Captain America: Brave New World had its world premiere at the TCL Chinese Theater in Hollywood on Tuesday, and a flood of mixed reactions after the film’s first look hit social media shortly after. 

Anthony Mackie stars in Julius Onah’s Brave New World as Sam Wilson (aka The Falcon), following his heroic journey after being handed the shield from Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) in Avengers: Endgame (2019) and taking on the role as the new Captain America. Mackie first made his Marvel debut in Captain America: The Winter Soldier over a decade ago. 

After the film’s premiere and press screenings, first-time viewers took to X to share their opinions under the tag #CaptainAmericaBraveNewWorld. Many of the reviews seem to admire the cast, such as Mackie, as well as Harrison Ford who plays President Thaddeus Ross, transforming into the Red Hulk when angry. “Mackie fills Chris Evans’ shoes seamlessly as Captain America. No one is more deserving to hold the shield than Sam Wilson. Ford takes Thunderbolt Ross up a level…” said David Thompson, Senior Editor at TheDirect, on X. However, he said the overall script and structure of the film didn’t fulfill his high expectations. 

Others also thought the film lacked some depth, such as film critic John Flickinger, who described Brave New World as, “clunky, anticlimactic, and about as exciting as a rerun.” He took to X after the premiere to say, “The screenplay gives the characters little to do, the action feels like it’s just checking a box, and Red Hulk? Don’t bother getting hyped. As the 35th film in the MCU, it plays things way too safe.”

“There’s tons to enjoy in [Brave New World]. Mackie is charming and carries the mantle well, and his banter with Danny Ramirez is also great,” said film critic Adam Hlavac. “Some elements of the film are a little thin, but the stuff that worked for me worked well.”

While some of the initial reviews of Brave New World sway left and right, audiences world-wide will be able to judge it themselves when the film hits theaters on Feb 14.