Captain America returned to theaters last week, and not without controversy.
Marvel Studios’ “Captain America: Brave New World,” directed by Julius Onah, marks the fourth installment in Captain America’s big-screen franchise and the first outing of Sam Wilson (portrayed by Anthony Mackie) as the character, having received the mantle upon the retirement of Steve Rogers during the events of “Avengers: Endgame” in 2019.
Within the Marvel universe, this means Wilson now has to unwind an international conspiracy surrounding the president of the United States, Thaddeus Ross (played by Harrison Ford).
In the real world, however, “Brave New World” has been mired in controversy since long before it reached theaters.
In preproduction, the film had to change its name from “Captain America: New World Order” to “Captain America: Brave New World” due to the association of the former with an antisemitic conspiracy theory.
Controversy again struck the film when, in 2022, the studio announced the casting of Israeli actress Shira Haas as the superhero Sabra, a character who works for the Israeli military. The casting led to calls for the movie’s boycott from Palestinian activists, and when the war in Gaza broke out in 2023 and made Israel even more controversial, the film’s creative team decided to renege on the character’s backstory and instead make her a U.S. government agent.
Perhaps the largest source of the political discourse surrounding the film is addressed within the movie itself: “Brave New World” marks the first time the mantle of Captain America will be carried by a Black man.
The character of Captain America, created in 1940, was designed as an idealized representation of America, as a deliberate response to Nazi propaganda portraying German ‘superiority’. In the 85 years since, the character has constantly been caught up in tricky conversations about what, on a broader level, being an American means: What are American ideals and values? What is American culture? What are American aspirations?
The debut of a Black Captain America, then, was always going to be fraught. The timing of Mackie’s portrayal, though, makes things even more charged. The new presidential administration has spent the last month pursuing a crusade against “DEI” which it sees as members of minority groups getting positions they supposedly don’t deserve.
Right-wing commentators have been quick to apply this label to the new Captain America, referring to Sam Wilson as “Captain DEI.” Some on the right even called for a boycott of the film due to comments Mackie made that were regarded by some as unpatriotic.
On the other hand, there are complications stemming from a Black man putting his life on the line for and wearing the flag of a country and a government that has historically oppressed his people.
This issue is addressed in the film and in the Disney+ series “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” which precedes the events of “Brave New World.” In the series, Wilson is hesitant to take on the Captain America mantle due to his experience with marginalization as a Black man in America.
The show also introduces a character named Isaiah Bradley (played by Carl Lumbly), a Black soldier who was given powers through super soldier serum, like Steve Rogers. But while Rogers became a hero as the original Captain America, Bradley was held prisoner and experimented on for 30 years.
His victimization, despite his service to the country, recalls the plight of Black veterans who returned from serving in World War II to find segregation and violence awaiting them at home, while their white counterparts received heroes’ welcomes.
“They will never let a Black man be Captain America,” Bradley tells Wilson in the series. “And even if they did, no self-respecting Black man would ever want to be.”
Aside from political implications, expectations are high for the film, and a lot is riding on the financial and critical outcome of “Brave New World’s” release for Marvel Studios. Marvel spent a decade building up to the record-breaking climax of “Infinity War” and “Endgame” in 2018 and 2019. Since then, the franchise has slid into the doldrums, with a string of financial and critical failures that have disappointed fans. Both the studio and many fans are hoping for the return of a beloved character to the screen to jolt the franchise back into cultural relevancy.
Ultimately, “Brave New World” seeks to bring to life a relatable hero and a compelling story with solid action. Whether it will be able to defy both the weight of expectations, and the heat of controversy remains to be seen.
