57] Mackie said it would feature a new story and new characters rather than be a direct continuation of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,[12] and Onah said Wilson would no longer be conflicted about being Captain America: "That question has been resolved. Sam is our Captain America now."[58] At San Diego Comic-Con later in July, the film's title was revealed to be Captain America: New World Order, and it was given a release date of May 3, 2024, making it part of Phase Five of the MCU.[59] The subtitle, which is also the name of the first episode of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,[60] was noted for its use in politics, professional wrestling, and various conspiracy theories along with antisemitic rhetoric,[61][62][63] and was deemed to be a controversial choice.[62] Several cast members were announced at the D23 Expo in September: Danny Ramirez as Joaquin Torres / Falcon and Carl Lumbly as Isaiah Bradley, both reprising their roles from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier; Tim Blake Nelson as Samuel Sterns / Leader, returning from the second MCU film, The Incredible Hulk (2008); and Israeli actress Shira Haas as the comic book character Sabra.[10] Nelson was glad to return after years of disappointment over a sequel to The Incredible Hulk not being produced.[64] Onah described New World Order as a paranoid thriller,[10] and said filming would begin in early 2023.[5]

The announcement that Sabra, an Israeli superheroine, would be adapted for the film led to criticisms from some people who believed this would lead to negative stereotypical portrayals of Palestinians and Arabs; in the comics, Sabra is a member of the Mossad and some of the Arab characters she interacts with were perceived to be misogynistic, antisemitic, and violent.[65] The name "Sabra" also has different meanings to Israeli Jews and Palestinians.[15][66][67] The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel criticized the use of the character and called the comic book version's "valorization of Mossad" and perceived racism against Palestinians "sickening".[15] Yousef Munayyer, a Palestinian-American writer and analyst, felt the character could not have a positive role in the film based on her depiction in the comics and said turning Israeli spies into heroes was "insensitive and disgraceful". In response, Marvel Studios said the film was taking a new approach to the character, just as other comics characters had been re-imagined for modern audiences when brought into the MCU.[65] This led to concerns from some other groups that Marvel was "erasing" the character's Israeli background, which the American Jewish Committee (AJC) compared to "making Captain America Canadian".[14] In the film, the character is a former Black Widow and high-ranking U.S. government official named Ruth Bat-Seraph. The name Sabra is not used, nor is she a mutant or Mossad agent, but the character is depicted as a first-generation Israeli, has an Israeli accent, and Moore said she has the "attitude" and the "essence" of the comics character. He reiterated that the character's backstory was not changed in response to public concerns, and explained that using the Black Widow program to adapt characters who Marvel Studios "didn't want to translate as one-to-one" from the comics was a general idea that came up during the making of the film Black Widow (2021).[16] The character's inclusion prompted some calls to boycott the film, in part due to the Israel–Hamas war; some supporters of Israel took issue with the character having allegiance to the U.S. government, while some who opposed Israel protested the film's use of the character due to her depiction in the comics.[15] With confirmation that the character would still be depicted as Israeli in the film, the AJC and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) both praised the decision.[14]

File:Harrison Ford 2017 crop.jpg
Harrison Ford plays new U.S. president Thaddeus Ross in the film, replacing William Hurt who portrayed Ross in the MCU until his death in March 2022.

