‘Captain America: Brave New World’: Non-Spoiler Review

 

Following widely publicized production woes and extensive reshoots, Marvel Studios’ Captain America: Brave New World has arrived, and although it’s not as disappointing as social media or Rotten Tomatoes might have you believe, it’s a shaky flight for the winged Avenger.

Featuring Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson, having taken up the Cap mantle from Steve Rogers at the conclusion of Avengers: Endgame and solidifying himself as the star-spangled hero in the Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, this film unfortunately only feels like a Captain America sequel sometimes. Mostly, it’s a follow-up to 2008’s The Incredible Hulk, with many plotlines and characters carried over from that film 17 years later. It’s also a follow-up to notorious Marvel miss The Eternals, finally addressing the massive dead Celestial in the Indian Ocean that one would think would play into the MCU over the past 4 years. I give the film credit for picking up the pieces and pulling these elements back into continuity, but it all starts to feel more like housekeeping than storytelling – especially when these elements pull us away from Sam.

The pacing is a bit rough as well, and the two-hour film feels longer than that. The action scenes are fun when they aren’t generic, choppy fistfights – especially an aerial dogfight and the thrilling-but-brief battle between Cap and Red Hulk – but the rest of the film is mostly exposition-heavy and feels more procedural than powerful. It seems like Julius Onah is trying to replicate the political intrigue of the Russo brothers’ Captain America: The Winter Soldier, but it often feels like a serviceable episode of Law & Order instead.

Despite feeling flat and disjointed overall, there were some good performances. Mackie brings a lot of charm to Sam’s Captain America, while Harrison Ford – stepping into the role of “Thunderbolt” Ross following William Hurt’s death – brings new vulnerability and urgency to the character, especially when he finally “Hulks out” in the third act. Danny Ramirez provides warmth and humor to the role of Joaquin Torres/Falcon, and Giancarlo Esposito oozes his trademark measured menace as Sidewinder, the leader of the villainous Serpent Society, even though it often feels like he’s in a different movie altogether. Everyone else does fine enough with what they’re given, although one returning character from The Incredible Hulk who winds up being the film’s primary antagonist elicited a lot of unintended laughs from my screening due to sheer goofiness.

All that said, I wouldn’t say Captain America: Brave New World is among Marvel Studios’ worst outings, but it’s solidly middle-of-the-road. It hints at big things for The Avengers and the MCU as a whole, but to me felt like a hollow, brief, occasionally enjoyable experience in and of itself. I should note, however, that this film has one of the worst post-credit sequences in the history of the MCU. If you need to race to the bathroom as soon as the credits start, it’s not worth the wait.

Chris Evans to Reunite with Robert Downey Jr. in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’

We’ve known for months that Robert Downey Jr. would be returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Avengers: Doomsday – but as Dr. Doom and not Tony Stark – but it seems like he won’t be the only OG Avengers actor to return in the 2026 film. The Wrap reports that Chris Evans, who we recently saw as Johnny Storm/The Human Torch in Deadpool & Wolverine, will appear in Avengers: Doomsday, but whether he will don the stars and stripes as Steve Rogers’ Captain America remains to be seen.

This news comes just months before the release of Captain America: Brave New World, in which Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson carries the Cap franchise forward for the first time since the 2021 Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. With that film’s Feb. 14 release date fast approaching, though, rumors of poor test screenings and last-minute reshoots have dampened expectations to a certain extent. Does this casting news shed light on a nostalgia-driven desperation play, or is Evans – like Downey – playing another character entirely?

To read The Wrap’s full story, click here. 

Reboots and Retcons: Are Mainstream Comics Pointless Right Now?

It seems odd to ask the question, since heroes from Marvel and DC are among entertainment's hottest intellectual properties right now, but with Marvel getting ready to revamp its continuity with this summer's Secret Wars crossover and DC looking to do the same with its Convergence event, we've reached a bizarre crossroads with "The Big Two." If everything happening in mainstream comics is about to be erased, does it even make sense for us to keep buying titles that will be rendered obsolete in a few months?

DC readers are all too familiar with the ennui that precedes a new status quo, after 1985's Crisis on Infinite Earths and 2011's mostly mishandled introduction of "The New 52." Marvel, though, has mostly maintained the same continuity (Earth-616) since Timely Comics' Captain America socked Hitler in the mouth back in 1940. Timelines have been muddied to keep characters from qualifying  for AARP membership, but by and large, The House of Ideas' canon has stretched back more than half a century — and that history is about to be erased.

I'm totally on-board with the idea of freshening up continuity for all the new readers that are hopefully migrating to comics after seeing these characters on film and on television, but I'm also having a hard time investing time and money into stories that will have no longer "happened" in less than a year. But maybe that's just me. 

