"Captain America: Brave New World" is the first of three MCU movies coming to the big screen year. And while all three will eventually come to Disney Plus, you might want to catch them in theaters before they hit the streaming service.
But first, you'll want to know if the movies are good before you spend your hard-earned money at the box office. Well, we can't help you yet when it comes to "Thunderbolts*" or "Fantastic Four: First Steps," but the first reactions for "Captain America: Brave New World" are now pouring in ahead of its February 14 theatrical release.
Spoiler alert: They're largely positive. That's not to say people are projecting the fourth Captain America movie will be a Best Picture nominee next year, but there are definitely more good reviews than bad. So here are people's first reactions to "Captain America: Brave New World," including how they feel about Anthony Mackie as Captain America, Harrison Ford's Red Hulk and more.
Anthony Mackie finally cements himself as Captain America
First, let's get some good news out of the way — Anthony Mackie seems to have finally cemented himself as Captain America. Despite taking the mantle in "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier," there have been lingering questions not only about whether Mackie's Sam Wilson could take over from Steve Rodgers, but if Mackie himself could take over from Chris Evans.
The early reactions though seem to be positive. TV journalist Scott Menzel posted on X (Twitter), "Mackie soars past the role of Falcon cementing himself as the new Captain America." Granted, Menzel also said "The Flash was "the ultimate movie going experience," so maybe take their praise with a grain of salt.
#CaptainAmericaBraveNewWorld finds the MCU back in fine form with a Winter Soldier-y thriller redolent of Manchurian Candidate & Parallax View. Mackie’s future as the new Cap shines incredibly bright! Bonus: you get to hear Harrison Ford say “Adamantium.” pic.twitter.com/grIM4x6N2kFebruary 12, 2025
But Menzel wasn't alone in his praise of Mackie. Writer Josh Weiss said "Mackie's future as the new Cap shines incredibly bright!" And critic Chris Gallardo said that Mackie "rightfully earned" the title of Captain America with his performance.
In short, whatever this movie's shortcomings, at least Mackie is a solid foundational piece for Marvel going forward as Captain America.
Harrison Ford's Red Hulk won't turn you into a rage monster
If you were like me, your biggest concern about "Captain America: Brave New World" was the fact that it featured Harrison Ford as a CGI Red Hulk. Potentially shoddy CGI, a Marvel character that nobody was particularly clamoring for possibly shoehorned in as a stunt — it felt like a recipe for disaster.
Saw 30 minutes of #CaptainAmericaBraveNewWorld two weeks ago and for the most part, I think I'm on board? Not fully sold on the Sam Wilson-Joaquín Torres dynamic yet in the same way Sam and Bucky worked but I think there's definitely potential there. Harrison Ford is phenomenal… pic.twitter.com/uRw4OTYXlvFebruary 12, 2025
But many who've seen the movie, or at least a 30-minute preview of it said Red Hulk was a highlight of the movie. Gallardo praised the performance as "charming." Tessa Smith from Mama's Geeky posted on X (Twitter) that the CGI was "great" and many others had praise for Ford as President Thaddeus Ross and his alter ego.
Verdict: Marvel passes its first test of 2025 with 'Captain America: Brave New World,' even if it doesn't ace it
Praise for this movie hasn't been universal. Former entertainment writer Mike Ryan called the movie "Captain America: Loose Ends" on X (Twitter), stating that the movie "seems to only exist to wrap up loose ends to The Incredible Hulk and Eternals." YouTuber John Flickinger shared similar thoughts, calling the movie "clunky, anticlimactic, and about as exciting as a rerun."
But here's the thing — I couldn't find a single reaction to the movie calling it outright bad. At worst, it seems that Marvel played it safe with this one, but given that recent movies like "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" have been objectively awful, I can live with Marvel playing things a bit safe if that's truly the case.
So if you want to have a fun time at the movies, it sure seems like "Captain America: Brave New World" won't be a waste of your money, even if it doesn't end up living up to the hype. The good news is that — for most — it seems like the movie meets expectations.
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