In October 2022, Moore was revealed to be producing New World Order alongside Feige.[68][34] Harrison Ford was cast as Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross that month, replacing William Hurt who portrayed the character in the MCU until his death in March 2022. Ford was reported to be appearing as Ross in this film as well as the following MCU film Thunderbolts* (2025).[31][69] Marvel Studios considered changing course with Ross's role in the film's story following Hurt's death, believing no actor would want to take over from Hurt.[8] During that time, Ford reached out to Feige about possibly joining the MCU and agreed to take on the role without seeing a script.[8][70] Ford saw playing Ross as an opportunity to honor what Hurt had done with the character and also continue with a character arc that he had enjoyed from the previous films. In the film, Ross becomes the president of the United States and eventually finds himself at odds with Wilson amidst a global conspiracy. Moore drew comparisons to the 2017 comic book storyline Secret Empire. He noted that Wilson wears a costume featuring the colors of the American flag while facing off with the president, and said the film's story was about "the notion of a guy who believes an ideal, realizing that ideal is not always held up to the same standards by other people, and feeling really betrayed by where the American government [has] gone."[8] Onah drew comparisons to Ford's film Clear and Present Danger (1994), which features a similar conspiracy involving the president. He wanted to feature themes of bringing people together and focusing on shared experiences, believing these were central to Captain America and Sam Wilson's character, which he thought had "political resonance" but was more about humanity than politics. Marvel Studios was supportive of this, despite Feige joking about Onah trying to "save America" with the film.[58] Also discussing parallels with real-world politics, Ford said similarities between Ross and any real presidents were coincidental and his focus was on the character's own history, personality, and circumstances.[71]

From Onah's first conversations about the film, the Serpent Society—a group of snake-themed villains in the comics—was planned to be included. This paid off a joke Marvel made years earlier when announcing the third Captain America film as Captain America: Serpent Society, before revealing its true subtitle to be Civil War. Moore acknowledged that the team can come across as "goofy", but he considered them to be part of Captain America's "all-time Hall of Fame villain groups" and the creatives wanted to treat them seriously. Moore compared the film's version, described as a "violent special-ops team", to the more grounded version of the comic book character Batroc the Leaper that is introduced in The Winter Soldier portrayed by Georges St-Pierre.[22]

Pre-production work at Trilith Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, began on November 7 ahead of a planned filming start in March 2023.[72] Gersha Phillips was the costume designer,[73] and Ramsey Avery was the production designer after working on the MCU films Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) and Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017).[74] Xosha Roquemore joined the cast in January 2023.[17] Mackie expected to begin work on March 1.[75] His Captain America costume was redesigned from the one seen in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which was based on the mostly-white costume that Wilson is known for wearing as Captain America in the comics. The new costume for Brave New World is mostly dark blue, with red and white accents, closer to the costumes Evans wore in The Winter Soldier and other films.[76] The cowl that Mackie wore for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was removed at his request, as he struggled with "the heat, the sweat, the fogged-up glasses" and said it was his "worst nightmare".[77] Ryan Meinerding, Marvel Studios' head of visual development, worked on the costume.[78] In March, Washington, D.C.'s Office of Cable Television, Film, Music and Entertainment said Marvel Studios would be filming in the city that June.[79]

Filming

Principal photography began on March 21, 2023, at Trilith Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, under the working title Rochelle Rochelle.[72][80] Kramer Morgenthau served as cinematographer.[81] Onah wanted the film's action to be "grounded and tactile" and give Wilson things to do that were not seen in his previous appearances.[5] Avery reiterated that their intent was for the film to be more grounded in reality than recent MCU films had been.[82] Liv Tyler joined the cast by the end of March 2023, reprising her role of Betty Ross from The Incredible Hulk.[23] At that time, Julia Louis-Dreyfus was expected to reprise her MCU role as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine in the film.[83] The start of the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike in May 2023 was not expected to impact production of the film, with Marvel Studios reportedly planning to shoot what they could during principal photography and make any necessary writing adjustments during the film's already scheduled reshoots.[84] Later in May, set photos revealed that Seth Rollins was part of the cast and led to speculation that he was portraying a member of the Serpent Society.[85]

In June, Marvel Studios announced the new title Captain America: Brave New World.[86] Jeremy Mathai at /Film praised the change, saying it "strikes a far more optimistic perspective [than New World Order], doubling as a commentary on the future of the famous superhero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and as a statement on some very overdue representation".[62] The change was also deemed to be a wise decision by Collider's Hilary Remley, who noted that the original title could have been interpreted as having antisemitic connotations.[63] Moore explained that Marvel Studios felt New World Order was "really interesting, and sort of moody and scary" for a subtitle and was not intended to represent real-world issues. The studio decided to change the title after receiving feedback about how the phrase "New World Order" had been "co-opted in the real world in a way that made people uncomfortable".[71] At the time of the new subtitle's announcement, Onah was revealed to have co-written the script with Spellman.[86] The film's release date was soon delayed to July 26, 2024.[87]

File:Washington monument and cherry blossoms - Washington DC - 2014-04-10 (13772901163).jpg
Location filming took place in Washington, D.C., and the city's cherry blossom trees are seen throughout the film.