Marvel Just Won At Everything

Even though it's not quite Halloween just yet, DC Entertainment must be absolutely terrified right about now.

In a fan event Tuesday, Marvel Studios unveiled Phase 3 of its Marvel Cinematic Universe, announcing a mind-boggling slate of movies through 2019. The expansive lineup includes Thor: Ragnarok, Captain America: Civil War, Guardians of the Galaxy 2, Dr. Strange, Captain Marvel, Black Panther, The Inhumans and a two-part Avengers sequel, Infinity War. 

Hearing about any one of these projects would be reason to celebrate, but Marvel Studios has gone ahead and dropped all of the nerd bombs in its arsenal, all at once. We're not just fortunate, True Believers. We're spoiled.

For all of the latest on The House of Ideas' blockbuster announcements, head over to Marvel.com.

The First 'Avengers: Age of Ultron' Trailer is the Best Thing You'll See Today

Man, it's a good thing I took the day off work. After the trailer for Avengers: Age of Ultron leaked online, a move Marvel blamed on the villainous Hydra organization, The House of Ideas gave us the official teaser along with an all-new poster for the anticipated sequel. I can't stop watching it.

The teaser gives us our first true glimpse of the titular baddie in action (voiced to perfection by James Spader), and manages to make Pinocchio incredibly creepy.


Here are five things I absolutely love about this clip.

1) The use of "I've Got No Strings" throughout the teaser is corporate synergy at its best.
2) We're finally getting Hulkbuster armor and it looks fantastic.
3) This thing is going to be much darker than the relatively cheery first Avengers film.
4) Ultron looks like he might become my favorite superhero movie villain.
5) Since Tony Stark is the Gepetto to Ultron's Pinocchio, there's no way the story wraps up nicely. This movie is going to change everything for Earth's Mightiest Heroes.

Marvel's Avengers 2: Age of Ultron hits theaters May 1, 2015.

On Wars, Both Secret and Civil

We're just days removed from New York Comic Con, and geeks are all abuzz about several developments coming out of Marvel, namely that The House of Ideas is not only bringing us an all-new Secret Wars event next summer, but that 2015 will also see the release of another Civil War series. Whether the two events will occur simultaneously remains to be seen.

I was mere months old when Marvel launched its first Secret Wars crossover in 1984, so the announcement didn't necessarily bring about any pangs of nostalgia (even though I do thumb through my softcover trade paperback of that campy "all the good guys vs. all the bad guys" yarn every now and then), but the Civil War revelation is another story entirely.

Civil War, Marvel's politically-charged tale about a rift in its superhero community, kicked off in July 2006, a time when the idea of an Iron Man film seemed laughable while Spider-Man 3 was poised to be the biggest comic book movie of all time. I started working in Manhattan that fall, and my office was right between Midtown Comics' Lexington Ave. and Times Square locations. I hadn't been a regular consumer at a comic book store since the mid-1990s, when locales like The Dragon's Den in Greenwich, Conn., and The Spider's Web in downtown Port Chester, N.Y., served as nerdy refuges before superheroes were "in." With so many comic book stores in my area shuttering in the wake of the industry's 1990s boom period, I wound up getting my fix from the limited selection of new titles at bookstores like Barnes & Noble and Borders before my interest in the medium reached a low point in my teens. A chance lunch hour visit to Midtown Comics changed all that. I immediately gravitated toward Civil War and its numerous spin-offs. I was hooked again.

Although the bleak tone of the Civil War miniseries wasn't for everybody, the tight narrative by Mark Millar and the striking artwork by Steve McNiven kept me enthralled during my Metro-North commutes, and I was genuinely heartbroken when Captain America was assassinated after the series' conclusion the following year. My fandom only grew from there, and I went on to amass countless single issues and trades from Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, Image and just about anything else that I could get my hands on. Now, I'm a weekly regular at my local comic book store (A Timeless Journey in Stamford, Conn.) and my collection of current series and back-issues getting out of hand, to put it lightly. And it's all because of Civil War, for better or for worse.

Eight years later, Marvel is revisiting Civil War, with a teaser image that's evocative of the original. With rumors of a Marvel Comics reboot and recent speculation about how the Civil War storyline might be adapted in a future Captain America or Avengers film, there's lots for geeks to debate and wonder about. I'm proudly standing among them.

Warner Bros. Moves 'Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice' Release Date

Warner Bros. is running scared, and based on the stellar performance of Guardians of the Galaxy this past weekend, it's hard to blame them.

