Where ‘Brave New World’ fits in Marvel’s ‘Captain America’ saga

Welcome to Screen Gab, the newsletter for everyone who needs a refresher on the “Captain America” saga.

If you’re just tuning back in to the Marvel mainstay for the first time since “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” premiered four years ago, staff writer Tracy Brown has a primer on how we — and Captain America Sam Wilson — got here.

Also in this week’s Screen Gab, “Cobra Kai” villain Lewis Tan drops in to discuss his full-circle moment on the Netflix series and we offer streaming recommendations for your weekend.

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(GoDaddy)

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Recommendations from the film and TV experts at The Times

A still from the Apple TV+ animated series “Goldie.”

(Apple TV+)

“Goldie” (Apple TV+)

Goldie is a girl Gulliver in a Lilliputian town. (There is no explanation for her size.) As in most cartoons for the young, there are messages about difference, acceptance, self-acceptance, cooperation and such. But because it’s also about a very, very big person in a regular-sized world — Goldie (Jessica McKenna) seems to be new in picture-book, pastel-colored Boysenberg and is still learning how to adjust — and because she is as big in personality and energy as she is in size, there’s a raucous, slapstick element to the action that mitigates the cuteness that often affects cartoons aimed at the preschool set. (But it’s witty enough for adults.) The cast includes her bird pal and sounding board, Romeo (Dee Bradley Baker, whistling) and friends Petey (Vedanten Naidoo), who uses a wheelchair, and Teeny (Amari McCoy), who is only a little teeny. Creator Emily Brundige also developed the fine “Harvey Girls Forever!,” still streaming on Netflix, and created “Pubertina,” about the nightmare of adolescence, for the YouTube channel Shut Up! Cartoons. — Robert Lloyd

A scene from the documentary “Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat.”

(Kino Lorber)

“Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat” (Kanopy)

Belgian filmmaker Johan Grimonprez’s foot-tapping, globetrotting, blood-boiling film is, nominally, about the Congolese struggle for independence against his homeland’s colonial grip. But the Oscar-nominated documentary feature, combining a dizzying array of historical scholarship, eyewitness accounts and archival footage, and carried aloft by its swinging jazz score, swiftly expands beyond the pan-African independence movement of premier Patrice Lumumba, deposed in a CIA-backed coup in 1960 and later assassinated. Here the double-edged sword of “soft power”; the fight for civil rights at home and self-determination abroad; the rapacious global appetite for African minerals; the birth of the non-aligned movement of developing nations; and the crushing weight of postwar American might fit together as if wooden tiles in a Jenga tower: Remove one and the entire edifice would topple. (“The Belgians cut off my hands in the Congo,” as Langston Hughes understood a century ago. “They lynch me now in Texas.”) Improvisational on the surface and exacting underneath, “Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat” is electrifying all the way through. You won’t see, or hear, the Cold War the same way again. — Matt Brennan

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Anthony Mackie in “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.”

(Marvel Studios)

The Marvel Cinematic Universe took a bit of a break from building up its main interconnected narrative in 2024. The offerings on the TV side included “Echo” and “Agatha All Along” — both spinoffs focused on characters introduced in Disney+ series. The sprawling superhero franchise’s sole theatrical release, “Deadpool & Wolverine,” involved characters who were absorbed into the MCU after Disney acquired Fox.

“Captain America: Brave New World,” in theaters now, is both a return to form and a step toward something new. The first of three MCU films slated for theaters this year, “Brave New World” is the first that sees Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson as the new Captain America after he inherited the iconic shield from Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) at the end of “Avengers: Endgame” (2019).

Wilson was introduced in “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” (2014), where he befriends Rogers and is brought into the Avengers’ fold. A military man trained to fight using a high-tech wingsuit, Wilson, a.k.a. the Falcon, continued to fight alongside the then-Captain America in “Avengers: Age of Ultron” (2015), “Captain America: Civil War” (2016), “Avengers: Infinity War” (2018) and “Endgame.” (He also had a cameo in 2015’s “Ant-Man.”)

The character finally takes the spotlight in “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” alongside Rogers’ other best friend, Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan). The 2021 series grappled with the complicated legacy of Captain America’s shield and the complexities of what it means to be a Black hero in America as it followed Wilson until he formally stepped into his new mantle.

