Spurned fanfic shippers, political protests, and a Black superhero long sidelined by fans and Marvel alike: What the release of “Captain America: Brave New World” says about the MCU in 2025.

It’s the first movie for Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) as the newly-minted Captain America, and he’s teamed up with new Falcon Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez). We got a chance to meet Torres as a character in the Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

The first reactions to Captain America: Brave New World have dropped, and they're pretty mixed on the Marvel Phase 5 movie. Some have been calling it a return to form for the MCU, while others say the cast deserve better.