MCU fans feel Anthony Mackie’s first solo outing as the titular hero in Captain America: Brave New World is sorely lacking in one major department.

Captain America: Brave New World has finally arrived with the 35th installment in the MCU establishing Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson as the titular superhero. The film primarily revolves around the conflict between Captain American and Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, who turns into the Red Hulk amidst a geopolitical crisis.

Captain America: Brave New World recently hit theaters (Credit: Marvel Studios).

The film opened to mixed reviews with fans taking to social media to discuss what they liked and disliked about the latest MCU entry. Several fans on Reddit agreed that the film handled its female characters extremely poorly. However, the issue becomes even more frustrating since it was easily avoidable given the extensive reshoots, and here is what fans had to say.

Marvel fans call out Captain America: Brave New World‘s mishandling of its female characters

Captain America: Brave New World marks the first solo movie in the franchise led by Anthony Mackie with Sam Wilson settling into the titular mantle. The film also marks Harrison Ford’s first appearance as Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, replacing actor William Hurt.

Fans were disappointed with how Captain America 4 handled its female characters (Credit: Marvel Studios).

The film sees Ross becoming the newly elected President of the United States, with actress Shira Haas playing Ruth Bat-Seraph, a former Israeli Black Widow who is the President’s head of security. At the same time, Xosha Roquemore plays Leila Taylor, a secret service agent working for Ross.

On Reddit, fans engaged in a spoiler-filled discussion regarding the movie. However, several MCU fans agreed that the film wasted its female characters, especially the ones played by Haas and Roquemore.

One user made the above comment, highlighting how both the newly introduced characters received very little screen time. As a result, neither had a clear role in the role or affected any of the major plot points. Furthermore, the film also squandered the return of Liv Tyler as Betty Ross, whose character is used for plot conveniences during the climax.

Captain America: Brave New World‘s female characters’ problem was easily solvable

Other fans also agreed with the sentiment, arguing that both characters were underdeveloped and barely contributed anything to the actual story or had anything compelling about them. Several users pointed out different solutions to the problem, suggesting the issue with the film’s female characters was fixable, especially given the film’s extensive reshoots.

Captain America: Brave New World should’ve brought back Sharon Carter (Credit: Marvel Studios).

For instance, Ruth Bat-Seraph and Leila Taylor should’ve been one character, which would have allowed for a more effective arc that ties into the film’s overall theme. One user suggested that the film should’ve used Sharon Carter as the composite character since she has existing ties with Wilson and also harbors a darker side as the Power Broker.

Ultimately, fans felt that there was more depth the film could’ve earned from its two most prominent female characters being combined into one. Moreover, female characters like Peggy Carter and Natasha Romanoff have played key roles in solo Captain America movies. As a result, the film could’ve greatly benefitted from fleshing out its female leads and giving them more screen time.

Captain America: Brave New World is playing in theaters near you.