Captain America: Brave New World

is just days away from hitting theaters, finally giving Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) his first standalone movie, and the first reactions to the MCU’s latest outing have now hit the internet. Brave New World sees Wilson accept the mantle of Captain America (if you hadn’t guessed from the title), facing down the Serpent Society, led by Sidewinder (Giancarlo Esposito), as well as Tim Blake Nelson’s The Leader, who returns from 2008’s The Incredible Hulk, and Harrison Ford’s Red Hulk. The new film is one of the most hyped movies of the year, alongside the MCU’s other 2025 outings; Thunderbolts* and Fantastic Four: First Steps, as well as DC Studios’ Superman. But, does it live up to this hype?
The first reactions to Captain America: Brave New World have been unveiled on social media…and they’re incredibly divided. Some hail Brave New World as a return to form for Marvel Studios, continuing the franchise’s comeback which was kickstarted by Deadpool & Wolverine. Meanwhile, others criticize the movie as suffering from second screen syndrome, with some calling it flat out “boring” and “bad.” Check out some of the early reactions below:

“Captain America: Brave New World is triumphant,” wrote @HunterBVideo. “The paranoid action picks up the pace in the second half, but this is really Sam Wilson’s story about handling the pressure of the mantle of Captain America.” @tylerdisney12 was surprised by how much they enjoyed the new movie, writing, “Captain America: Brave New World was a lot better than I thought, Anthony Mackie and Harrison Ford stole the show for me especially with red hulk.”
‘Captain America: Brave New World’ Releases on February 14

But not everyone was a fan. @htranbui slated the film as a Netflix-esque by-the-numbers action movie, writing “CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD: looks like Marvel got that Netflix memo about characters having to say everything they do so an inattentive audience can keep up. Extreme Disney+ series energy.” That sentiment was shared by @SirJeffNelson, who wrote:

“Nothing brave about [Captain America: Brave New World] A flat political thriller with scattershot emotional stakes, recycled plot points, & a disengaging path forward. Another forgettable villain.”

Captain America: Brave New World is also trying to be an unconventional Valentine’s Day movie, releasing in theaters on February 14. The above are only initial reactions from members of the press and online influencers. Expect full reviews and that oh, so important Rotten Tomatoes score to be published either later today or tomorrow (depending on how much faith Marvel Studios has in the movie), and rememeber, delayed reviews are often a poor sign for an upcoming film.

Related

‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Finally Takes Major Step Forward

Marvel fans just got some amazing ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ news.

Alongside Anthony Mackie, Captain America: Brave New World also stars Danny Ramirez, Harrison Ford, Giancarlo Esposito, Tim Blake Nelson, Liv Tyler, and Emily VanCamp. Pro-WWE wrestler Seth Rollins was initially cast in the film as another member of the Serpent Society, but his role was removed from the final cut to make way for Esposito’s villain. Following Brave New World, Marvel fans will only have a short wait before they return to the MCU with Daredevil: Born Again, which premieres on Disney+ on March 5.