Marvel’s “Captain America: Brave New World” outperformed expectations, becoming the top-grossing film globally, despite receiving poor reviews and a backlash from some internet users over its casting of a Black actor in the title role. The movie, which cost at least $300 million to make, was projected to sell around $92 million abroad. However, it received a low grade from CinemaScore exit polls and only 50% positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, resulting in a “rotten” rating.
The film’s success can be attributed to its strong marketing campaign and the desire of some viewers to counter a perceived backlash against the casting of Anthony Mackie as Captain America. The actor had previously played the character in the Disney+ series “Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” which explored the theme of a Black man wielding the iconic shield.
Despite the poor reviews, Marvel’s decision to refresh the franchise by giving the title role to a Black actor appears to have paid off. The film’s performance suggests that the studio has taken steps to address quality concerns, as evident in the delay of the movie due to labor strikes and retooling of action sequences.
The success of “Captain America: Brave New World” also marks a departure from Marvel’s previous formula, which had struggled with films such as “Eternals” and “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.” The film’s director, Julius Onah, has limited experience with large-scale franchise movies. Nevertheless, the movie’s strong performance suggests that Marvel has found a winning formula for its cinematic universe.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/16/business/captain-america-marvel-box-office.html