The Filmscape Reverie

By: Maria Cieslarczyk

It’s been a few good years since I last enjoyed a Marvel film. Coming from a former Disney TV and Film employee…that’s shocking, I know.

However, a couple weeks ago, I decided to go out on a limb and try the latest Captain America movie at my local theater. Buttery popcorn, cozy sweats, and a return to the MCU sounded like the perfect end to a ridiculously busy workweek. But, to my surprise, I left the theater feeling a whole new sense of satisfaction – if not excitement – for this next era of Marvel.

Captain America: Brave New World (2025) continues the iconic chronicles of our beloved superhero. Sam Wilson (played by Anthony Mackie) has taken on the shield of Captain America, which leads him to meet the newly-elected President, Thaddeus Ross (played by Harrison Ford). After a White House event gone terribly wrong, Sam must discover the evil mastermind behind a global plot – and save Isaiah Bradley, his friend wrongly accused of being a terrorist- from the death penalty before it’s too late.

The film was thought-provoking in the sense that the events – good and bad – acted as a mirror to our own modern political and cultural climate. I am forever grateful to be a US citizen (especially as a first-gen immigrant), and I hold firmly to my values and beliefs of love, respect, and kindness to others, especially those who are different from me. This movie, albeit entertaining and full of blockbuster twists, is also unafraid to tap into societal issues that we’re currently experiencing.

One of these societal themes is a look at wrongful imprisonment by the government. Isaiah Bradley is a former super soldier (similar to one of my favorite characters, Bucky Barnes, aka the Winter Soldier). The government experimented on him and kept him captive for twenty years. His distrust of the government, especially the new President, is definitely understandable. On the other hand, his efforts to move forward with his life and collaborate with Sam, is one that is admirable after everything he’s faced.

This movie allowed the audience to step into a world where not only do different political views exist, but where superhuman – and monstrous! – serums also exist, tipping the scales of the balance of power. The film explores the abuse of power when it falls into the wrong hands; the ides of selfishness that can arise when desire to clutch onto power becomes too strong; and the violence that erupts.

On the other hand, the film also shows what power in the right hands looks like. Sam doubts himself and his ability to make a positive impact. He regrets not taking the Super Soldier serum when he had the chance. Instead, he is at a disadvantage as he is not genetically enhanced like the previous Captain America – the beloved Steve Rogers – was. The villains seem so much stronger and smarter, especially with their unnatural abilities.

But Sam does not let this stop him…his constant attitude to be better and his conscious effort to care for others even when times get tough actually makes him “special” in his own way. He fears that he cannot live up to the iconic mantle of Captain America, yet just by being his authentic self and working towards his goals, he is able to do just that. It’s a touching theme, one that pulled at my heartstrings, since as a minority, I know what it’s like to sometimes feel like the odds are stacked against you.

Perseverance is another (if not stereotypical) theme that I adore in superhero films like this. Brave New World in particular does a great job in hyping that theme up again. Not every covert mission will end successfully, people you trust can betray you, and sometimes, it feels like whatever you do is just not enough. But, in the end, Sam was resilient and used his failures as learning curves to win against the evil that tried to destroy him – and the world.

For the first time in a long time, I felt inspired by a Marvel film. Although nothing can ever beat those irreplaceable first 10 years of Marvel, for once, kid Maria was giggling and kicking her feet again.

The film’s tagline is “the future favors the brave.”

And it is a brave new world indeed…for both the MCU and our own universe.