To all the MCU fans saying that Sam "should've" taken the super soldier serum and that being of average human strenght won't be helpful when fighting against mightier, bigger villains such as Doom or Galactus, to them I say:
Sam may technically not have super strenght, but let's not knock his fighting skills either, even without taking his suit's Wakandan enhancements into account. Just look at the BNW opening scene and then we'll talk. Sam is a super skilled fighter in his own right.
I know not all villains are going to be able to be reasoned out of their villain ways, but it's always worth a shot, and Sam is by far the best person to do that. Empathy and compassion ARE strenghts, ones that superhero movies way too often overlook, and it's honestly refreshing to see a hero that can promote that.
It's not as if he doesn't know anyone who can give him a hand in the fighting. The point of the BNW ending is that Sam's going to assemble his Avengers line-up, and chances are a GOOD chunk of the ones already announced for Doomsday are gonna be part of his team. Plus, if it wasn't for that stupid and OOC Thunderbolts* ending, Bucky would for sure be on his team as well, to satisfy the fanboys who are so desperate for serum-infused heroes. In a world where the TB* ending is less idiotic, Bucky would've presented the new team to Sam after getting Valentina in jail (as they should have), and I'm sure Sam would've been willing to give them a shot. Or at least a trial period or something.
What Bucky said in BNW was true: Sam gives people something to aspire to. Heroes in the MCU are Earth's protectors, true, but they're also public figures and celebrities. That's a fact we can't ignore. So the importance of Sam inspiring people, ALL kinds of people, to be better and to never give up regardless of their limitations is HUGE actually, and shouldn't be overlooked.
In honor of 'Captain America: Brave New World' hitting Disney+ today, here's a throwback of a commission I did for my co-author @juliennepearldy in 2022 (hence the artstyle looking a bit different 😅) of Bucky, Roxanne, and Joaquin supporting their friend, their leader, their Captain, Sam Wilson. As they should.
By the way, for those not in the know, these four as a group in the Sedaverse are referred to as New Team Cap. They're a family and I love them, and also there will be a brand new artwork of them coming pretty soon. In the meantime, I hope you'll enjoy this.
Friendly reminder that any movie that shows Bucky Barnes being anything other than supportive and loyal to Sam Wilson is OOC and lying to you. ❤️
I thought I'd share my thoughts about it! Disclaimer, this isn't a proper review or much less an analysis, these are literally just some scattered personal thoughts and opinions. Yapping, if you will. 😬 Think of it as my Bluey Minireviews, but longer. 😅 You may disagree with me and that's fine, but please be civil in your interactions, thank you.
Oh, and just in case, spoilers ahead.
BNW movie wasn't perfect, but it was FAR better than the fanboys online led me to believe.
I don't care what anyone says, Sam is an amazing main character. A friend of mine pointed out how awesome it is that his first move is always to de-escalate conflict. His people skills and getting others to aid him and be on their side are honestly so underrated, and are actually a great skill to have when you're Captain America.
Also worth mentioning that his compassion and empathy are by far the best aspect about him, and I love that we have a hero that displays those qualities. But that doesn't stop him form being an incredibly cool hero and fighter all the same. Sam is just such a great role model and I love having him as Cap.
I've also really liked Joaquin ever since TFATWS, and this movie made me love him even more. He's just so funny and sweet and a great friend to Sam. I loved getting more of him. 🥰
Isaiah and his story also continues to break my heart and how he gets continuously used by others and treated so unfairly, but it also makes me very happy that he has Sam now and that he was able to once again bring some justice to Isaiah's name. Glad he ended the movie on a good note.
Almost every review and plot summary I read online about this movie made me think the plot was going to be hard to follow, too clogged, or convoluted. But in my opinion, it really wasn't, and I thought all plot lines actually came together quite nicely. I honestly could've done without all the Incredible Hulk elements, and yeah, it honestly does kind of suck that they gave Sam leftovers from not one but two of the MCU's worst-ever received movies (although in full transparency, I actually liked Eternals more than most people), but for what they did with it, it felt really well handled.
I'll also be honest about not being a fan of how this film tried to make us sympathize with Ross far more than I would've liked to, but to their credit, the film doesn't overly-victimize him or make an effort to make us think "Oh he's always been A Great Dude™ actually" or anything like that. It leaves clear that Sam still doesn't like him and that Ross is still an irascible jerk, but apart from him taking a very smart approach to working with Ross, it's very in-character of Sam to still give him opportunities to be a better person, because he sees that Ross wants to become a better person (even if he falls short more often than not), and him wanting to do so for his daughter was a believable motivation. And that line about Sam still seeing him as a soldier who needed support? Amazing. 10/10. Peak Sam Wilson.
Sterns as the main villain was another element I didn't like from the get-go, mainly because 1) I personally hate know-it-all villains, 2) his role in The Incredible Hulk was forgettable in my opinion, and 3) him having zero connection with Sam made me fear that he wasn't going to feel very impactful as a villiain. And unfortunately, I was proven right. 😬 Don't get me wrong, he was threatening, his plan was solid, and he played his part in the plot just fine. But that's about it. I honestly don't feel anything towards him other than annoyance, especially in that post-credit scene. Like, yeah, thanks for the reminder that the multiverse is still coming. Still doesn't make me look forward to it. 😑 (If the multiverse storyline does hype you, I'm glad, and please don't let me take that away, I just personally don't like it)
Also, I'd hate to become one of those people who only talk about this part of the film, because this film was about SAM and he's the one who should be getting the spotlight and be talked about. However, you all know me and my bias, and I'm sure you'll want to know what I thought of the Bucky scene, so here it is: It was beautiful. It was a gorgeous scene and really a prime, peak example of what the friendship between Sam and Bucky should be. Proof that Bucky isn't, in fact, emotionally unavailable, at least not with Sam. THIS is the Bucky I know and love, a Bucky who is nothing but supportive of Sam Wilson and is there for him when he needs him, even if he can't be there all the time. Funny how the writers of this film understood his character and made him more justice in 3 minutes than the Thunderbolts* writers did in 2 hours. You can tell clearly who watched TFATWS and who didn't. As far as I'm concerned, this is the last canon Bucky scene. "I love you, buddy." 🥹
So, to wrap it up, I enjoyed BNW more than I thought I would, not only because of the trolls and haters online, but also because I'm usually not a fan of political thrillers. Was this the best movie ever? No, it wasn't. But I think Sam and Joaquin carried it REALLY well and I was invested in their storyline and their interactions the entire time. I love those two and I hope their future MCU entries will get a better treatment by the franchise, because those two deserve the world. The Ross storyline was not my favorite but worked well for what it was. The emotion was hard-hitting and made the characters feel very human and relatable, and the action was also super engaging and proved unequivocably that Sam is a really cool and very capable Captain America.
Sam is my Cap.
This movie was a really good time. If you're on the fence about it, please go give it a chance, and hopefully, you'll be pleasantly surprised.
