Captain America: Brave New World Tries Hard to Be Winter Soldier But Falls Short of Expectation

Many of us probably went into Captain America: Brave New World hoping for something special. After all, Captain America: The Winter Soldier is still a favorite for many MCU fans, and it looked like this new movie was trying to hit those same notes. Starring Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson, the new Captain America, Brave New World takes Sam's journey from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier even further. He now has the shield and finds himself caught in a big political mess involving adamantium and secrets about US President Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford). However, I felt the movie did not quite reach the high standard set by The Winter Soldier, which it clearly looked to for inspiration.

The Winter Soldier came out in 2014 and many people still think it is one of the best MCU Movies. It was a serious political thriller that changed a lot in the MCU. It also had good ties to important Marvel comic book stories. So, it is easy to see how Brave New World tried to use the same recipe. But it did not have the same success. It felt like it was aiming for a similar vibe but missed the mark by a good distance. This makes me think about what made The Winter Soldier so special, and why Brave New World could not quite get there.

The movie starts with Sam Wilson leading a government mission, just like Steve Rogers did in the earlier movie. It also brings back a familiar team: Captain America, Falcon, and a Black Widow character. These obvious connections make you think the filmmakers really wanted us to remember the older, more beloved film. But the connections felt a little too on-the-nose for me. It was like they were trying to force a feeling of importance rather than building it organically.

Captain America: Brave New World Repeats Many Familiar Ideas But Lacks The Strong Impact Of Earlier Films

Discovering How The New Captain America Film Tried To Mimic Its Predecessors Without Hitting The Mark

There are many clear similarities between Captain America: Brave New World and Captain America: The Winter Soldier. It is obvious that Brave New World really tried to capture many of the same elements and overall feel. Both movies start with Captain America leading a government mission. Both also focus on the same main three heroes: a Captain America a Falcon and a Black Widow. This setup immediately makes you think of the earlier film.

Both movies also use mind control as a main plot point. They both feature very smart bad guys being held in government places. And both films end in a similar way with big battles involving warships. They also have more personal fights in Washington DC where the main bad guys are talked down to. There are even more connections you could point out. But those are definitely the biggest similarities between the two Captain America movies. It makes you wonder if they were trying to copy a successful formula too closely.

For me, Captain America: The Winter Soldier still stands as one of the MCU's best movies, even over a decade later. That sets a very high standard for any new MCU film trying to copy its success. Brave New World clearly tried to do this. But despite having so many similar parts, it is very clear that the fourth Captain America movie struggles much more than the second one. It lacked that certain something that made the original so compelling. It felt like it had all the pieces but did not know how to put them together in a meaningful way.

Why The New Captain America Story Felt So Muddled And Less Personal For The Viewers

Exploring The Narrative Choices That Made Brave New World Feel Disconnected From Its Characters

A big reason for the movie's problems is that the whole story of Brave New World felt more complicated and messy. The Winter Soldier had a very clear story. Steve Rogers and his friends slowly found out about the big Hydra conspiracy hidden inside SHIELD. In contrast, there is a lot in Brave New World that just does not fit together as well. Sam Wilson finds out the truth about President Ross and his dark secret. This secret is Samuel Sterns, also known as The Leader.

While the film had many re-shoots, which might explain some of the issues, Brave New World just had too many parts that did not connect well. It did not have the same strong feeling as The Winter Soldier. The 2014 movie also felt very personal, especially with the close relationship between Bucky and Steve Rogers. Brave New World, however, relies on bringing back many connections from 2008's The Incredible Hulk. But it does not even feature Bruce Banner, who could have made those ties feel more personal. Because of this, Brave New World comes across as a weak copy of the MCU movie it worked so hard to be like. You could say that part of its problem was trying too hard to be like another film. It should have had a more unique story that stood on its own.

Also, the action sequences, while present, did not always feel earned. They sometimes felt like they were just there to be action sequences. In a good action movie, the fighting comes from the story and character tension. Here, it felt a little disconnected. This kept me from fully caring about what was happening on screen. I want to feel the stakes for the characters, not just watch explosions and fights. This is where the movie missed a chance to truly shine.

The Film's Box Office Performance And Its Effect On The Larger Marvel Cinematic Universe Story

Considering Why The Latest Captain America Adventure Did Not Feel As Important As Earlier Films

It is clear that Captain America: The Winter Soldier was a really important film for the MCU. It brought Bucky Barnes back into the story in the present day as the Winter Soldier. It also broke SHIELD apart, which changed many future MCU movies and even Marvel TV shows at the time. It also paved the way for Captain America: Civil War and all the changes that happened in that film. This is why many felt it was a very important piece of the big MCU story.

In contrast, Captain America: Brave New World has some cool parts. It shows Ross as the Red Hulk for the first time. It also brings in adamantium from the Celestial island that appeared in Eternals. However, it does not feel nearly as important to the bigger MCU story. This has been a regular problem for the most recent MCU phases. Many hoped Brave New World would change that. But it did not. Its box office performance was also not great. While earning hundreds of millions sounds good, for a big Disney movie with a massive budget, it is not a winning number. This might suggest that people are becoming tired of seeing every superhero movie. They might only show up for the ones that feel truly big or special.

Instead, the best thing Captain America: Brave New World does for the greater MCU story happens at the very end of the movie. In the film's post-credits scene, Sterns hints at threats coming in future Avengers movies. The ending also sees Sam Wilson deciding to put Earth's Mightiest Heroes back together again. But this happens off-screen. If the best a movie does for the bigger universe is set up future films without making big changes in its own story, it is not a great MCU movie. It feels like a stepping stone, not a destination.

Because of all the similarities and attempts to match The Winter Soldier's tone, some might say Brave New World had a lot of good potential. But much of that potential was lost. Brave New World could not find a strong voice for itself. This left it with a messy story that felt mostly like a copy rather than something new. It also did not feel as important to the MCU as a whole. You could argue that if this movie had been changed to star Bruce Banner and act as a direct follow-up to The Incredible Hulk, it might have done much better. As it stands, it feels like a missed opportunity. It is a movie that had all the pieces but could not quite put them together in a memorable way.