Captain America 4 is okay?

Captain America 4 is finally out. Sam Wilson, formerly the Falcon, officially takes up the mantle of Captain America (Cap), continuing the story set up in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier—which I have not watched. From my understanding, that series already covered Sam taking on the role of Captain America, which means this film can’t rely on that storyline. This highlights the limitations of combining TV series and movies within the MCU.

So, what’s my mindset going in? My expectations are low. I’m not anticipating a major narrative push or an outstanding story—just an okay or decent movie at best. That sounds fair to me: an average film that introduces us to Captain Falcon. We’ve already had a political thriller with Captain America: The Winter Soldier, so this film needs to take a fresh approach. The question is: will they take risks, or will they play it safe? I’m not convinced they’ll do anything bold.

The original trilogy was a personal story about Steve Rogers. Here, the main character feels more like a supporting character rather than a lead. Sam’s nickname among comic book fans is Captain Falcon or Cap Falcon, but he can’t seem to shake off the feeling of being a side character. Why? He’s not the first character we see, he’s not part of the story for a while, and everybody else around him feels more important. What we get is a film that ties up loose ends, bringing together two main storylines into a very watchable but ultimately just “good” movie. It reminds me of Phase 1 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)—a solid 6 out of 10. It sets up plot points for the future if some writer wants to use them.

Avoiding Spoilers: My Review

This movie feels like it exists to tie up loose ends, explaining past events while attempting to push the story forward. It feels like a sequel to both The Incredible Hulk (2008) and The Winter Soldier (2014), maintaining a similar tone. However, it ends up doing both badly. The problem is that Wilson still feels like a supporting character. He performs unbelievable feats while trying to remain grounded, yet the film fails to maintain that grounded feel. MCU power levels are well above him, meaning these feats require explanations. This creates an issue: the stakes feel low when everything looks easy. While there are moments where that’s not the case, they don’t really change much.

One saving grace is Harrison Ford’s character. His storyline is well-written, to the point where he honestly feels like the main character. Meanwhile, Sam feels like he’s supporting Ford’s character rather than leading his own film. The movie ultimately feels like two separate films mashed together—a remnant of Marvel’s shift in quality during the Disney+ era. It’s a fine movie that somehow works, but it should have been a Hulk movie with Wilson getting his own standalone story. It’s fast-paced and to the point, but it just feels a bit underwhelming. Calling it a political thriller is a bit of an insult, really.

At one point, it feels like the movie has ended—only for it to keep going, giving us another ending. The big twist at the end feels rushed. You could have split the movie into two and had a better result. The action is fine but nothing groundbreaking, and it doesn’t quite suit Falcon, who feels forgotten in terms of character development. If Marvel keeps producing movies of this quality, it’s going to damage the brand. Maybe we’ve already reached that point. Personally, I would have scrapped the movie, written it off, and taken a long, hard look at the direction of the franchise. Leading up to this movie, we had plenty of reports about the production woes it faced.

Production Issues

This film had a rocky production. Writing began in 2021 following the Disney+ series, but the project faced multiple delays. Originally slated for release in May 2024, the movie was pushed back to February 2025 due to production setbacks. Filming began in March 2023 but was disrupted by the Writers’ Strike in May, which lasted until November. Despite the strike, filming continued, though additional rewrites took place after it ended. Early test screenings were poorly received, resulting in further rewrites and reshoots. These reshoots occurred from January to June 2024—and again from May to November 2024—causing even more delays. Deadpool & Wolverine started filming later yet was still released first in 2024.

I’m not sure what to think. Actors and directors claim reshoots are common practice, but one thing is clear: this movie’s production was anything but smooth. Writer strikes often lead to weaker films, which raises concerns. Then again, I don’t know the ins and outs of Hollywood, so maybe this level of reshooting is normal. Based on the timeline, it seems like a third of the movie was redone. Given Marvel’s struggles in the Disney+ era, this is a middle-of-the-pack film. Whatever the case, reshoots did have an impact here. Yet, it remains a watchable film because of them. Impressive. I’ve been pretty critical and negative so far, so how would I have done it?

My Version of This Movie

The biggest problem I have is that I never watched The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Falcon is the new Captain America but not officially. The government doesn’t want him around. He’s a normal guy with wings, but they aren’t high-tech. Everything he does is a challenge. His acrobatics are how he overwhelms people—not by using strength. An outsider that the president turns to. He arrives at the White House, where the president greets him. No longer representing America, Sam is a reluctant hero. The president isn’t happy about Sam taking the shield. They don’t get along at all. The meeting goes poorly, and Sam settles down to being a social worker. He’s called back to investigate an unfolding mystery—the only person the president trusts. Sam is trying to find out where Nick Fury is, who the next Avengers could be, and why somebody is trying to destabilise America. He doesn’t trust the people around him, and they are clearly hiding something. Someone is trying to create a new world order, removing Ross from the White House and causing trouble.

Sam enlists a retired Bucky Barnes to help, along with some old friends. What follows is a political thriller with Sam and the Winter Soldier at the forefront. Sam learns to lead and become his own man, while Bucky helps him grow, acting as a mentor and friend. They discover that “X” is behind the plot to destroy the White House. After learning to work within his limits, Sam emerges as the leader people need. Bucky is sidelined and does not get any credit due to his public image. Two teams are formed: the Thunderbolts and a newly restarted special Falcon forces program. Nick Fury finally appears, warning Sam that something isn’t right—heroes are disappearing, leaving only the new generation behind. Everything they need to fight off threats, like super-soldier research, has gone. Sam sets off with a wanted Nick Fury, both going underground. Bucky fully embraces his Winter Soldier persona again under the command of Thunderbolt Ross. Ross is portrayed as a morally grey character, with Nick Fury providing a counterbalance. Turns out the person behind it all is Ross, who wants new metals and resources for himself, viewing himself—not Fury—as the best hope to defend the Earth.

Closing Thoughts

What we have here is a movie that plays it safe. It feels like an earlier Marvel film, hinting at a future team-up but without an overarching narrative linking everything together. Once again, it echoes the earlier days of the MCU. A couple of solid movies have come from Phases 4 and 5, and this one slots nicely into the middle. It’s not the worst, and it’s watchable. In my opinion, The Eternals and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania hold the worst spots. Captain Falcon gets a solid 6 out of 10 for me. My review is pretty negative, but it’s not a bad movie, so I can’t rate it like one. The negativity comes from the high points of the MCU being so good—yet this seems to forget the lessons of what came before. You can skip this one and just stream it on Disney+. The trailers haven’t helped either—why reveal the big twist in them?