With just under three months left until it hits theaters, Captain America: Brave New World has entered its fourth round of reshoots after reports of yet another disastrous test screening.
The saga of this film is a long one, telling the tale of a troubled production that has seen one new title, one new antagonist, and four expensive and expansive reshoots ahead of its February 14th release.
Captain America/Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) in Marvel Studios’ CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2024 MARVEL.
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Originally Dubbed Captain America: New World Order, the film has become something of a Frankenstein’s monster after a series of horrific test screenings reportedly led to:
- Numerous reshoots
- Giancarlo Esposito joining the cast
- WWE’s Seth Rollins either cut from the movie entirely or only appearing in a vastly reduced role
- A budget bloat so massive that many believe production costs ahead of marketing might be nearing $500 million.
“Reports that the fourth Cap adventure was set to undergo more reshoots were recently confirmed when star Anthony Mackie was spotted shooting new scenes for the movie in LA,” Comic Book News noted in their report. “There was speculation that these might simply have been a few minor pick-ups, but it’s staring to sound like they may have been more extensive.”
Anthony Mackie behind the scenes of Marvel Studios’ CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD. Photo by Eli Adé. © 2024 MARVEL.
Extensive reshoots this close to release for a Marvel film don’t bode well for the final product. Marvel films are very VFX heavy, and there might not be enough time to finish the visuals in a convincing way. That’s the kind of scenario that gives you Superman’s horrific mustache CGI in Justice League.
News of the reshoots were first reported by Daniel Richtman and later confirmed by other outlets.
The film stars Anthony Mackie as the titular Star Spangled Man, having inherited the mantle of Captain America from Steve Rogers, played by Chris Evans, in Avengers: Endgame. Mackie previously donned the stars and stripes in the Disney+ series Falcon and The Winter Soldier.
The movie will also see Harrison Ford stepping into the role of President and former general Thunderbolt Ross, who was originally played by the late William Hurt in The Incredible Hulk, Captain America: Civil War, and Avengers: Endgame. He’ll also be transforming in this film into the antagonistic Red Hulk.
CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD. © 2024 MARVEL.
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Also reprising their roles from The Incredible Hulk will be Liv Tyler as Betty Ross and Tim Blake Nelson as Dr. Samuel Sterns, AKA The Leader.
Yes, these are all Hulk characters and this is a Captain America movie.
Many believe that with four expensive reshoots banked, the film will have to approach or exceed the billion dollar mark to be profitable. To date, 11 films in the MCU have made over $1 billion. Only three of them occurred after Avengers: Endgame, and two of those are Spider-Man movies that belong to Sony. The other is Deadpool and Wolverine, which was based on a Fox property and featured a whole lot of nostalgia and cameos.
(L-R): Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool/Wade Wilson and Hugh Jackman as Wolverine/Logan in 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios’ DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE. Photo by Jay Maidment. © 2024 20th Century Studios / © and ™ 2024 MARVEL.
With that in mind, it seems unlikely that Captain America: Brave New World will be able to achieve profitability.
What do you think about these Captain America reshoots? Are you concerned the movie will be a stitched together mess? Will you even go see it? Sound off and let us know your thoughts!
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