Filming moved to Washington, D.C., by the end of June.[88] The cherry blossom trees that are planted around the city are featured throughout the film,[58] including during Wilson's fight with Ross at the end of the film after the latter transforms into Red Hulk.[89][8] Onah said he had vivid memories of the cherry blossoms from the time he lived near D.C. in Arlington, Virginia, as a child, and to him they aligned with the film's themes of empathy since they were gifts to the U.S. from Japan.[58] Mackie said filming in D.C. brought his MCU experience "full circle", with the production staying at the same hotel and filming in the same areas as they did for his first MCU film, The Winter Soldier.[90] Filming for Brave New World wrapped on June 30.[91]

Post-production

By October 2023, there was potential for Brave New World to return to its May 2024 release date because it was further along in production than Marvel Studios' Deadpool & Wolverine (2024), which had taken over that date. However, this was considered unlikely,[92] and Brave New World's release was instead delayed to February 14, 2025, following the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike's conclusion in November 2023.[93] Journalist Jeff Sneider reported that the film was not received well in an early test screening, that three major sequences were being cut, and that extensive reshoots were planned from January 2024 until that May or June.[94] In December, Matthew Orton was hired to write additional material for the reshoots,[95] which were then scheduled to last from early-to-mid-2024. Orton previously worked on the Marvel Studios miniseries Moon Knight (2022). The same day, Rosa Salazar was revealed to have been cast in the film.[95]

Mark Ruffalo stated in February 2024 that he was reprising his MCU role as Bruce Banner / Hulk in the film.[96] Adam B. Vary of Variety soon reported that Ruffalo was not appearing in the film, explaining that the actor had been asked about the film and had misspoken when expressing enthusiasm about it. Vary noted that there had been ongoing speculation about Ruffalo's potential role in the film due to the number of characters from The Incredible Hulk already set to appear, along with Ross's transformation into Red Hulk.[96][97][32] In April, Feige and Mackie described the film as a "grounded action thriller" with no aliens, more similar in tone to The Winter Soldier than some recent MCU films.[12][29] Mackie added that viewers did not need to have seen The Incredible Hulk to watch the film, saying Brave New World was a "reset" of the MCU that establishes new themes and antagonists for the universe moving forward.[12]

Giancarlo Esposito revealed in May 2024 that he had been cast in an MCU role and would be appearing "sooner rather than later",[98] with his character being teased in a film before a bigger role in an MCU television series.[99] He was confirmed to be appearing in Brave New World at the end of the month as part of the reshoots, which began at that time in Atlanta and were scheduled to last for 22 days. These were expected to be less extensive than the reshoots for the MCU films Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) and The Marvels (2023), focusing on new action sequences and integrating Esposito.[100] Brave New World was also expected to be much less expensive than The Marvels, which cost more than $300 million;[100][101] the budget for Brave New World was reported to be $180 million.[2] In early June, Nelson returned to Atlanta for reshoots,[25] which he described as redoing much of his original work.[64] Mackie characterized the reshoots as just adding a few additional scenes to enhance the film and said there was no "retooling or remaking".[71] Moore said the reshoots were focused on creating the "perfect political thriller tone", and the casting of Esposito was part of this. He believed the actor made the film more grounded despite his "heightened" material, similar to his role in the television series The Mandalorian (2019–2023).[16] Ford, Salazar, and Takehiro Hira also participated in the reshoots.[102][103] In July, the remains of Tiamut—the Celestial whose emergence on Earth was halted by the Eternals in the MCU film Eternals (2021)—were revealed to be a focus of the film's story,[104][105] allowing the introduction of the fictional metal adamantium to the MCU.[106] Moore said Marvel Studios had been waiting to address Tiamut's remains in a story that could make the "best use" of them.[16] Also in July, Esposito announced that he was portraying Seth Voelker / Sidewinder, leader of the Serpent Society,[20] and said he would return for additional reshoots in mid-November.[107]