Even though the studio has just announced release dates for nine unnamed DC Comics films, the bigger news reported today by Variety is that Warner Bros. changed its May 6, 2016, release date for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice to March 25 of that year. As such, the Zack Snyder-helmed Man of Steel sequel is no longer going head-to-head with Marvel Studios' third Captain America film.

Now, I'll be the first to admit that I was intrigued by the Batman v Superman footage revealed at Comic-Con International last month, and I'm sure WB/DC have some heavy hitters lined up in their film slate. But the fact that Marvel Studios just made household names of characters like Ronan the Accuser and Yondu proves how far ahead The House of Ideas has gotten compared to its Distinguished Competition in the film arena. Clearly, based on this scheduling shift and the vague, knee-jerk nature of their "we have a bunch of movies coming up too!" announcement, WB knows it.

'Entertainment Weekly' Unveils 'Avengers 2' Villain

Just in time for San Diego's Comic-Con International, Entertainment Weekly has debuted their latest cover featuring Iron Man, Captain America and their titular adversary in Avengers: Age of Ultron. As we've come to expect from the folks at Marvel Studios, Ultron and his minions look as they should, and I dig Steve Rogers' updated suit as well. Tony Stark's Iron Man armor looks pretty similar to what we saw in Iron Man 3, which is by no means a bad thing. If it ain't broke ...

Check out a preview of Entertainment Weekly's cover story and view exclusive photos from Age of Ultron by clicking here.

Captain America to Battle Superman in 2016

In a bizarre game of box-office chicken, Marvel’s third Captain America film will go head-to-head with DC’s Batman vs. Superman flick on May 6, 2016, when both films will hit theaters simultaneously.

I don’t want to sound like a banner-waving Marvelite or anything — I actually quite enjoyed Man of Steel — but there’s no way this works out well for Warner Bros., which is banking heavily on the forthcoming Zack Snyder film that will expand its cinematic mythos to showcase other members of the Justice League aside from The Caped Crusader and The Last Son of Krypton.  If the Man of Steel sequel underperforms against the juggernaut that is the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we’ll probably never get to see that live-action Aquaman flick that millions dozens of comic book readers have been waiting for.

According to the Epoch Times, Warner Bros. is feeling the pressure to move its release date to avoid getting slammed by Cap’s star-spangled shield, but nothing has been confirmed by the studio. For the sake of DC’s future at the movies, I hope it’s true.

The 'Winter Solder' Trailer Won the Super Bowl

Even though we only got a snippet of the new Captain America: The Winter Soldier trailer during the Big Game itself — we had to go online to see the whole thing — our latest glimpse into the forthcoming exploits of Steve Rogers was a whole hell of a lot more exciting than the one-sided clash between the Seattle Seahawks and the Denver Broncos. If you’re living in the Northeast U.S. and are snowed in today, why not watch this 10 or 12 times?

Sneak Peek at 'Winter Soldier' Super Bowl Spot

Marvel’s posted a trailer for the trailer you’ll be watching this Sunday during the Super Bowl. It’s not much to get excited about at just 16 seconds, but on what we’ve seen so far from Captain America: The Winter Soldier, this film could be the most surprising Marvel Studios release yet.

 

‘Captain America: The Winter Solder’ Trailer Flaunts Explosions, Scarlett Johansson

The first trailer for Captain America: The Winter Soldier is online, and if you aren’t geeking out about it, that simply means you haven’t seen it yet. I love the look and feel of this film, which appears like more of a spy thriller than its lighter predecessor. I also really dig the banter between Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) and The Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson). Yet, perhaps the most intriguing aspect of this trailer is that this film apparently pits Cap against S.H.I.E.L.D. itself. I can’t say I saw that coming.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier hits U.S. theaters in March 2014.

Captain America Rejects Parachutes in New 'Winter Solder' Poster

Steve Rogers is ready to leap into action (and presumably not to his death) in the new poster for Captain America: The Winter Soldier, which hits theaters April 4. As Cap stands in an open S.H.I.E.L.D. cargo hold, we catch a glimpse of the Helicarrier along with a birds-eye view of Washington, D.C in front of our hero. What does it all mean? The teaser trailer to be released later this week will hopefully answer such questions and give us plenty more to obsess about. Until then, let’s all continue to tweet voraciously about how Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is the best/worst Marvel thing since The Avengers/Spider-Man 3. And ... go.

The Buy Pile for Oct. 2, 2013

Tonight marks the conclusion of my first vacation in more than a year — seven days of comic books, horror movies, Breaking Bad binge sessions and excessive amounts of Grand Theft Auto V. I know many of you are sucking your teeth at me for not taking this opportunity to do some traveling, but I had business to take care of in Los Santos … Paris can wait.

