Captain America: Brave New Worldremoved Sam Wilson’s best line from the film that perfectly sums up why he is the MCU’s titular hero. On the whole, the film did a good job of solidifying Sam as the successor to Steve Rogers by the time ofCaptain America: Brave New World’s ending. Not only did Sam continue to exhibit all the right character traits that he has since his introduction to the MCU, but he also stoppedCaptain America: Brave New World’s villainswithout harming or killing them.
With the film’s ending teasingCaptain America building the New Avengers, Sam has taken his rightful spot as the MCU’s central hero. This will undoubtedly set up a bigger role for him in thestory ofAvengers: Doomsday,but, while I am personally excited about his future, I am still disappointed that one line was cut fromCaptain America: Brave New Worldthat would have proven him even more so to be the only choice for the Avengers' leader. This line was included in several pieces of marketing for the film but was frustratingly absent from the final cut.
An Iconic Trailer Line Was Cut
Image via Marvel Studios
The line in question was Sam Wilson’s reply to a harsh comment from Harrison Ford’s Thaddeus Ross. This line was highlighted in a lot of the trailers forCaptain America: Brave New World, with Ross reminding Sam that"You’re not Steve Rogers.“In the trailers, Sam was shown replying"You’re right. I’m not,“to Ross, but this scene was different in the final movie. Instead, Sam almost brushes aside the comment and leaves the room before going against Ross and investigating The Leader’s complex plan himself.
Upon seeing the trailers forCaptain America: Brave New World, this line massively stood out to me. Even above the promise of Red Hulk, theAdamantium-infused Celestial Island, and the MCU’s new Falcon-Cap hybrid action, this one line from Sam made me the most excited to see the film. The reason for this is that it proved that the film’s creators knew how to deal with Sam’s transition into Cap, proving that he is not Steve Rogers and that he does not need to be. As such, my disappointment was immeasurable when the film omitted the line.
Why Captain America: Brave New World Removing Sam’s Line Is A Mistake
It Regresses Sam’s Captain America Journey
In removing this line fromCaptain America: Brave New World, a big problem with the movie was raised for me. The problem in question is that the film’s narrative somewhat regressed Sam’s arc, with the journey he undergoes inCaptain America: Brave New Worldbeing very similar to the one he faced inThe Falcon and the Winter Soldier.In the latter, Sam overcame his myriad doubts about taking on the Captain America mantle and proved that he is Steve Rogers' successor, even if some people are not happy with it.
The arc for Sam should have followed on fromThe Falcon and the Winter Soldierby having him staunchly defend that he is not Steve Rogers but that he is Captain America…
While I agree thatCaptain America: Brave New Worldneeded to address Sam’s journey being finalized to an extent, I believe the film simply repeated the arc entirely, as evidenced by Sam’s crisis of faith between the second and third acts. In removing Sam’s"You’re right. I’m not,“line, the film confirmed this. The arc for Sam should have followed on fromThe Falcon and the Winter Soldierby having him staunchly defend that he is not Steve Rogers but that he is Captain America, with the line typifying this.
Marvel Removing Sam’s Line Makes Sense For The Movie’s Story, But It Should Have Been Included Later
Marvel Committed To Retelling Sam’s Arc, But That Does Not Mean The Line Should Have Been Left Out Entirely
All that being said,Captain America: Brave New World’s story was what it was, and I can accept that. Although I would have preferred the film not to rehash elements ofThe Falcon and the Winter Soldier, I still enjoyed it overall. With that in mind, I can accept that the narrative the film’s writers went for meant that Sam’s line, if included early in the movie, might have seemed contradictory to his crisis of faith. If Sam had reiterated he is not Steve Rogers but is Captain America before doubting that and needing a pep talk from Bucky, the line itself would have conflicted with his arc.
Nonetheless, I still think that the line should have been moved to later in the movie rather than removed entirely. In the end, Sam eventually reaffirms his belief that he is Captain America and defeats the film’s various villains. If he had been shown to admit that he is not Steve Rogers but that he stands tall as his successor after all this, it could have been just as impactful as the trailers made it seem. However,Captain America: Brave New Worldremoved the line entirely, greatly disappointing someone who was looking forward to Sam truly coming into his own.