In December 2024, Marvel credited the story to Spellman, Musson, and Rob Edwards while Onah, Peter Glanz, and Orton received screenplay credit. Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson was revealed to be part of the cast,[108] and Salazar was reported to be portraying Diamondback,[109] a member of the Serpent Society. This confirmed speculation that she was playing the character based on her appearance in set photos.[102] Rollins stated in January 2025 that he would no longer be appearing in the film following the rewrites and reshoots.[110] Onah confirmed that Rollins was cast as a member of the Serpent Society, and explained that he was replaced with Esposito's character during reshoots. Onah felt Esposito's inclusion was a "no-brainer" once he became available, and thought the actor brought the right level of gravitas to the film and the Serpent Society team.[111] He said Esposito's role in the film was "great setup" for further appearances of the Serpent Society in the MCU.[22] The film's final writing credits were also revealed in January: Edwards received screenplay credit alongside the writing teams of Spellman & Musson and Onah & Glanz, with the story credited to Edwards, Spellman, and Musson. Additional off-screen literary material was attributed to Michael Kastelein, Jeph Loeb, Orton, and Zeb Wells.[112]

Matthew Schmidt and Madeleine Gavin worked as editors on the film, with the former previously working on The Winter Soldier and Civil War.[113][108][better source needed] Alessandro Ongaro was the visual effects supervisor, with visual effects provided by Wētā FX, Digital Domain, Luma Pictures, Barnstorm VFX, UPP, OPSIS, and Outpost VFX.[114] Wētā FX designed Red Hulk with Meinerding. Wētā visual effects supervisor Dan Cox said they explored various design aspects from the comic books and did not want the character to just look like a color-swapped version of the Hulk. They hoped to make him more intimidating than the Hulk, with a more upright, athletic posture. Onah wanted the character to feel more tactical and methodical due to Ross's military background, and referenced a bear for poses where the character is on all fours. Ford's facial features were incorporated into the design based on scans of his face. The climactic confrontation between Red Hulk and Captain America in Washington, D.C. has more than 300 visual effects shots.[8]

Music

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Laura Karpman was announced as the composer for the film in August 2024. Karpman previously composed the music for the MCU series What If...? (2021–2024) and Ms. Marvel (2022), and the film The Marvels.[115][116] The soundtrack album was released digitally by Hollywood Records and Marvel Music on February 12, 2025.[117]

Marketing

Feige and Mackie revealed the first footage from the film, focusing on Wilson meeting with Thaddeus Ross, at CinemaCon in April 2024.[12] The following month, McDonald's began selling Happy Meals with toys based on characters from the film, including Red Hulk and Diamondback. Stephanie Kaloi at TheWrap noted that these characters had not been confirmed for the film by Marvel at that time, and the early reveal was likely due to the film's release being delayed but the marketing partnership with McDonald's not being pushed back to match.[118] More footage from the film was shown at a CineEurope panel in June teasing Disney's theatrical slate.[119]

A teaser trailer was released in July which drew comparisons to The Winter Soldier's tone,[120][121][122] with Jennifer Ouellette of Ars Technica describing it as "half-superhero movie, half-political thriller".[123] The appearance of Red Hulk and the character's potential true identity were both widely discussed;[28][124][125][126] Adam Chitwood at TheWrap wondered if rumors of Thaddeus Ross becoming Red Hulk were a red herring.[121] The Verge's Charles Pulliam-Moore questioned if the film being a continuation of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier would be difficult for general audiences to follow.[122] Conversely, Sandy Schaefer and Chris Evangelista from /Film felt the film would not rely much on the series to have wider audience appeal. They called the trailer "pretty good" considering the film recently completed reshoots, noting that it largely contains action rather than plot details.[126] Commentators also noted the reveal that the remains of Tiamut would be featured in the film, after the Emergence had largely been ignored in MCU projects since Eternals.[127][104][128][129] Michael McWhertor at Polygon noted that the trailer shows the United States and other countries meeting at a Global Unity Summit to discuss the Celestial, with a stylized version of Tiamut's hand being used as a logo for the summit.[104] Later in July, Marvel released an updated version of the teaser for distribution in theaters that removed Isaiah Bradley's assassination attempt on Thaddeus Ross. This came following the attempted assassination of Donald Trump in Pennsylvania that month.[130]