My regular Wednesday trip to Stamford, Conn.’s A Timeless Journey netted me a relatively light haul, but that doesn’t mean I was in any way disappointed with this week’s new offerings. Marvel’s “Battle of the Atom” still has me hooked despite the time-travel weirdness, and there’s definite promise in DC’s Forever Evil book, which hints at big things to come next month. I’m also thoroughly entertained by Glen Brunswick’s Reality Check over at Image Comics, which released its second issue this week.

Here’s a rundown of what I’m bagging and boarding this evening:

• Captain America: Living Legend #1 (Marvel)
• All-New X-Men #17 (Marvel)
• Iron Man #16 (Marvel)
• Batman: Detective Comics #24 (DC)
• Batman: Black and White #2 (DC)
• Forever Evil #2 (DC)
• Reality Check #2 (Image)

New Teaser Poster for 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier' Released

It’s a simple visual, but stripping the red, white and blue from Captain America’s iconic shield is pretty damned poignant. With the first teaser poster for Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Marvel Studios is hinting at dark times ahead for the star-spangled superhero in his next solo adventure, due to hit theaters April 4, 2014. 

The House of Ideas will no doubt have plenty of Winter Soldier surprises in store next week at Comic-Con International in San Diego. Check out Marvel.com for the latest on this anticipated sequel.

‘S.H.I.E.L.D.’ TV Show Gets the Green Light!

Remember how excited we were when we learned that Avengers director Joss Whedon was working on a TV series set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Remember how we all hoped it would focus on the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division, mercifully shortened to S.H.I.E.L.D.? Well, as confirmed by the Los Angeles Times and a host of other multimedia outlets this week, the top-secret government group headed by Agent Nick Fury (played by Samuel L. Jackson in the films) will be coming to ABC.

Although Whedon will co-write the pilot for S.H.I.E.L.D., he is not its showrunner. Given the fact that he’ll be wrangling Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, The Hulk, Black Widow, Hawkeye and other Marvel luminaries in the Avengers sequel – set for release in 2015 – it’s safe to say he’ll have his hands full.

Since the series will revolve around S.H.I.E.L.D. and its agents, it’s unlikely the films’ superheroic heavy hitters will be appearing very often if at all (fingers crossed for at least a handful of Nick Fury cameos). However, it’s entirely likely that we’ll be seeing plenty of Agent Maria Hill, played by How I Met Your Mother star Cobie Smulders.  If you saw how amazingly she filled out a S.H.I.E.L.D. uniform in The Avengers, you know how awesome this is.

Depending on where this series is set chronologically in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we could also see Clark Gregg return as fan-favorite Agent Coulson. If it takes place after The Avengers, well, that could prove difficult.

For more on the S.H.I.E.L.D. TV series, head over to the L.A. Times website by clicking here.

‘Avengers’ Sequel Gets a Release Date

Marvel.com has confirmed that the Joss Whedon-helmed sequel to this summer’s blockbuster smash, Marvel’s The Avengers, will be hitting theaters on May 1, 2015.

The website also stated the following in the announcement:

“In addition to the Marvel's The Avengers sequel, Marvel Studios will release a slate of films based on the Marvel characters including Iron Man 3 on May 3, 2013; Thor: The Dark World on November 8, 2013; Captain America: The Winter Soldier on April 4, 2014; Guardians of the Galaxy on August 1, 2014; and Ant-Man.”

Looks like lots of cool Marvel Studios goodness is on the horizon. For more info on Marvel Studios’ upcoming crop of films, head over to Marvel.com.

Joss Whedon to Return for ‘Avengers’ Sequel

Whedonites rejoice! As confirmed by Walt Disney executives during a conference call earlier this week, geek icon Joss Whedon will once again direct Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in the sequel to this summer’s runaway blockbuster The Avengers. The Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly helmsman is also working with Marvel Studios and Disney to bring an unnamed “high-concept cop show” set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to ABC.

Whedon will be hard-pressed to top his first go-around with Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, the Incredible Hulk and the rest of the gang, but one of the main things he accomplished with that first Avengers film was inspire confidence among all of us True Believers out there. Not only has Marvel Studios been steadfast in putting out the best superhero films possible, but they’re hiring the best storytellers possible to keep that momentum going for years to come.

For more on this story, head over to MTV News.

