After a month in theaters, Captain America: Brave New World remains a divisive talking point among fans of the MCU. Critically, the superhero flick wasn’t a hit with people paying to see it, sitting at 48% on Rotten Tomatoes, but the audience score is kinder, with a current 79%. That’s at least some sign that, despite the narrative, the movie is unanimously maligned; there are people who enjoyed the newest Captain America.

Now, is Captain America: Brave New World the best offering Marvel has given audiences in recent memory? No. Is it the worst movie the studio has put out? Also, no. The truth, as is with most things, lies somewhere in between. In the spirit of enjoying the franchise and finding things they can build on in the future, we take a look at some of the reasons Captain America: Brave New World isn’t as bad as you might have heard.

7Red-Hulk

Red is the new green.

Image via Marvel Studios

No one is going to say the special effects were 100% effective because the green screen is clearly being used in spots where basic outdoor scenes look odd. However, Red Hulk looked good, and his face-off with Captain America (Anthony Mackie) was a solid fight scene and the type of attraction that sells an MCU film. No one probably had “Harrison Ford turns into the Hulk” on their 2025 bingo card, that is, unless you watched any previews of the movie or had your eyes open while driving next to any billboard (which, hopefully, you were, because that’s important while driving!).

…Red Hulk looked good, and his face-off with Captain America was a solid fight scene and the type of attraction that sells an MCU film.

The marketing team may have fumbled Red Hulk’s reveal, but that’s not the movie’s fault, nor should it be blamed for it. It makes sense that a marketing team would want to publicize the inclusion of the character, but if it was absolutely necessary, it should have been done with managed expectations. If Red Hulk had been saved as a swerve in the third act, that would have been the thing every person had talked about leaving the theater. As it was, the overhyped nature of the character’s presence then made it seem underwhelming when it happened.

6‘Brave New World’ Works as a Standalone Adventure

You know what they say, keep it simple.

Image via Marvel Studios

MCU heroes have faced a continuing onslaught of world-ending scenarios that require team-ups and knowledge of multiple movies before they can understand all the characters in play. That’s why it was nice to have an entry that worked as a simple standalone story. At its core, Captain America: Brave New World focuses on personal shortcomings and the steps to be accountable and face them. The characters didn’t hide their connection to the larger Marvel universe, but the references were largely cosmetic.

At its core, Captain America: Brave New World focuses on personal shortcomings and the steps to be accountable and face them.

They’re going to be cameos in an MCU movie because that is part of the appeal of the franchise, but Captain America: Brave New World wasn’t dependent on them to keep the plot moving. If someone had never seen a Marvel movie before, they wouldn’t have picked up on the importance of who Bucky (Sebastian Stan) was, but they would be able to reasonably follow what was going on. The MCU will need more entry points for new audience members, and this was a step in the right direction.

5‘Captain America 4’ Has a More Upbeat Tone

It’s a needed return to form.

Image via Marvel Studios

The MCU had developed a slightly aggravating habit of making all their heroes joke machines, even in the face of imminent death, but a string of heavy storylines that included Avengers: Endgame and Eternals began to overcorrect in the direction of somber and sometimes depressing subject matter. It was a nice change of pace to have a light-hearted adventure where Captain America could joke around with new partner Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez). There was a more defined balance of comedy and drama in Captain America: Brave New World, with the quips saved for appropriate moments.

Not every entry needs a world-shattering threat that makes the hero a brooding mess.

At some point, the MCU needed to get back to the core fun that can be comic book movies, and that was largely accomplished with Deadpool & Wolverine, but in a more referential way that might not stand the test of time. Not every entry needs a world-shattering threat that makes the hero a brooding mess. Brooding superhero dramas will always have a successful home in theaters, but it’s like fast food; if you consume it every day, it starts to affect your mood.

4‘Brave New World’ Has Solid Action

He’s called “Captain” for a reason.

Image via Marvel Studios

Possibly it’s unfair to compare Captain America: Brave New World to recent entries like Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, but the action scenes in the newest Captain America movie were a great improvement. The action scenes would be a pivotal point to focus on, as a new Captain America would also come with a different way of approaching enemies. Sam might not have taken the super soldier serum, but his jetpack and wings allow him to perform aerial combat, which is creatively used throughout the film.

The action scenes would be a pivotal point to focus on, as a new Captain America would also come with a different way of approaching enemies.

There’s a tense action set piece that involves Captain America and Joaquin in the role of the Falcon as they work to stop a full-on war with Japan. After American fighter pilots are brainwashed into attacking Japan’s jets, Cap must find a way to safely remove the compromised pilots from the sky. The scene plays to the new Captain’s strengths while also reinforcing the ideals of Captain America, who would risk his own life to keep the peace. And then, of course, there’s the much-publicized battle between Cap and Red Hulk that takes place at the climax of the movie.

3‘Captain America 4’ Features Good Fan Service

It wouldn’t be Marvel without cameos.

While Captain America: Brave New World does a solid job of creating a standalone story, there are enjoyable moments of fan service for the MCU faithful hoping to get a glimpse of other characters who Sam has a relationship with. Bucky’s brief cameo was expected considering their time together in The Falcon and the Winter Solder, but it was still welcome, with Bucky giving his friend words of encouragement. The cameo also helped to advertise for the upcoming feature Thunderbolts*, where Stan will star alongside Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova and David Harbour as Alexei Shostakov.

Especially surprising was the return of Liv Tyler as Betty Ross, the daughter of President Ross. Tyler has not appeared in an MCU production since The Incredible Hulk alongside then-Hulk Edward Norton. She wasn’t on-screen for long, but Betty was able to give comfort to her dad and give the character of Thunderbolt Ross a nice send-off for what might be his last time on screen. Fan service such as this in small doses will reward longtime viewers without alienating new moviegoers who might already feel like there’s too much going on.

2Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson

He’s a new Cap for an aging franchise.

Image via Marvel Studios

The MCU is a franchise that listens to its fans, and when something clearly doesn’t work, it gets fixed, but first, an adjustment period to a new lead should be expected. As Sam Wilson, Anthony Mackie has always brought an everyman quality to a world filled with thunder gods and billionaires flying around in nuclear reactors. Sam’s as amazed as the audience about the things going on around him, and he’s brought that same energy to being Captain America.

Despite his fear of failure, Sam puts on the suit and does his best, which sounds like a very Captain America thing to do.

Sam is a man struggling with the concept of continuing a legacy with a persistent nagging doubt he’s the right man for the job. Despite his fear of failure, Sam puts on the suit and does his best, which sounds like a very Captain America thing to do. That’s a compelling story, and for the amount of time that they’ve had to tell it, Mackie is doing a good job of portraying a man who might feel in over his head but moves on anyway because quitting doesn’t accomplish anything.

1Harrison Ford as Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross

CGI a mustache on that face!

Image via Marvel Studios

Harrison Ford is a living legend, and if Indiana Jones wants to be in a Marvel movie, that should count for something. May we never be too jaded as a nation that we can’t get behind Ford doing an unofficial sequel to Air Force One, where he also does a little Hulk smash action at the end for good measure. Seeing Ford mix it up in the MCU was an unexpected surprise, and he didn’t phone in his performance either.

…Ford elevated the character into a man with complicated motivations.

There’s not going to be any Thunderbolt Ross lunchboxes in elementary schools, but Ford elevated the character into a man with complicated motivations. One of the more clear-cut unlikable characters in the Marvel roster became a dad who screwed up and wanted to make it right because Ford sold that desire to reconnect with his daughter. Of course, Ross still did awful things, but being president wasn’t going to curb a superiority complex.