The Most Disappointing New Marvel Movie Just Squandered The MCU’s Biggest Opportunity

In the world of comics, superhero mantles are passed from character to character without a second thought. That’s especially true within the Marvel universe: multiple versions of iconic heroes exist in tandem, sometimes even simultaneously. There are two Hawkeyes, multiple versions of Captain Marvel, and at least 10 characters that have taken on the Captain America name. For the most part, it’s a system that makes sense — but keeping that same energy within Marvel’s Cinematic Universe has been practically impossible.

It’s not easy saying goodbye to the characters that formed the foundations of the MCU: one needn’t look further than Robert Downey Jr’s upcoming return (. But Ross at least goes through some change by the time the credits roll. The same can’t be said for his foil in Sam.

As the new Cap, Sam barely gets the opportunity to react to the circumstances around him. That’s partially because so many of these events have already happened in some variation in other Marvel projects. Even when Sam is emotionally affected by the drama unfolding around him — and even when he tries to handle familiar situations in his own way — it still somehow rings hollow. Brave New World doesn’t seem to know who Sam truly is apart from Steve, Joaquin, or Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan). It also fails to depict just how the new mantle has changed him… beyond sucking most of the fun out of his character.

Frustratingly, Brave New World had plenty of chances to fill the vacuum at its center. There are those who could actually challenge Sam’s status quo — like The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’s Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly), or Sidewinder (Giancarlo Esposito), the leader of the Serpent Society — but they’re essentially narrative afterthoughts here. Isaiah finds himself pulled into a new cycle of anti-Black violence, while Sidewinder is little more than a tease for a conflict to come. With the addition of another villain in Samuel Sterns (Tim Blake Nelson), Brave New World is entirely too crowded. Sam doesn’t have the room to truly come into his own… and with the MCU now barreling toward a conflict in the multiverse, it’s hard to say if he’ll ever get the chance.

After five years and ample opportunity, Marvel seems to affirm the fears that Sam’s been carrying since he picked up the shield. In another timeline, he could have carried the MCU into its next phase with ease — but until Marvel allows him to stand on his own, he’ll never be the Captain America the franchise needs.

Captain America: Brave New World is now playing in theaters.