Five Reasons Why ‘The Avengers’ Blew Me Away

 It’s redundant to point out that director Joss Whedon knocked it out of the park with Marvel’s The Avengers, with bloggers, critics, comic book geeks and general audience members gushing vocally band unabashedly about the massively ambitious superhero team-up flick. Yet, even though you all have probably figured out that I join the vocal majority in loving the hell out of The Avengers, I still feel compelled to extol the film’s many virtues here on The Wort Report. Therefore, here are five specific reasons why The Avengers made for the most satisfying theatrical experience I’ve had in years.

1) Joss Whedon Kept it Simple
Let’s face it: Bringing together Captain America, Thor, Iron Man and The Hulk onscreen has all the makings for a cinematic disaster. Despite the fact that each of these characters’ solo adventures took place in a shared universe, Whedon was tasked with a lot of heavy lifting in bringing all of these heroes together as a team and giving them a reason to stand together. As complicated as this film could have been—essentially weaving four separate mythologies into a singularly coherent narrative—Whedon told a relatively simplistic alien invasion/take-over-the-world story with Thor’s brother Loki as the antagonist. Loki’s presence on Earth shakes things up, prompting S.H.I.E.L.D. and Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) to call together Earth’s Mightiest Heroes to quell his plans for world domination and save the day. That’s about as complicated as the core plot gets.

Because the actual story wastes so little time unraveling itself, we’re allowed to enjoy Cap/Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), Hulk/Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Iron Man/Tony Stark try to figure out how they’re going to work together as a team despite their clashing egos. We’re also given the opportunity to see Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) –both of whom had minor roles in previous Marvel Studios films—flex their muscles as they share the screen with their more iconic team members as they fend off Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and his enlisted alien army known as the Chitauri.

2) The Hulk Steals the Show
Talk to anyone as they’re walking out of a screening of The Avengers and the first thing out of their mouth will probably involve the words “Hulk,” “awesome” and an enthusiastic expletive or two. Bruce Banner has been a character that, for whatever reason, has never worked in a feature-length production…until now. Ruffalo is an example of perfect casting, making all of us (hopefully) forget about Eric Bana’s dull portrayal of Banner in Ang Lee’s Hulk and Ed Norton’s wiry, angsty and decidedly not nerdy Banner in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk—the character’s introduction in the Marvel Studios canon. Ruffalo’s Banner is tortured, sure, but he’s also got a dark sense of humor about the monster living inside him and that’s refreshing.

And when he transforms? Damn. The Hulk is amazingly fun to watch during the film’s final battle and, without spoiling anything, he’s responsible for two of the film’s best comedic moments. Ruffalo is reportedly signed on for six future films in the cinematic Marvel Universe, which means we’ll be getting plenty more of this version of Banner/Hulk. Let’s hope other filmmakers follow Whedon’s example and continue doing this character justice.

3) The Post-Credits Sequences Pay Off (in Different Ways)
Ever since the “Avengers Initiative” was unveiled in a post-credits sequence in Iron Man back in 2008, it’s become tradition for Marvel Studios to reward fans with the fortitude (and bladder control) to remain seated once their films have ended. In this case, we get an exciting glimpse at where this franchise is headed as well as one of the most hilariously “Whedon-esque” sequences in the film.

4) The Final Battle is Full of “Wow” Moments That Give Each Avenger Time to Shine
Once Loki uses the Tesseract (Cosmic Cube) to open a portal that unleashes swarms of Chitauri upon Midtown Manhattan, The Avengers jumps into high gear as we get to see Earth’s Mightiest Heroes kick all kinds of extraterrestrial ass. You never really get the sense that these characters are in any real danger, but thanks to some great visual effects and some really inventive action beats, the battle’s still a blast to watch. Plus, it’s also home to those two Hulk moments I mentioned earlier.

5) There’s Much More to Come
This franchise is already six films in and we’ve barely scratched the surface. Along with a confirmed sequel to The Avengers, we can also look forward to Iron Man 3, Thor 2, Captain America 2 and logically, considering the overwhelmingly positive response to The Hulk in this film, another solo outing for Ol’ Jade Jaws as well. Although it’d be presumptuous to say that The Avengers will own the summer of 2012—it’s barely even begun, after all—I  think it’s safe to say that Marvel Studios has cornered the market on superhero films for the foreseeable future...and this is a good thing.

‘Captain America’ Sequel Set for April 4, 2014

We’re all eagerly awaiting the release of Marvel’s The Avengers on May 4, but that doesn’t mean we can’t start getting ourselves hyped for the further adventures of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in the years ahead. As reported by Deadline.com, Disney has confirmed that a sequel to Captain America: The First Avenger will hit theaters on April 4, 2014.

Although details are scarce at this point, the film is said to focus on Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) continuing his affiliation with Nick Fury’s S.H.I.E.L.D. and coping with contemporary life.

For the full story, click here.