After almost nine years away from movie theaters, the Captain America franchise is back with its fourth installment. Oh sure, we've seen Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson in Avengers movies and other Marvel Cinematic Universe adventures, but to see another Captain America movie in 2025; that's a real treat.
Of course, Captain America: Brave New World is led by a new Cap, as Sam Wilson officially takes over the shield from his best friend and mentor Steve Rogers. The original Cap handed his longtime buddy the shield in the aftermath of Avengers: Endgame and he officially took up the mantle in Disney Plus series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
Naturally, fans of the MCU franchise will be tuning in to see the 35th installment in the film series, but as Marvel is being more experimental, each title is different from the previous one. So, with more darker, mature titles in the saga, where does Captain America: Brave New World land on the scale? Is it fun for the whole family?
Captain America: Brave New World is rated PG-13 like almost all Marvel movies
Although Marvel Studios did release its first ever R-rated movie recently, Captain America: Brave New World once again lands in that sweet spot of PG-13. It holds that rating for "intense sequences of violence and action, and some strong language".
This is the same age rating that almost all of the MCU movies (and superhero movies in general) tend to hold, as the most mature aspects of them are often the action sequences or the violence of the showdowns that unfold. Oh yeah, and there is always the odd curse word thrown in there, too.
On that note, if you're hoping to watch Captain America 4 with your kids, here's what you need to know.
Violence: This is probably the most concerning aspect of Captain America: Brave New World when it comes to whether younger viewers should watch it. Given the film's more grounded tone, there is more than a little more violence. Not a lot by any stretch of the imagination, but there are a few troubling scenes that are worth paying attention to.
Near the start of the movie, a gagged individual is sliced on the face with a knife. It's darkly lit, but it is a troubling scene as the person begs their attacker not to hurt them or the other hostages. Throughout the movie, there is a lot of physical violence, as Sam engages in hard-fought battles against his enemies, even breaking a man's arm in one of them. And speaking of Sam, he is stabbed in the movie by one of its antagonists.
A number of people are shot in the film, including one man who shoots himself (albeit off-screen) and you see the two bodies of the men he killed prior to that.
Scariness: Although Captain America: Brave New World doesn't stray too far into the scary realm throughout the majority of the main plot, there are a few things to consider here too. The villain of the piece, The Leader, has a large, deformed brain-like head with green, glowing eyes that result in a pretty unsettling appearance for him. He spends most of the movie in shadows, or wearing a hat to conceal his identity, but even the sight of the green, glowing eyes in the dark is pretty unnerving.
The Red Hulk also features in this movie and he truly is a sight to behold. If your kids have seen The Incredible Hulk or any of the MCU movies to star Mark Ruffalo's Hulk, then it shouldn't be too out-of-the-ordinary for them. However, since Red Hulk plays an antagonistic role, he's a lot more aggressive than the Hulk we're used to seeing in the modern day MCU.
Language: A Marvel movie doesn't often shy away from at least one or two curse words, but it doesn't venture too far down that rabbit hole either. Captain America: Brave New World's more serious tone allows for a few more, so there are the typical words in there, such as "sh*t", and "ass".
Those are the main things you should be aware of when it comes to Captain America 4 but you know your kids better than anyone. If they're used to the level of intensity and action from previous Marvel movies, then they know what to expect. But given that this one is a somewhat more serious, grounded thriller, it pushes the boundaries a little further than your typical superhero movie.