Captain America: Brave New World Has One Big Uphill Battle

Summary

Captain America: Brave New Worldis only a few months away from being released in cinemas, and the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movie has one big fight that it needs to win. The upcoming film will star Anthony Mackie, and fans aren’t entirely convinced that the actor can carry aMarvel Studiostentpole movie on his own.

Anthony Mackie has been part of the MCU for a long time now. He was first introduced as Sam Wilson (AKA The Falcon) inCaptain America: The Winter Solider.The character has been an important part of the MCU ever since, and it all resulted in him getting his own Disney Plus series,The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. Now, he’s going to get to lead his ownMCU movie inCaptain America: Brave New World. This is a massive step for both the character and the actor. The question is, does Anthony Mackie have what it takes to be the main star of an MCU movie?

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Can Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson Be The MCU’s Captain America?

There have been questions surrounding Anthony Mackie as Captain America ever sinceThe Falcon And The Winter Soldierrevealed that he would be tasked with holding the shield in the MCU moving forward. Fans speculated that he might not be the right choice, and there have even been calls from the fandom tobring Chris Evans back as Cap. That said, Marvel Studios is adamant that Mackie will play the iconic Marvel Comics superhero moving forward, and his performances in the MCU back that decision up.

The Falcon And The Winter Soldierwas all about Sam Wilson getting to grips with the fact that Steve Rogers wanted him to be the one to take up the mantle of Captain America next. It was a hard decision, especially withSebastian Stan’s Winter Soldierout there. He would also make an excellent Captain America, and he has superhuman strength, which Sam Wilson doesn’t. That was one of the big gripes that fans have with Sam Wilson as Captain America, and it’s quite understandable.

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Sam Wilson’s Character Has Potential

However, inThe Falcon And The Winter Soldier, the one thing that fans could all agree on was that Anthony Mackie’s performance was the heart of the series. The series was a bit of a mess, but he kept it all together, despite its many flaws. His performance proved that he could lead a big Marvel property with no issues whatsoever. Mackie just needs a good script and good people around him, and it seems like that’s going to be the case withCaptain America: Brave New World.

It will be interesting to see in the upcoming MCU films how Mackie fares in the biggest and baddest battles fans have seen in the MCU. It’ll be tough for Sam Wilson, given the fact that he has no superpowers. He is just a regular guy fighting superhuman and superpowered individuals. He could be squashed and killed in an instant. However, he’s not the only one. Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man had no superpowers, but he was the cleverest guy in every room he walked into, and his suit gave him superpowers.

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Also, considerScarlett Johansson’s Black Widow, neither of whom had superpowers, but they could hold their own on the battlefield. Upon reflection, Sam Wilson isn’t alone in being a vital member of the Avengers without superpowers. What really matters are his spirit, technical abilities, and leadership qualities, all of which he has in abundance.

Still, there’s a more pressing question. Even if Sam Wilson as a character can be Captain America, does Mackie as an actor have what it takes to bethe Marvel Cinematic Universe’s leading man?

The actor has already shown that he can lead a Marvel series on Disney Plus. Even thoughThe Falcon And The Winter Soldierwasn’t the most celebrated Marvel show, it wasn’t the worst, and Mackie wasn’t the issue. His performance, along with his on-screen chemistry with Bucky Barnes, held that show together. The show’s writing was the main issue, as the series suffered because of the pandemic. The higher-ups at Marvel decided that the original story, about a virus that had been released to the public, was too close to what was happening in real life, and so they decided to change it. This resulted in some messy writing, but the actors' performances were solid.

Anthony Mackie Is The MCU’s Captain America For a Good Reason

Anthony Mackie’s performances in the MCU as Sam Wilson have been well-received, and he has proven time and time again that he does have the acting ability to carry an MCU moving. More importantly, Marvel movies are never really about star power. It’s the characters that people care about, and moviegoers will undoubtedly want to see what will happen to Captain America in the MCU moving forward.

And if star power is important, Harrison Ford will be inCaptain America: Brave New Worldas Thunderbolt Ross, which will be a box office pull on its own. Bringing such a big name into this movie might have been deliberate on Marvel Studios' behalf, and it’ll be interesting to see whether audiences will flock to the cinemas to see Ford’s debut in the MCU.

However, as far as Anthony Mackie is concerned, it seems as though the movie and the future of the MCU are in a very safe and strong pair of hands. He has delivered excellent performances as The Falcon, and he’s earned his opportunity to be the star of one of Marvel Studios' biggest upcoming pictures.

Captain America: Brave New Worldwill be released in cinemas on June 04, 2025.