Marvel Studios’ annual blockbuster Captain America: Brave New World had been showing in cinemas worldwide for three weeks as of March 2, with its global box office revenue standing at just $341.8 million. By comparison, its predecessor Captain America: Civil War, released in 2016, grossed $1.155 billion, ranking among the top 30 highest-grossing films of all time.
Since Avengers: Endgame peaked in both critical acclaim and box office success in 2019, the decline of the American superhero film genre has become evident. For instance, The Marvels (2023) grossed just $206 million worldwide, an over 80-percent drop from its predecessor’s $1.068 billion.
Many critics have also attributed the failure of the latest Captain America movie to the fatal flaw in Marvel’s “actor equals character” approach. For many Marvel fans, Chris Evans’ portrayal of Captain America, Steve Rogers, has become deeply ingrained. When Marvel hastily changed the casting of the character in the name of diversity, without solidifying the narrative foundation, it ultimately resulted in a disconnection with the audience.
Unlike other superhero movies, the Captain America series has always been closely connected to real-world politics. In Captain America: Brave New World, the depiction of a psychologically unstable president, along with a declining international status that makes it increasingly difficult to command the masses, mirrors the genuine anxieties and reflections of America’s elite.
As one of the earliest American superhero figures, Captain America has been regarded as a cultural icon of the U.S. since his creation in 1941, symbolizing an uplifting spirit of patriotism. Among superheroes armed with advanced technology, mutated genes or alien origins, Captain America has consistently been the unquestionable leader of U.S. esprit de corps. The essence of this character reflects the values of the international order that the U.S. has been claiming since World War II—freedom, justice and multilateral cooperation. However, in recent years, America’s actions in global governance have increasingly strayed from this image.
If we look back at the box office success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a clear pattern emerges: It drew on decades of rich source material, taking full advantage of the technological advancements brought about by the film industry’s revolution in the early 21st century, and quickly captured the global market. From the first installment of the Marvel Universe, Iron Man (2008), to the pinnacle of the franchise, Avengers: Endgame (2019), the decade saw the U.S. economy rapidly recover from the crisis, with America at the forefront of global technological innovation, producing everything from the iPhone to Tesla electric cars. In terms of global governance, the U.S. spent much of this time leading the world in addressing the climate crisis and terrorism, and it can be said that America was, without question, the world leader.
However, as the COVID-19 pandemic spread globally, the U.S., despite being the world’s most developed country, not only failed to demonstrate the necessary response capabilities but also neglected its international obligations. The Black Lives Matter protests in June 2020 and the Capitol Hill riots in January 2021 laid bare the deep social divisions within American society. The Joe Biden administration’s double standards in handling the Ukraine crisis and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict significantly undermined the authority of American global leadership. Additionally, after Donald Trump’s return to the White House, the moral criticisms once aimed at him by his political opponents became a boomerang that reflected back onto the U.S. Under Trump, priorities shifted to withdrawing from the Paris Agreement on climate change and the UN Human Rights Council. These developments sharply contrast with the ideals of collectivism and heroism espoused by films like Captain America, creating a profound cognitive dissonance.
Films often serve as a reflection of a country’s overall strength and image. The vitality of cultural symbols is always closely linked to the real-world governance system they represent. When Captain America, a superhero embodying American values, loses its appeal, it marks a cultural manifestation of the simultaneous decline of America’s soft power and global leadership. –The Daily Mail-Beijing Review news exchange item
