Anthony Mackie firmly cements his place as an MCU lead by bringing meaningful depth and compelling subtlety to Sam Wilson in Captain America: Brave New World. After becoming the iconic hero in The Falcon and Winter Soldier, Mackie commands your attention from the get-go and his performance shows how much Sam has evolved while carrying the shield.

The movie shows Sam’s emotional and psychological burden of bearing the shield and Mackie's acting brings vulnerability and introspection in spades. Possessing non-serum enhanced strengths, he is entirely his own hero — he's not simply a Steve Rogers replacement. It’s also evident in how they choreographed Mackie’s Captain America fight scenes. Steve Rogers was a bruiser thanks to his Super Soldier serum, but Sam’s fight style is more acrobatic and tactical. They also did well to play up Sam’s more human qualities outside of fighting. The nod to Sam's early days as a VA counselor was a beautiful touch, fully pointing out the new qualities he brings to the Captain America mantle.

Mackie and Danny Ramirez had insane chemistry. We don't get to see many heroes/sidekicks in the MCU, so I really hope we get to see the two continue to team up throughout the next phase. Speaking of Ramirez, his Joaquin Torres was the breakout star of the movie for me. His humor is the type I prefer in the MCU, compared to the dumb himbo jokes that have defined Thor’s recent writing and everything ever written for Peter Quill. It also didn't hurt that Danny Ramirez is freaking gorgeous and fills out the new Falcon suit VERY well.

Harrison Ford, Carl Lumbly, and Giancarlo Esposito all shine in their respective roles. They chew up their scenes just enough to bring their characters to life without going overboard. Based on the trailers, Ford's President Ross/Red Hulk has a lot more nuance than I expected and the surprise cameo that ties Ross's story up was a nice touch. Lumbly brought his own blend of humor and heart to his portrayal of Isaiah Bradley. There were multiple times Lumbly's performance had me on the verge of tears. I would LOVE to see him play an ongoing mentor role to Sam similar to what Alfred does for Batman. In a shock to literally nobody, Esposito plays villainy SO well. It's nothing we haven't seen from him before but I'm not complaining.

There were a few times where the CGI/green scenes were rough, but the actors' performances saved the scenes. In many ways this film felt like the MCU going back to it's Phase 1/2 roots. The plot was contained and (mostly) neat. The action was reminiscent of classic 90s action thrillers. All in all, this was a solid entry into the MCU. Don’t let the haters steer you away from seeing it!

Rating: 8.5/10