Also in July 2024, Feige and members of the cast promoted the film at San Diego Comic-Con. More footage was shown, Esposito's role was announced, and Thaddeus Ross was confirmed to be the character who transforms into Red Hulk.[106] Similar footage was also shown at the 2024 D23 Expo.[131] Following online leaks of the San Diego Comic-Con and D23 footage, Marvel released an official look at Red Hulk within their video celebrating the company's 85th anniversary in August.[132] A full trailer for the film debuted at D23 Brasil in November and was also released online.[133] After the teases of Red Hulk in previously released footage, the trailer features Ross's transformation into Red Hulk and shots of the character fighting Wilson.[134][135] Several commentators noted the trailer's unique style, featuring "creepy black lines", split-screen shots, and a flickering text effect. Comparisons were drawn to political thriller films such as The Candidate (1972), The Day of the Jackal (1973), The Parallax View (1974), All the President's Men (1976), JFK (1991), and The Constant Gardener (2005).[136][137][138] Jordan King at Empire questioned whether Brave New World would live up to these comparisons, but said it was a promising sign that the film was "looking to place itself in conversation" with those previous films.[136]

Marvel Studios partnered with Tide's "Collateral Stains" promotional campaign to release a series of commercials for the film in January 2025. These feature Gregg Turkington reprising his role of Baskin-Robbins store manager Dale from the MCU films Ant-Man (2015) and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023).[139] For the three weeks leading up to the film's premiere, Disney was said to be making a "final and biggest marketing" push for it.[2]

At a press event in Italy at the end of January, Mackie said Captain America represented values like "honor, dignity and integrity" rather than America itself, and "Captain America represents a lot of different things, and I don't think the term 'America' should be one of those representations".[140] He received backlash from some online commentors who labeled the film and his opinions "anti-American" and woke and later added, "I'm a proud American and taking on the shield of a hero like Cap is the honor of a lifetime... Cap has universal characteristics that people all over the world can relate to." James Hibberd of The Hollywood Reporter said Evans made similar statements when playing the character and the actors were likely directed by Marvel to focus on Captain America's "universal qualities" to avoid any jingoistic connotations while promoting internationally. Hibberd also discussed the film's other controversies—similarities between Thaddeus Ross and the newly re-elected President Donald Trump, the original New World Order subtitle, opposing views on the inclusion and portrayal of Ruth Bat-Seraph, and "ugly" criticisms related to Mackie being Black—but said these did not appear to have impacted the film's box office performance based on early projections.[141] Coinciding with the film's release in February, concept art by Meinderding of the film's Captain America costume and design for Red Hulk were used as variant covers for Marvel Comics' Sam Wilson, Captain America #2 and Red Hulk #1.[78]

Release

Captain America: Brave New World had its world premiere at the TCL Chinese Theatre on February 11, 2025.[142] It will be released in the United States on February 14,[93] in IMAX.[143] It was previously scheduled for May 3, 2024,[86] and then July 26, 2024,[87] before it was pushed to the February 2025 release date following the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike.[93] It will be part of Phase Five of the MCU.[59]

Reception

Box office projection

Tracking service Quorum reported early box office estimates for the film in mid-January 2025, projecting that it would earn $86 to $95 million during its opening weekend and more than $100 million across the four-day weekend from Valentine's Day to Presidents' Day. This would be similar to The Winter Soldier's $95 million opening weekend.[144] Further tracking, reported later in January, similarly indicated an opening of at least $90 million.[2]

