Kevin Feige Says CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD Struggled at the Box Office Because It Was the First Without Chris Evans
Sorry, Sam Wilson, but according to Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige, the biggest hurdle for Captain America: Brave New World was fans missing the original shield-wielder, Steve Rogers.
During a recent roundtable attended by Deadline and other outlets, Feige explained why the latest MCU installment didn’t perform as expected. He kept his reasoning simple:
“The first without Chris Evans.”
That’s it. No further elaboration, but the point was clear, Evans’ absence loomed large over this chapter of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Evans’ Steve Rogers famously passed the mantle to his friend Sam in Avengers: Endgame before choosing a quiet life with Peggy Carter. Now, Brave New World marks Anthony Mackie’s first solo outing as the new Captain America, with Julius Onah (The Cloverfield Paradox) behind the camera.
The film follows Sam as he steps into his role as Earth’s newest Cap, aided by allies like Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly) and Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez). The ensemble also includes Tim Blake Nelson, Rosa Salazar, Liv Tyler, and Harrison Ford as Thaddeus Ross, who takes on the Red Hulk persona.
Despite the star power, Brave New World didn’t soar financially. With a hefty $180 million production budget, it earned around $415.1 million worldwide. For context, Captain America: The Winter Soldier brought in $714.1 million back in 2014, while Civil War smashed past $1.15 billion.
Beyond the lack of Evans, some other factors likely played a role. The movie has a 46% score on Rotten Tomatoes and, as many fans know, new Marvel films typically hit Disney+ about 90 days after release, making it tempting to just wait it out. In the end, the story for that movie really wasn’t that interesting. It could’ve been so much better.
Was Feige right? Did the absence of Chris Evans sink this chapter of Cap’s story, or was it a mix of middling reviews and Marvel fatigue?