Marvel Studios’ new film ‘Captain America: Brave New World‘ is generating buzz not just for its action-packed sequences but also for its striking political undertones. Known for its grounded storytelling, the Captain America franchise has often drawn inspiration from real-world events, and the latest instalment appears to take this approach even further.
Like the Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson and Sebastian Stan starrer ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’, which explored government surveillance and political conspiracies, ‘Brave New World’ delves into themes of global diplomacy and power struggles. Starring Anthony Mackie as the new Captain America and Harrison Ford as President Thaddeus ‘Thunderbolt’ Ross, the film is said to double as a political thriller. A key plot twist has particularly caught the attention of audiences, as it appears to mirror the events in American politics concerning US President Donald Trump.
In an exclusive interview with ETimes, director Julius Onah discussed how the film blends political conspiracy with superhero action, drawing parallels to real-world events. He clarified, “I got hired for in 2022 and that has been in development for some time.” He further went on to add, “Anything that overlaps with the real world is a coincidence, because, there’s a grounded nature to these stories and you’re dealing with a figure named Captain America. But because this thing was written and shot before anything that was happening politically right now.”He also emphasised that the film’s intent is to offer an engaging cinematic experience rather than a commentary on present-day politics. “That’s the priority to give you two hours where you get to escape your life and have a blast in the theatre and have this communal experience with an audience,” he said.
Harrison Ford also weighed in on the matter during the Los Angeles world premiere, stating to AFP, “I would not taint any movie with the reality of the world we’re living in right now. I prefer the Marvel universe to the morning’s news.”
Notably, Brave New World is the first Marvel film since Eternals (2019) to reference the emergence of the Celestial in the Indian Ocean.The storyline follows Ross as he attempts to negotiate an international treaty with America’s allies to share a newly discovered precious metal found on an island in the Indian Ocean. However, his efforts are complicated by his past associations and an international crime syndicate.
This scene has sparked conversation as it includes an Indian delegate among several world leaders. However, it is interesting to note that Marvel decided to replace the usual turban-wearing Punjabi character with a man bearing a short white beard, wearing a white kurta and Nehru jacket—closely resembling Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. While no direct reference or indication is made about the man’s credentials, audiences have taken to social media to share, “Didn’t expect Modi Ji cameo in #captain_America_Brave_New_World.”
Another shared the picture of the character and wrote, “Pm modi in #CaptainAmerica”
“NO WAY THEY GOT A similar guy as Modi in CAPTAIN AMERICA BRAVE NEW WORLD MOVIE Hillarious,” said another.
Addressing the speculation, director Julius Onah said to ETimes, “It’s not designed to copy any real-world figures. Everything is in service of making the best movie and telling the most entertaining story possible. And I’m thrilled that I was able to do that with Anthony, Harrison, and this entire crew.”
Captain America: Brave New World arrives in theatres in India on February 14. The film features a stellar ensemble cast, including Anthony Mackie, Harrison Ford, Danny Ramirez, Shira Haas, Xosha Roquemore, Carl Lumbly, Liv Tyler and Tim Blake Nelson. The film releases in theatres in English and several other dubbed versions including Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu.