Thanks to Anthony Mackie’s comments about Captain America: Brave New World, audiences can be much more hopeful that the film could be the Marvel story we have waited six years for. Captain America 4‘s release date is right around the corner, meaning more marketing for the movie is being released. Outside the official trailers, Marvel Studios has begun the stream of featurettes and behind-the-scenes looks at the upcoming MCU movie which delve deeper behind the curtain.

These featurettes even feature teases from Captain America: Brave New World‘s cast, with the likes of Anthony Mackie and Harrison Ford giving information on what is to come from the fourth installment in the Captain America franchise. As such, excitement is building for the 2025 Marvel movie, especially due to some comments made by Mackie himself. During a so-called “First Look” featurette, Mackie was shown explaining what he believes audiences can expect from Captain America: Brave New World. One phrase specifically stands out, with Mackie promising a Marvel movie audiences have desired for six years.

Anthony Mackie Insists Captain America: Brave New World Is “Old-School Marvel”

Marvel May Have Tried To Recreate The Past

In this featurette, Mackie is shown talking about his experience on-set as the new Captain America. He goes on to explain what it was like working with Harrison Ford as Thunderbolt Ross before making a comment that caught the attention of many. Anthony Mackie states that he thinks “audiences are gonna really appreciate bringing it back to old-school Marvel, and I’m excited for people to see that.” Naturally, this is a bold claim from Mackie, primarily stemming from the reaction to the MCU post-Avengers: Endgame.

This is not to say that there have been no good projects since 2019, but many are certainly in agreement that the MCU has somewhat lost the ever-impressive consistency it possessed during Phases 1, 2, and 3. Similarly, it is commonly agreed that the best-ranked MCU movies come from the Infinity Saga, with only a select few projects from the Multiverse Saga coming close to those. Therefore, Mackie’s claim that Captain America: Brave New World will bring back “old-school Marvel” is an intriguing one that audiences will be hoping is true.

Captain America: Brave New World’s Trailers Give Me Hope That Anthony Mackie Is Right

Captain America 4’s Tone Certainly Seems To Match Mackie’s Comments

As much as anyone else, I am hoping that Anthony Mackie is correct about Captain America 4 going back to old-school Marvel. Although I have liked many movies and shows in the Multiverse Saga, the idea of reverting to what made Marvel so special during the Infinity Saga is endlessly appealing. Thankfully, what I have seen from Captain America: Brave New World thus far gives me hope that Mackie is correct. The trailers for the film have been admittedly impressive and strike a tone similar to other Captain America movies like The Winter Soldier and Civil War.

The movie seems to be aiming for a story akin to political thrillers, which has even been backed up by Captain America: Brave New World‘s inspirations. The film’s director, Julius Onah, cited movies like The Day of the Jackal, Klute, All the President’s Men, and The Parallax View as inspirations for Captain America 4, all of which are some of the most revered political thrillers in cinema history. Combining this with the more grounded tone of the film’s trailers, I am more hopeful than ever that Mackie’s comments are right.

Why Reverting To “Old-School Marvel” Is Good For 2025 & Beyond

The MCU Slate Will Benefit From A More Focused Marvel

Another element of old-school Marvel that I am hoping will translate to Captain America 4 and other upcoming movies is a more focused overarching narrative. If the franchise can recapture this from the Infinity Saga, it can only be a good sign for the Marvel movies coming in 2025 and beyond. As everyone is aware, the MCU is gearing up for two huge Avengers movies in 2026 and 2027: Doomsday and Secret Wars. These movies are expected to conclude the Multiverse Saga only in a different way than was initially planned with Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.

Given the differences that have been made to the two-part conclusion of the MCU’s Phase 6, many are hoping that Marvel will refocus the studio’s upcoming movies to better foreshadow what is to come in Avengers: Doomsday and the sequel story of Avengers: Secret Wars. Reverting to old-school Marvel certainly seems a way to do that, with the Infinity Saga never really lacking in its interconnectivity. If Captain America: Brave New World is the first step in reverting to this more connected version of a shared universe, it can only be positive for the big Marvel movies coming in the next few years.