Critical response

The film received mixed reviews from critics.[145] On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 52% of 122 critics gave Brave New World a positive review and an average rating of 5.6/10.[146] According to Metacritic, the film received "mixed or average" reviews based on a weighted average score of 43 out of 100 from 41 critics.[147]

The political subject matter was a subject of critical commentary. The Hollywood Reporter invoked that the scene where Ross transformed into Red Hulk and caused havoc across Washington DC seemed like a fantasy of real-world US president Donald Trump;[148] IndieWire wrote in agreement with the MAGA parallel between Ross and Trump both being tired old men elevated to office based on the promise of dealing with an "alien" threat.[149] The Independent said that while Ross / Red Hulk could be interpreted as a Trump pastiche, this was ultimately unlikely as the film refused to establish a political stance, with subplots regarding politics remaining underused.[150] Rolling Stone joked that Ross was "somehow still only the second-most destructive, rage-filled commander in chief to ever hold office",[151] and Entertainment Weekly writer Maureen Lee Lenker joked that "the most unbelievable part is a U.S. president with empathy, a sense of responsibility for his actions, and a capacity for change".[152] The New York Times wrote that "the only wisps of tangible political intrigue to be found" were either unintended, or from allusions to previous subject matter in Falcon and the Winter Soldier.[153]

The characterization and narrative were sharply criticized. Screen Rant said that the only purpose of Sam's suit switch from white to blue was to sell more toys, pointing this out as an example of the film featuring elements without "flare" nor concern for furthering its story or characters;[154] The New York Times likewise wrote that it amounted to the genre of the "action-figure commercial".[153] Vulture wrote that the film marked Marvel's turn into a "giant slop machine", opining that the film's bid to create sincerity came off as phony and that the jokes to cut this up were "lame",[155] while The Hollywood Reporter agreed that humor was "in severely short supply" and that Mackie's "reliable" charisma was lacking.[148] TheWrap wrote that the film was unoriginal and without emotional depth, even in the "few" moments where Wilson made an emotional connection to the film, as these moments only "rehashed" the plot of Falcon and the Winter Soldier "briefly" and without impact.[156] RogerEbert.com wrote that Wilson was turned into the Magical Negro, and that "in an effort to soothe white America's anger and hurt, it also asks its hero to grin and figuratively tap dance off screen".[157] Collider said the dialogue was among the worst present in the whole of the MCU, and criticized the boringness of Wilson, Sidewinder, and Bat-Seraph, though praised Ford's empathy. They pointed out the non-cohesive nature of the film, mentioning the reshoots the film underwent as resulting in this.[158] In agreement on the topic of Ford, Entertainment Weekly said Ford was the main attraction, lauding his gravitas and "twinkle in his eye and a merry warmth".[152] The Independent called the character development "an afterthought", feeling Mackie had "little to play with" emotionally, and criticized his relegation to "a functional, blandly heroic punching machine" despite his acting talent.[150]

Critics were polarized on the visuals. According to The New York Post, the White House fight scene had "so cheap and cheesy" animation that it was unable to be taken seriously, and that the reveal of the Leader caused a "hearty guffaw" because of the poor makeup and prosthetics.[159] Collider wrote that the CGI in the film was worse than The Incredible Hulk (2008), released nearly two decades earlier, and concluded it was unconvincing.[158] Vulture wrote that the "VFX-heavy sequences are so lifeless and tiresome that I felt my eyes drifting closed a couple of times".[155] RogerEbert.com and Screen Rant both praised the VFX on Red Hulk, though Screen Rant felt the cherry blossoms were "a green screen mess".[157][154] The New York Times wrote that the visuals were "garish" and "slapdash".[153]

Future

In January 2025, Mackie said he wanted to continue portraying Wilson for around 10 years. He was hopeful about making another Captain America film after his roles in the next two Avengers films, Avengers: Doomsday (2026) and Avengers: Secret Wars (2027).[160]

References

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External links

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