Julius Onah Responds to ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ Criticism: “All I’ll say is that we were working very hard”

Captain America: Brave New World received mixed reviews from critics and audiences. Many praised Anthony Mackie’s performance but felt the movie was overstuffed with unnecessary Easter eggs and lacked a strong standalone story.

Some critics were disappointed by its political themes, saying the film hinted at real-world issues but never fully explored them. The film’s visual effects also received criticism, with some calling them outdated and unconvincing, though Red Hulk’s CGI was praised. While a few reviewers found it to be a decent political thriller, others felt it was bland, unoriginal, and lacked emotional depth.

In short, the movie received mixed reviews. Despite being a box office success, it currently holds a 49% approval rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, while audiences have given it a much higher 80% approval rating—a striking difference, but not an entirely surprising one.

Now Julius Onah, the movie’s director decided to talk about the criticism. Onah acknowledged both the praise and criticism surrounding the movie but remained focused on the effort and passion that went into making the film. He expressed satisfaction with the story they told and emphasized that every movie in the genre receives some level of criticism.

Onah suggested that some of the backlash may have stemmed from the film’s bold themes and how people interpreted them, though he did not believe those perceptions reflected the film’s actual intent. Ultimately, he stressed that what matters most is the audience’s experience and enjoyment of the story.

All I’ll say is that we were working very hard and are very passionate about the movie we made. We told the story in a way that I feel very excited about and very satisfied with. Every single one of these movies [receives criticism]—and maybe because it was so out-there in terms of some of the conversation, people perceiving certain things, certainly—but I don’t think that is the truth of the reality of it.… The really important thing for me is the experience the audience gets to have: enjoying the story.