Captain America: Brave New Worldis the next major part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the leadup to its release has already settled a longstanding feud between two franchise stars.
Captain America: Brave New Worldhas been a bit of a contentious project from the get-go, having the responsibility of replacing Chris Evans’ iconic Captain America with Sam Wilson, Anthony Mackie’s former Falcon who now takes on the Mantle following the events of the Infinity Saga. Early in its development, there seemed to be little confidence in the film, and reports of rewrites and reshoots made this very apparent. However, this might have been for the best, as things ar4e in a different place now. With the film seemingly being improved drastically from the original state,Brave New Worldmight prove that reshoots can be a good thingfor a major project and fan excitement has since shot up in the wake of the new direction.
Recently, the film would start putting out more substantial promotional material, withCaptain America: Brave New WorldD23 footage confirming a promisingX-Menconnectionas well as establishing many other interesting plot points that could be explored beyond Phase 5 of the MCU. Anthony Mackie, who previously thanked fans for the reception the trailer received, took to hisInstagramto post a few images from San Diego Comic Con, noting his feelings about the magnitude of the response and going on to address fellow MCU star Tom Holland. “I had to take time and let the scope of what happened sink in. You were right @tomholland2013, it is different when you go with your own movie! #bravenewworld @isaia @marvelstudios @comic_con.” This comment confirms the end of a rivalry between the two stars.
Holland, whoconditionally returned to his iconic role as Spider-Manafter ending the much-acclaimedHometrilogy, has been in a joke feud with Mackie since 2018, where the two stars were paired up on a panel and Mackie admitted that he hadn’t seen any of Holland’s solo-led Spider-Man films. In response, Holland revealed that he hadn’t seen anyFalconmovie either because there wasn’t one. This would start a back and forth, with Holland disregardingFalcon and the Winter Soldieras well, and Mackie also sending playful shots at Holland, such as when discussingBrave New World.“Well, he’s Cap. Finally,” Mackie said on one such occasion. “Now we see him running missions on his own and trying to figure out where he fits into the whole world. This is way better than any of Tom Holland’s movies. And, I have
Harrison Ford!”
While playful, Holland’s point is real and valid, which Mackie has now accepted. Leading a film within the MCU is unlike any other challenge an actor can take on, even more so than a Disney+ series.Captain America: Brave New Worldneeds to contrast Sam Wilson with Steve Rogers, so there’s even more strain on Mackie to perform well in this solo outing. The addition of other big stars like Harrison Ford and Giancarlo Esposito is a double-edged sword as well, as this puts an even higher bar on the main character of the film. It’s clear that Makie has seen this firsthand, and he seems more than up to the challenge, judging by his excitement.
If things go really well,Captain America: Brave New Worldcan remind everyone what made the MCU greatafter the failures of 2023 and the new chance thatDeadpool & Wolverineearned for the franchise with its record-setting theatrical run. How well the film will actually do remains to be seen, but it’s clear now that Anthony Mackie deserved the chance to helm the project and appreciates the honor.
Captain America: Brave New Worldis set for theatrical release on Jul 26, 2025.
Captain America: Brave New World
Captain America: Brave New World (formerly titledNew World Order)marks Sam Wilson’s first MCU big-screen appearance as Steve Rogers' successor after receiving the suit and shield in Phase 4’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Anthony Mackie returns as the titular Avenger alongside Danny Ramirez as Joaquin Torres, Carl Lumby as Isaiah Bradley, and Tim Blake Nelson as The Incredible Hulk’s former ally Samuel Sterns. Harrison Ford makes his MCU debut replacing the late William Hurt as Thaddeus Ross.
