Is the latest Captain America film a bold step forward, or a symptom of a larger malaise in the Marvel Cinematic Universe? We grapple with this question, flying into Captain America: Brave New World, not just as a superhero spectacle, but as a cultural artifact reflecting our anxieties about legacy, power, and the very nature of heroism.

Sam Wilson's transition from Falcon to Captain America is a referendum on what it means to inherit a symbol in a world that no longer understands symbols. Is he a worthy successor to Steve Rogers, or is he fighting a "broken system?" The answer, it seems, is as complex and multifaceted as the Vibranium shield itself.

But the film's struggles extend beyond its titular hero. It is not, for example, truly a Captain America story. It is a backdoor pilot for a new era of Marvel, one where interconnected lore trumps individual narrative coherence and a legacy sequel to a 17-year-old film. And so we talk about the film's connective tissue, tracing that lineage back to The Incredible Hulk and pondering its implications for the future of the MCU.

What of the villains? Is the Leader a chilling reflection of real-world anxieties about misinformation and control, or is he a pastiche of too-familiar tropes? We examine the film's political undertones, questioning whether its geopolitical machinations are a sophisticated commentary on our times or a sort-of manifestation of a collection of writers who have heard of “The West Wing.” 

Joining Pete Wright to unpack these thorny issues are Tommy Metz III, Steve Sarmento, Justin Jeager, and Mike Gravagno. Together, they steer through the film's strengths and weaknesses, its moments of brilliance, and its frustrating missteps, arriving at a verdict that highlights a good will toward the characters, and even the future films on the docket, in spite of a troubling outing this time.