Captain America: Brave New World sees Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson take up the mantle of Captain America that was previously held by Steve Rogers. Wilson is joined by Joaquin Torres, the new Falcon, and the two embark on dangerous missions on behalf of the United States. However, Wilson is still unsure if he’s fully ready to be the next Cap, and is also uneasy about bringing on Torres as his partner, as neither of them have enhanced abilities. But duty calls when an international incident breaks out, increasing tensions between the U.S. and Japan revolving around Celestial Island and the precious metal it contains: adamantium. Of course, all of these events are orchestrated by someone who’s out for revenge.
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Captain America: Brave New World reviews are fairly mixed. The film has its strengths and does an admirable job connecting to the wider Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, it’s not without its flaws, such as pacing issues, plot holes, and underdeveloped character motivations. (Of course, these may very well have been caused by the numerous reshoots that were carried out, resulting in an uneven finished product.) But there’s one major thing that the movie gets wrong, something that could’ve really solidified its place in the MCU.
WARNING: Spoilers below for Captain America: Brave New World
Captain America: Brave New World Needed More Hulks
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Captain America: Brave New World is a follow-up to multiple MCU entries; in addition to being a sequel to the Captain America series, the film also continues plot threads introduced in the Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and 2021’s Eternals. But one of the films that Brave New World most closely connects to is The Incredible Hulk, which has been largely forgotten in the overall MCU mythos. Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross returns (this time played by Harrison Ford, replacing the late William Hurt), along with Tim Blake Nelson as Samuel Sterns/Leader.
Sterns was first introduced as a cellular biologist trying to help cure Bruce Banner of his condition, only to accidentally have his blood cross-contaminated by Banner’s irradiated blood. But instead of giving him the ability to become massive with increased strength, his intelligence was greatly enhanced, though his head was also deformed. He’s the one orchestrating the international incident as revenge against Ross for reneging on his promise to release him from imprisonment.
As part of his plan, Sterns had been providing Ross with pills that helped him with his heart condition while also infecting his body with gamma radiation. This plays out later in the film when Ross himself turns into the massive Red Hulk.
With so many connections and returning characters from The Incredible Hulk, Brave New World feels more like a sequel to that film than a part of the Captain America series. This isn’t a bad thing, but it really could’ve benefited from a cameo from Bruce Banner’s Hulk, or even Jennifer Walters’ She-Hulk. Heck, Liv Tyler even returns as Betty Ross to make up with her estranged father. (For those who don’t remember, she was Bruce’s girlfriend who distanced herself from her father due to his obsession with apprehending Bruce.) If the Brave New World filmmakers were willing to reach out to an actress who hasn’t appeared in the MCU in nearly 17 years, surely they could’ve featured an appearance from Mark Ruffalo or Tatiana Maslany.
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Too Many MCU Connections? Or Not Enough?
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One of the most beloved qualities of the MCU is its interconnectedness, mirroring the source material in which characters from one series can show up in another. Seeing multiple storylines converge and build upon one another is a major part of what makes the MCU stand out from other franchises, along with the countless Easter eggs peppered throughout to delight eagle-eyed fans.
However, because Brave New World relies so heavily on past films and TV series, it also opens up many other questions as to why some plotlines were followed up on while others weren’t. Yes, it was nice to see characters return after not appearing in the MCU for over a decade, but we can’t help but wonder why Brave New World prioritized those narrative threads over, say, why it’s taken the rest of the world so long to finally address Celestial Island, or the whereabouts of Steve Rogers.
Marvel Studios’ output has been uneven over the last few years; Brave New World could’ve been an opportunity to reintroduce some narrative clarity by keeping the plot focused on developing Sam Wilson’s role in the wider MCU and keeping references to other movies and TV shows to a minimum. As much fun as it is to catch a nod to a character or event from another film, it shouldn’t come at the expense of a cohesive plot and clear character motivations.
Do you think Captain America: Brave New World needed more Hulks? Chime in below!