Marvel is back in theatres with the latest installment in its Marvel Cinematic Universe, and a new chapter for Captain America and the Avengers overall. With a February release, and rumored re-writes and re-shoots, questions loomed on what the new film would bring to the table. First a quick synopsis and trailer.

After meeting with newly elected U.S. President Thaddeus Ross, Sam finds himself in the middle of an international incident. He must discover the reason behind a nefarious global plot before the true mastermind has the entire world seeing red.

Review

Anthony Mackie is back as Sam and Captain America is answering to the government now, specifically, someone we know from one of the earliest films in the MCU, Thaddeus Ross, played by Harrison Ford. You may remember that name from The Hulk. Captain America: Brave New World brings with it a star-studded lineup that would lead you to believe we would get another high-end Captain America film or even a good Avengers-style film. However, the film’s rumored reshoots may have been more than just rumor.

The story itself is fairly straightforward, with subplots of a mastermind in the background and a lack of trust in those in the inner circle but nothing rises to the level of superhero worthy to make you feel like the film has any real impact on the broader scale of things in the MCU. Throughout the film, you could tell there were deep cuts into the comic universe and sub-stories of new characters they wanted to tell but didn’t (or couldn’t). The result is the vast majority of the secondary characters are not much to think about after the film.

If we take the film out of the broader MCU for a moment and focus on it as a stand-alone action-packed superhero film, it’s average at best. None of the actors are to blame here, but the writing was mixed. The humor was muted. The action was quick and over. The reveals were, mostly unsurprising, with the exception of one (at least for me). Cameos aside, any connection to the larger MCU was thrown in like a freebie versus any real push to keep people interested in wanting more.

I wanted to like it more, but in the end, it’s mostly forgettable. It seems when Marvel slates a film for February, it sends it out to pasture. Don’t forget to stay until the very end of the credits for arguably the weakest post-credit scene of a Marvel film. Captain America: Brave New World hits theatres on February 14th.

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