New ‘Captain America’ film flies into Trumpian headwinds

LOS ANGELES: The latest in the Captain America film franchise which premiered in Hollywood yesterday presents a vision of the US out of step with the Trump era, with a diverse cast, a core message about unity and an endorsement of international diplomacy.

Lead actor Anthony Mackie under fire

Mackie, the first black actor to play the superhero, became a target last month after attempting to make a point about the universal message of Captain America as an ideal of good conscience and incorruptibility.

“Captain America represents a lot of different things, and I don’t think the term ‘America’ should be one of those representations,” he said at a promotional event.

“It’s about a man who keeps his word, who has honour, dignity, and integrity.”

New film features diverse cast and message

In “Captain America: Brave New World”, Mackie flies, fights and flings his famous shield in pursuit of world peace alongside flawed and mercurial president Thaddeus Ross, played by Harrison Ford.

Ross is attempting to negotiate an international treaty with America’s allies to share a precious new metal discovered on an island in the Indian Ocean, but is being thwarted by his past associations and an international crime gang.

Director Julius Onah’s vision

Directed by Nigerian-born Julius Onah, “Brave New World” features a diverse cast including Danny Ramirez and Xosha Roquemore.

Onah has said he insisted on inserting a line at the end in which Captain America tells Ross that “if we can’t see the good in each other, we’ve already lost the fight”.

“I think it speaks to the moral obligation that we all have to each other in a shared society, even when we might see things differently,” he told Vanity Fair.

A message out of step with Trump’s ‘America First’ policy

Such sentiments are out of fashion in Trump’s Republican party, with its hostile stance toward diversity and aggressive “America First” foreign policy.

In his first three weeks in office, the new US president has pursued a “war on woke” by cancelling federal diversity programmes, pulled the US out of international treaties, and threatened America’s allies.

Can the film appeal across political lines?

It remains to be seen whether the latest Marvel offering can appeal across political lines in such a polarised environment.

Onah told AFP that “telling a story like this, there is always going to be things that touch on the world we live in”, but said his priority was to make “a great escape for audiences to go have a good time”.

Conclusion

The film will be released internationally from today before hitting cinemas in the US on Friday.

FAQs

Q: What is the plot of the new Captain America film?
A: The film follows Captain America, played by Anthony Mackie, as he teams up with President Thaddeus Ross, played by Harrison Ford, to negotiate an international treaty and fight against an international crime gang.

Q: What is the message of the film?
A: The film promotes a message of unity, international diplomacy, and the importance of seeing the good in each other.

Q: What is the reaction to the film?
A: The film has received a mixed reaction, with some fans praising its diverse cast and message, while others have criticized its portrayal of Captain America as unpatriotic.

Q: Will the film appeal across political lines?
A: It remains to be seen whether the film can appeal across political lines in a polarized environment.