The cinematic universe of superheroes may be restored. I kept my expectations neutral leading up to Captain America: Brave New World. The moving parts of the franchise and lots of questions about the storylines and what might happen with the characters kept swirling in my head prior to the screening I attended.  I am pleased to report, it is astonishing! It marks a new beginning after many events from the recent films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This one brings in key elements that audiences will be surprised by.

Sam Wilson (played by Anthony Mackie) is the new one to fill the shoes as Captain America. This film creates the storyline which sets up a new direction. Sam is training Joaquin Torres (played by Danny Ramirez) to be like him. The doors to new beginnings continue to evolve. The President is Thaddeus Ross (played by Harrison Ford), but it’s not clear if he on the good or bad side. His daughter is Betty Ross (played by Liv Tyler). There is a new conspiracy in the arena of international safety in Captain America: Brave New World. For its hero, the support is from Isaiah Bradley (played by Carl Lumbly). The film’s setup of characters who have seen new worlds and are now trying to fix the next big threat weaves in various directions in a multitude of ways.

The film does a stellar job of creating the foundation for its audience to think back to the year 2008. That was the year of The Incredible Hulk, and the last time Tyler was part of the franchise. Hulk is one of the superheroes that does not have a variety of his own separate titles (like most other Marvel heroes). However, the approach of writing in a way that causes the audience to think back keeps the pacing steady and provides hope for a later universe. The opening of doors in Captain America: Brave New World offers an intriguing combination which keeps the audience captivated.

The villains in this film truly deserve some emphasis and attention, because the film spirals with them. They are tied together. The big ones are Sidewinder (played by Giancarlo Esposito) and Samuel Sterns (played by Tim Blake Nelson). They know that Sam and Thaddeus are on the brink of teaming up for a variety of reasons. The film is able to keep a steady pace of blindsiding. The ultimate question in Captain America: Brave New World is which side seems to have more trust? The movie is extravagant in its direction and has a solid foundational approach. The battle between good and the bad in Captain America: Brave New World takes the film to a whole different level. It utilizes the tactic of keeping its characters in their ownlanes which helps establish a pattern of curiosity. The question of what may happen or go wrong when lines are faded adds plenty of excitement for what is in store. Three out of four stars.