Sam Wilson’s ascent to the Captain America title has been a long time coming. We saw him don the star-spangled supersuit in the Falcon and the Winter Soldier in early 2021, but now, almost three years later, there’s still no sign of him in his new role. While there is a firm date for his return on the schedule in Captain America: Brave New World, multiple delays and reshoots have thrown the former Falcon’s future into question. However, the latest rewrite may be a good sign, not a bad one.
Deadline reports Moon Knight writer Matthew Orton will write additional scenes for Brave New World to be filmed in mid-2024, which coincidentally is when the film was first slated for release under the title New World Order.
Rewrites and reshoots so late in the game could be interpreted as a lack of confidence, but the opposite may actually be true here. Brave New World is one of the last movies of Phase 5, and the MCU’s latest stage has been wracked by strike delays, actor issues, a general sense of aimlessness, and the dark cloud of “superhero fatigue.” More scenes being added suggests Marvel is using every tool at its disposal to get the franchise back on track.
However, there are still several issues with the production as a whole. Aside from the name change and two separate delays, the movie has a story by the head writers of Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which implies the plot will likely build off its events.
The dismal box office performance of The Marvels proves a movie depending on a TV series is not a formula for success, so perhaps these rewrites are intended to distance Brave New World’s story from the show. At this point, there have been years — and several other Marvel shows — since The Falcon and the Winter Soldier premiered, so that would definitely be for the best.
Ultimately, the proof will be in the popcorn. Maybe Brave New World will be a disjointed mishmash that betrays its tumultuous production, but maybe these edits will refine and finesse it until it’s the best product possible. We’ll find out... eventually.
