I try to remain indifferent about content that I have nominal personal interest in, and in the case of the Marvel Cinematic Universe that’s usually been my approach. I concede that I’ve never really gotten into all of the myriad and complex tapestries woven over the past 15 years in the various reimaginings and reiterations of comic book icons that were usually my third choice behind DC and Archie. And, to be honest, the intracies of how interwoven the plotlines of the most recent efforts, not to mention the multiplatform push to force anyone who might have wanted at some point to get more involved to shuttle back and forth between theatre and AVOD platform, needing to plunk down hundreds of dollars and invest dozens of hours in the process, was far too much to ask of more casual fans like me.
But I do acknowledge that there are plenty of people who are more zealotic, and the movie industry absolutely needs a kickstart after a year where the residual impact of strikes limited the major box office hits to primarily animated family fare. And with Disney being able to secure a three-day weekend release for its reboot of CAPTAIN AMERICA, appropriately subtitled BRAVE NEW WORLD, the pressure falls squarely on the firm shoulders of one Anthony Mackie, who takes over the iconic role from Chris Evans as of this weekend’s release. The LOS ANGELES TIMES Samantha Masunaga laid out the significance of this change in her preview which dropped earlier this morning:
Mackie’s character, (Sam) Wilson, has been in the franchise for years as fellow hero Falcon, introduced in 2014’s “Captain America: The Winter Soldier.” After Chris Evans’ Captain America concluded his story in “Endgame,” he passed his shield to Mackie, who fully assumed his role as the new Cap in the 2021 Disney+ series “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.”
The stakes of getting the handoff right are high. Nate Moore, a producer on the film and a longtime Marvel executive, calls the character a “cornerstone franchise” of the Marvel universe.
“We want to make sure that this movie works because Captain America is so significant,” he said. “It’s important for audiences to feel like, even with all the change … there is still a Captain America, he is still worthy, and he’s still out there, protecting people.”
A noble effort, to be sure. But one that has admitted risk, and with a timing that makes BRAVE NEW WORLD’s challenges especially daunting.
And so far, the response both creatively and monetarily has been lukewarm. USA TODAY’s Brian Truitt dropped a review this morning that was almost apologetic for the mediocre verdict he reached:
“Captain America: Brave New World” never reaches the heights of other Marvel movies starring a guy with a star-spangled shield. It does turn Harrison Ford into a ruby red rage monster, though, so it didn’t totally fail the assignment.
A veteran of the Marvel Cinematic Universe for a decade now, Anthony Mackie faithfully has taken the Captain America mantle from Chris Evans and given Cap new swagger and vulnerability. He’s not the problem with director Julius Onah’s geopolitically tinged “Brave New World” (★★½ out of four; rated PG-13; in theaters now). That culprit is an unruly narrative that starts as a paranoia thriller (a la “Captain America: The Winter Soldier”) and devolves into a campy “Hulk smash!” fest. The fact that Mackie puts the thing on his own mighty shoulders (with some help from talented castmates) and keeps it watchable is a minor miracle.
And DEADLINE’s Anthony D’Alessandro reported last night that the turnout so far has been similarly so-so:
Neither Los Angeles rain nor Northeast snow are keeping audiences away from cinemas tonight as Disney/Marvel Studios‘ Captain America: Brave New World, a continuation of both Disney+ series Falcon and the Winter Soldier and 2008’s The Incredible Hulk, is eyeing a $12M Thursday after previews which began at 2PM earlier today.
Where does that stack up to other MCU titles? Well, it’s higher than 2014’s Captain America: Winter Soldier which collected $10.2M in previews on its way to a $95M opening.
It’s also under the $17.5M previews of the last MCU title over Presidents Day weekend, 2023’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania which made its way to a $106.1M 3-day and $120.3M 4-day.
All this sort of pales to the elephant in the room that looms over this particular casting. Mackie/Wilson is the first Black Captain America, and he’s replaced as Falcon by Danny Ramirez, playing a character born as Joaquin Torres. So yeah, it’s MCU arguably crossed with DEI. In a week where the company that’s releasing this became the latest media conglomerate to genuflect on this issue, as NEWSWEEK’s Ewan Palmer reported:
Disney has reduced its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, including removing references to a program for “underrepresented voices,” in its latest Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing. Stefan Padfield, director of the Free Enterprise Project for the National Center for Public Policy Research, told Fox News Digital that Disney may be realizing there is a “vibe shift” regarding DEI now that Trump is back in office.
Disney’s 2024 SEC 10-K report no longer references its “Reimagine Tomorrow” program, an online space for “amplifying underrepresented voices” that highlighted some of the company’s DEI commitments and actions. A “Disney Look” appearance guideline, which the company had previously updated to cultivate an “inclusive environment that encourages and celebrates authentic expressions of belonging among employees,” was also dropped from the latest report.
The initiatives mentioned in Disney’s 2023 SEC filing included an incubator program to develop the “next-generation creative executives from underrepresented backgrounds.” The 2023 report had also detailed development programs and fellowships for underrepresented talent and learning opportunities, which “spark dialogue among employees, leaders, Disney talent, and external experts.”
And in what is now becoming almost a nightly given, the ever-intrepid Rick Ellis of TOO MUCH TV was able to glean some insight as to some other reasons besides responding to “cultural zeitgeist” that might have motivated this in the newsletter he released late last night:
While Disney had been working on changes to the employee guidelines internally for months, sources at the company tell me the timing was prompted by an inquiry from the FCC about Disney’s DEI and diversity initiatives. The belief within the executive ranks was that making the changes and making sure it was seen by Trump Administration officials (in this case, by leaking it to Axios) would put off any formal investigation similar to the one just launched against Comcast.
In a video interview with Agenzia Ansa, Anthony Mackie emphasized the importance of representation and the impact of seeing a hero who doesn’t conform to traditional molds. His words resonate with a world hungry for change, a world that needs its heroes to look like everyone. Speaking about the importance of representation, he said, “I think it’s just as important for Black kids to see a Black Captain America as it is for white kids. Growing up, my favorite hero was Green; it wasn’t about race or anything. It was about him being a good guy trying to do the right thing,” Mackie shared.