Anthony Mackie reveals refreshing new direction for Captain America: Brave New World

The Marvel Cinematic Universe seems to be unable to make a move without an abundance of criticism being levied in its direction. Such is the life of a largely public and successful enterprise. Being a victim of your success can breed interesting dynamics in social scenarios. You breed niche sections of the same fandom who all want a great product, but the method to get there is disagreed upon relentlessly.

Anthony Mackie was interviewed by Radio Times and during the conversation, he revealed his disappointment over Marvel Studios' decision not to bring back Sebastian Stan (Bucky Barnes) and Daniel Bruhl (Helmut Zemo) in Captain America: Brave New World; the loss of Stan seems to be a controversial move to viewers who were hoping to see a reunion between the stars of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier in the film. Mackie stated:

"When they decided to go back to the movies, it is what it is, but I don't have my friends anymore, so it kind of dampens it a little bit."

Fans will understandably be disappointed that Bucky won't appear in the movie, but this also allows the film to do something completely different from what The Falcon and the Winter Soldier did.

Let's move on from the buddy-cop duo of Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes

Part of the beauty of the MCU is watching it evolve. Fans have seen Bucky Barnes alongside Captain America since the very beginning of the monumental journey Kevin Feige has taken fans on. After a full Disney Plus series devoted to Steve Rogers' best friends teaming up for a classic morally gray clash of bad guys versus good guys, it's time to see what these characters can do without each other to serve as a nostalgic crutch for fans to hold onto.

There have been loud complaints about the direction of the billion-dollar franchise, suggesting that a shake-up was needed to elevate the product. Those fans are getting their wish and this direction is not inherently bad.

The success of characters like the Guardians of the Galaxy is an example of taking chances with the stories you tell. So although recent reports indicate Bob Iger's desire to be more particular with what is put out, there is plenty of wiggle room in there to experiment with the stories told in those releases. The story of Cap and Bucky has run its course — not to mention it's been unlikely that Bucky would appear in Captain America 4 for some time now, so the time to be sad about the Winter Soldier's absence has passed and the time for excitement for a new creation is now.

Though the on-screen partnership between Wilson and Barnes is coming to an end (for now), fans still get the benefit of more Sebastian Stan in the near-future since the Winter Soldier will be returning to the big screen in the Thunderbolts film scheduled to be released on May 2, 2025. Captain America: Brave New World will kick things off for Marvel's 2025 movie slate set to hit theaters on February 14.