“The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” also introduced Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez), who becomes the next Falcon, as well as Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly), an ex-soldier who was forcibly experimented on by the U.S. government before being unjustly imprisoned for years. Both characters appear in “Brave New World.”

For the completists, the new film also picks up some threads from other Marvel movies past including “The Incredible Hulk” (2008) — which gives some of the backstory for “Brave New World’s” main villain — and “Eternals” (2021). All MCU titles are available to view on Disney+. — Tracy Brown

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A weekly chat with actors, writers, directors and more about what they’re working on — and what they’re watching

Lewis Tan as Sensei Wolf in “Cobra Kai.”

(Curtis Bonds Baker / Netflix)

After six seasons, including an epic three-part bow, “Cobra Kai” is finally hanging up its keikogi for good. The series finale of the “Karate Kid” spinoff, now streaming on Netflix, may be a bittersweet farewell for actor Lewis Tan, who only recently joined the cast as menacing Miyagi-Do rival Sensei Wolf, but it’s still a full-circle moment for the longtime stunt performer, who reunites here with fight choreographer Don Lee — and gets to be a part of a franchise that’s been around since before he was born. Tan stopped by Screen Gab recently to discuss the grand master who inspired his performance, his context-specific comfort watches and more. — Matt Brennan

What have you watched recently that you’re recommending to everyone you know?

I recently saw “The Brutalist” in 70mm, which was truly remarkable. What director Brady Corbet and his crew did with that limited budget blew me away. I also really enjoyed the intermission; it’s nice to take a quick break and come back. Ten minutes is perfect: Use the restroom, have a smoke, get a drink, chat about the film so far. I think more films should have them. I saw Sean Baker’s “Anora” in 35mm and it was equally incredible. It makes me inspired to see these indie films get the attention they deserve. Hopefully studios can see it is a wise investment and hire more filmmakers with unique stories to tell.

What’s your go-to comfort watch, the film or TV show you return to again and again?

It depends on the time of year, weather, or if I am showing a film to a friend that I know they will really like. For instance, if I am preparing to do a big action film it is always good to revisit “The Matrix” [VOD, multiple platforms] or “The Raid” [VOD, multiple platforms] to get in that headspace to break boundaries like these films did for me. Or if it’s a cold, rainy day in London and I want to relax and feel nostalgic, I will watch “Meet Joe Black” [VOD, multiple platforms] or maybe Godard’s “Vivre Sa Vie” [Max, Kanopy] or “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” [Fubo, MGM+]. If I am on a date and want to share something more intimate, I might put on Wong Kar Wai’s “In the Mood for Love” [Max, Criterion Channel] or “Blue Velvet” [Max] by the late master David Lynch.

As part of the main cast and the stunts team, you had already worked on a raft of high-profile franchises, including “The Fast and the Furious,” “Pirates of the Caribbean,” “Mortal Kombat” and more. How has playing Sensei Wolf on “Cobra Kai” tested you that your previous projects haven’t?

Funny enough, I got to previously work with the fight choreographer Don Lee when I was doing stunts on “Pirates 3.” I was already friendly with a few of the main stunt team, which is always a nice thing when you join a new show, especially one that has been going on for so long and you are the new character. I also really wanted to keep the mystery and intimidation of the character evident and intertwined with all the subtle details — his unique accent, his walk, his fighting style, background, his choices, down to the clothing and jewelry he wears. It was all inspired from something, real people I knew, real masters that trained me including the late grand master Bill Ryusaki, who was one of the greatest legends I knew. I haven’t been able to play a villain for a few years now, so I enjoyed it thoroughly. Maybe they do have more fun.

You joined the series just as it’s coming to an end. As a fan if not as a cast member, then, what is a moment from the “Cobra Kai” universe that will always stick with you?

I rewatched the original “Karate Kid” film from 1984 [Netflix, Fubo]. The following day I did a scene where I was fighting both Johnny and Daniel at the same time. That was very surreal for me. This film was part of a history before I was even born, so I never thought I would be part of something like this. I do feel honored to be a part of the grand finale and now I get swarmed by lots of younger martial art fans, so the next generation can continue something very meaningful to me.