Marvel Studios has finally done the right thing in switching out Captain America 4‘s unsavory title for a much better one. Thanks to Anthony Mackie revealing the first look at him back on set as Sam Wilson, alongside Harrison Ford no less, we now know the MCU’s first movie of 2024 is officially called Captain America: Brave New World, instead of the politically loaded New World Order.
Apart from carrying suitably dystopian connotations for a movie that is believed to see Sam’s Cap having the entire U.S. government against him after Ford’s Thaddeus Ross becomes President of the United States, there seems to be an implicit deeper meaning in this choice of title that almost makes a promise to the fans. Given how the signs are pointing to Cap 4 being integral to the expansion of the Earthbound side of the MCU’s Multiverse Saga, the fact we’re entering a “brave new world” says a lot.
We’re still only halfway through 2023, but the remainder of the year promises to be just as contentious for the franchise as the first half, what with the likes of The Marvels and Loki season 2 — thanks to Jonathan Majors’ inclusion — no doubt due to court controversy. Captain America 4 will mark a chance for a new start for Phase Five, then, effectively making it Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania 2.0. after that film failed to kick off this chunk of the Multiverse Saga in the way it deserved.
Director Julius Onah has explained that Brave New World will be all about Sam learning how to be a leader, which rather suggests he’ll assemble a team. Given Avengers: The Kang Dynasty being fast on the horizon, there’s a very real chance Cap 4 could introduce the New Avengers, the first time we’ve seen the group form since Endgame. If that is the case, it massively increases the movie’s importance to the ongoing narrative. Just as Quantumania debuted Kang, Cap 4 could introduce the heroes set to stop him.
Unfortunately, as we saw with Ant-Man 3, it’s easy for a Marvel effort that’s only so-so to buckle under the pressure of holding up an entire phase on its back, so this optimistic title change only invites much more scrutiny for Captain America 4. Especially after The Falcon and the Winter Soldier has been criticized in some quarters for its story progression and character development.
If handled correctly, however — the script was also completed before the writers’ strike, so we don’t have that to worry about — Captain America: Brave New World could be just the antidote to recent negativity the Marvel universe is waiting for. With Ford on board, Incredible Hulk callbacks aplenty, and Mackie owning it as our new Sentinel of Liberty, let’s hope Marvel can deliver on its promise to serve up something brave and new come May 3, 2024.
