Brave New World Are In, and All Over the Place

Anthony Mackie makes his standalone solo film debut with Sam Wilson taking up the mantle in Captain America: Brave New World and the consensus on this outing is in. Was Harrison Ford’s Red Hulk versus Cap everything it’s been built up to be? Are we ready for what the Serpent Society has in store? Here’s what critics and pop culture commentators had to say about the Marvel Studios picture, ahead of the film’s release this Valentine’s Day.

The answer is… well, decidedly mixed. Some people seem to be very much into the performances of Anthony Mackie and Harrison Ford as Sam Wilson and Thaddeus Ross, respectively, but a lot of people seem to think that Marvel’s misguised era post-Endgame continues here. Here’s our very own Germain Lussier’s take:

Kinda disappointed with #CaptainAmericaBraveNewWorld

There are some good action moments and Mackie is a charismatic Cap but it’s all over the place thematically, overly complicated and ultimately a little pointless. It just never had anything to suck me in. A bummer. pic.twitter.com/FMA5ca1pg8

— Germain Lussier (@GermainLussier) February 12, 2025

And here’s a sampling of the reactions so far.

I only saw 30 minutes of #CaptainAmericaBraveNewWorld so here are some thoughts:

Absolute blast. All-in on the story. It just checked so many boxes for me.

Felt like an MCU movie where other projects actually matter again. Lots of cohesion.

Mackie rocks, Ford is great. pic.twitter.com/pl6828092T

— Herb Scribner (@HerbScribner) February 12, 2025

#CaptainAmericaBraveNewWorld is an enjoyable watch with decent action sequences & some standout moments. However, it didn’t quite hit the emotional or narrative highs I was hoping for. Loved Mackie as Cap & I appreciated the more serious tone but it did feel slightly empty. pic.twitter.com/kPJINLnw1G

— Cris Parker (@3CFilmss) February 12, 2025

#CaptainAmericaBraveNewWorld is a lot of things: some good, some okay. It’s exciting, offers a worthwhile message in a divisive time, is a return to form for the mainline MCU after a string of disappointments, and is one of the first to progress the MCU story itself post-Endgame. pic.twitter.com/vHKlc9scAa

— Ben Kendrick (@benkendrick) February 12, 2025

CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD: looks like Marvel got that Netflix memo about characters having to say everything they do so an inattentive audience can keep up. Extreme Disney+ series energy

— Hoai-Tran Bui (@htranbui) February 12, 2025

#CaptainAmericaBraveNewWorld brings an exciting idea for the future of the MCU under Sam Wilson as leader. A pretty solid Cap meets Hulk film but where it shines is in @AnthonyMackie and @DannyRamirez‘s performances. Harrison Ford is having so much fun and I had fun with him pic.twitter.com/cE6zv0uo6j

— Rachel Leishman (@RachelLeishman) February 12, 2025

#CaptainAmericaBraveNewWorld finds the MCU back in fine form with a Winter Soldier-y thriller redolent of Manchurian Candidate & Parallax View. Mackie’s future as the new Cap shines incredibly bright! Bonus: you get to hear Harrison Ford say “Adamantium.” pic.twitter.com/grIM4x6N2k

— Josh Weiss (@JoshuaHWeiss) February 12, 2025

I used to complain about how Marvel’s problem was making movies that were “fun” but nothing more.

Now, I just wish #CaptainAmericaBraveNewWorld was remotely fun.

A dour thriller-lite afraid of saying anything. Some sparks of excitement, mostly flat. pic.twitter.com/q9KDzAv3JP

— Alex Leadbeater (@ADLeadbeater) February 12, 2025

CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD was…kinda awesome?

Flawed fun, to be sure — part WINTER SOLDIER lite, part quasi-sequel to INCREDIBLE HULK.

It (mostly) looks great and, despite a script in need of polishing, felt like classic Marvel fun.

Game changer? No.

A blast? Sure. pic.twitter.com/OxNgstFP3w

— Jake Hamilton (@JakesTakes) February 12, 2025

#CaptainAmericaBraveNewWorld was grounded, entertaining, and to the point. Solid action & mild surprises. Red Hulk 👌🏿Felt like it pulled A LOT of political punches. Hard to tell whether the marketing showed too much or if the movie didn’t have much else to offer. 🤔 It was… pic.twitter.com/EYD354D5E3

— Emmanuel (E-Man) Noisette (@EmansReviews) February 12, 2025

#CaptainAmericaBraveNewWorld proves Anthony Mackie has RIGHTFULLY EARNED the role of Captain America. He puts it all in as Sam Wilson and his chemistry with Danny Ramirez is great! Harrison Ford as President Ross/Red Hulk is charming and the action really rocks when it happens. pic.twitter.com/ktwngfnII6

— Chris Gallardo 🌊 (@chrisagwrites) February 12, 2025

CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD seems to only exist to wrap up loose ends to The Incredible Hulk and Eternals. And in doing so the plot is about as convoluted and dull as that all sounds. This should have been called Captain America: Loose Ends #CaptainAmericaBraveNewWorld

— Mike Ryan (@mikeryan) February 12, 2025

CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD is below-average Marvel. The director seemed overwhelmed. You felt the chaos of all five writers stitching this together. Harrison Ford was underutilized. An angry President exploding with rage during a press conference of questions is very 2025.

— Kenny Miles (@TheKennyMiles) February 12, 2025

Captain America: Brave New World opens this Friday February 14.

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.