'Captain America: Brave New World' Becomes One of Worst-Reviewed Films From Marvel, Critics Call It a Lifeless Sequel
Marvel's latest superhero blockbuster, Captain America: Brave New World, has hit theaters to a wave of disappointing reviews, making it one of the worst-received films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) to date.
The film, which stars Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson taking on the mantle of Captain America, has struggled to impress critics, earning a meager 52% score on Rotten Tomatoes and an even lower 43/100 on Metacritic. It is now only one of three films in the MCU to have received a "rotten" score—a designation given to movies that score under 60% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Its scores place it higher than only two of 35the films in the MCU, Eternals" (2021), which scored 47%, and "Ant-Man and Ththeasp: Quantumania" (2023), which scored 46%.
What Do Critics Say About the Film?
Critics have been particularly harsh in their assessments of Captain America's sequel. Bilge Ebiri, a critic for Vulture, said the studio is now becoming a "giant slop machine" and claims the MCU franchise is now spinning "out of control."
Washington Post critic Ty Burr gave "Captain America: Brave New World" a 1.5-star review, calling it "humorless" and a "pixel-pounding mishmash." David Ehrlich of IndieWire claimed the sequel is "lifeless."
Despite the criticism, some reviewers found bright spots in the performances. Harrison Ford, who made his MCU debut as President Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross, received praise for his portrayal of the character in the film. Anthony Mackie's performance as the new Captain America also garnered some positive comments, though critics felt he deserved better material.
What's Next for MCU?
Following the Captain America sequel, the next major project in the MCU is "Thunderbolts," scheduled for release on May 2, 2025. This movie will bring together a team of characters from previous MCU installments who have not always been on the heroic side, including:
- Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes/The Winter Soldier (team leader)
- Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova/Black Widow
- Wyatt Russell as John Walker/U.S. Agent
- David Harbour as Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian
- Hannah John-Kamen as Ava Starr/Ghost
- Olga Kurylenko as Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster
Geraldine Viswanathan and Lewis Pullman have also been cast in undisclosed roles.
Other MCU movies this year include Ironheart on June 24, The Fantastic Four: First Steps on July 25, Eyes of Wakanda on August 6, Marvel Zombies in October, and Wonder Man in December.
