In the previous MCU instalment Avengers: Endgame, Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) passed on his vibranium shield to Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) as his promotion from Falcon to Captain America. His transition to from soldier to superhero was fraught with challenges as ws explored in the television series The Falcon And The Winter Soldier.
Now that we’re all caught up, the next chapter in the adventure unfolds in Captain America: Brave New World penned by a team comprising Rob Edwards, Malcom Spellman, Dallas Musson, Julius Onah (who also directs) and Peter Glan.
Brave New World presents a new conflict for Captain America as he forges his new path beyond the comfort of the other Super Soldiers and The Avengers. “We’re putting Sam through the paces to prove, not only that he should be Captain America, but that he can be Captain America in a way that even Steve Rogers never was,” says producer Nate Moore.
His mission is more than finding out the mastermind behind the assassination of President Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross (Harrison Ford) and uncover the plot to steal the world’s limited adamantium reserves.
President Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford) and Sam Wilson/ Captain America (Anthony Mackie) Photo by Eli Adé/ Marvel Studios
“Sam has been Captain America for a while. We left him at the end of The Falcon And The Winter Soldier knowing why he wanted to be Captain America. Now we’re meeting him at a place where he has to negotiate what that actually means, what course of action he’s going to take, how he’s going to relate to other people, and how he’s going use the power that the platform gives him,” elaborates Julius Onah.
Captain America still straddles the “everyman soldier” mythology that hopefully, audiences can see parts of in themselves. We’re all facing daily struggles, and let’s face it, a shield would come in handy.
Brave New World retains the groundedness of Winter Soldier even as it segues into the fantastical origins of Red Hulk.
Navigating Captain America’s Character
Captain America occupies an prominent place in the MCU canon. In Captain America: The First Avenger, he explores the aftermath of World War II leading to the menacing political paranoia in The Falcon And The Winter Soldier. In trying to infuse the current iteration of Cap, Julius Onah watched several political thrillers from the 60s and 70s such as The Day of the Jackal, Point Blank, The Parallax View and Onah’s personal favorite, the neo-noir crime thriller Le Samouraï.
In service to his goals, Onah seamlessly blends the thriller aspects of Brave New World with heart-pounding action and mind-blowing set pieces to serve audience a complete three course meal including dessert.
Captain America/ Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), Joaquin Torres/ The Falcon (Danny Ramirez) and Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly) Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios
The prickly political landscape of Captain America: Brave New World is both timely and timeless; current and distant. It’s a seemingly peaceful meeting of the world’s key political leaders signing a treaty to equitably divide the world’s limited stock of the rare metal – but not everyone’s on the level. Peace gives way to greed.
As Sam Wilson progresses from adolescence to adulthood, he needs to figure out how he wants to operate in a world that is very different than the one he shared with Steve Rogers.
Captain America is no longer a soldier without any government-enhanced superpowers. He only has a set of virtues and his charm and wit to carry him. The ordinariness of his humanity is his superpower.
Much like Steve Rogers was to him, Sam Wilson untangles the reins of being a mentor to Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez) a Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force who makes constant a play to inherit Sam’s falcon wings. But he’s not ready yet.
President Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross
Ironically, President “Thunderbolt” Ross (Harrison Ford) seeks to create a new world order and global peace in this brave new world. As a long-time antagonist to The Avengers, he now takes a more circumspect and strategic view of serving all Americans in the hopes of making amends. He’s also had a rich and tumultuous history in the MCU canon.
Ross is a battle-savvy general to a seasoned political animal as Secretary of State in Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame and Black Widow.
Red Hulk/ President Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford) Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios
He’s in a state of flux as before transforming into Red Hulk. “He is this manifestation of the part of ourselves that so many of us want to subdue or cast aside,” continues Onah. The character is as controlled as he is uncontrolled; angry as he is calm.
Samuel Sterns/ The Leader (Tim Blake Nelson) returns to Brave New World after a lengthy hiatus. “There’s an Icarus-like aspect to Sterns, because his zeal for knowledge and his obsession with science takes him perilously close to the possibility of power. What can happen if you fly too close to the sun?” ponders Nelson. How far can he push the boundaries after being infected with the gamma-irradiated blood. He’s as egotistical as he his intelligent. He yearns to reclaim his scientific legacy and continue his endless quest for knowledge without regard for its moral consequences.
Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly) is a the Korean war hero and sole survivor of African American soldiers subjected to Super Soldier Serum experiments during the 1950s and assassinates President Ross under the influence of subliminal flashing signals from his cell phone. He’s imprisoned, but not consumed by hate or bitterness. He believes in Captain America who eventually frees him. But what took him so long?
Leila Taylor (Xosha Roquemore) is Ross’ Service detail who’s instrumental in forging a bridge between Sam and Thaddeus to allow the sparring duo to collaborate. Ruth Bat-Seraph (Shira Haas) is the diligent and effective security advisor to President Ross.
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