Anthony Mackie deserves a spell in the Marvel spotlight. The fan-favorite actor has portrayed Sam Wilson in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) for over a decade but, a co-starring role in Falcon and the Winter Soldier (FATWS) on Disney Plus aside, he's played second fiddle to other A-listers in the multi-billion-dollar-spinning franchise.

That's no longer the case. Captain America: Brave New World, the penultimate Marvel Phase 5 film, puts Mackie in the leading man role he's more than merited. It's a pity, then, that his first big-screen outing as the titular hero isn't as brave or new as its subtitle implies.

On a wing and a prayer

Three years have passed since Sam Wilson (Mackie) decisively adopted the Captain America mantle in FATWS' final episode. Since then, Steve Rogers' successor has worked in unison with Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez), who's also replaced Wilson as the MCU's Falcon, and the US military to carry out covert operations for the US government. Cap 2.0 and his wingman's latest assignment sees them successfully retrieve a mysterious package that Seth Voelker/Sidewinder (Giancarlo Esposito) and his criminal enterprise, aka The Serpent Society, were attempting to sell to an unknown individual in Mexico.

The recovery of said package leads to Wilson and Torres, plus Wilson's associate – not to mention super-soldier and one-time wrongly imprisoned individual – Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly) receiving an invitation to the White House from Thaddeus 'Thunderbolt' Ross (Harrison Ford). There, Ross, who was partly responsible for breaking up the Avengers in Captain America: Civil War and is now President of the United States, confidentially asks Wilson to help Ross reform Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Additionally, the package that Wilson and Torres retrieved contained a sample of adamantium, aka the near-indestructible metal that famously coats X-Men icon Wolverine's skeleton. The corpse of Tiamut, the giant Celestial whose emergence from Earth's core was halted by the Eternals in their self-titled 2021 movie, is covered in the stuff – and the world's superpowers have all laid claim to its vast resources.

To prevent a major geopolitical situation, Ross, who claims to be a changed man after his installation as America's Commander-in-Chief, has invited numerous world leaders to Washington to sign a treaty that'll allow all parties to benefit from the discovery of adamantium. Unfortunately, things go awry when an unusual song begins playing over the sound system – one that causes a suddenly brainwashed Bradley to try and assassinate Ross.

The fallout is significant. Bradley is sent back to prison, Ross retracts his offer to work alongside Wilson because of his friendship with Bradley, and Wilson and Torres go rogue to track down the real threat. Oh, and the treaty goes unsigned – cue the world's biggest nations racing to lay claim to Tiamut Island and adamantium as a new arms race quickly threatens to spiral out of control.

It's here that the first signs of Captain America 4's unoriginality surface. When I spoke to director Julius Onah and producer Nate Moore ahead of the movie's release, they were at pains to stress that Brave New World isn't simply a rehash of previous Captain America films like The Winter Soldier. Yet, whether it's Cap defying his superiors once more, Bradley's brainwashing being comparable to Bucky Barnes', and the political thriller vibes that this movie and The Winter Soldier display, it's hard to argue against the similarities. In that sense, Brave New World feels like it's simply replaying The Winter Soldier's greatest hits, albeit with different personnel.

The decision to keep Wilson and Ross apart for large stretches of Captain America 4's story is also irksome. Yes, keeping their encounters to a minimum makes them all the more suspenseful when the duo verbally and physically lock horns. With this being the movie's central conflict, though, I would've liked to see more tense showdowns between the pair, especially as Mackie and Ford's on-screen chemistry is as captivating as the hard-hitting punches and venomous barbs they throw at each other.

It's an even greater shame when you realize that Mackie and Ford are on top form. Ford brings buckets of charm, real menace, and emotional gravitas to the role held by William Hurt until the latter's death in March 2022. Indeed, Ford's ticking time-bomb-like display as a man, father, and leader slowly spiraling out of control is engrossing to watch. That's not a slight on Hurt's multi-movie performance as Ross, either – it's just that Ford is, well, afforded more screen time in Brave New World than Hurt was since his own MCU debut in 2008's The Incredible Hulk.

But this is Mackie's stage – and he absolutely delivers. It's incredibly fun to see Mackie's Wilson reveling in the role of Captain America, and displaying confidence and skill as Rogers' successor. Sure, his new Vibranium-infused super-suit helps to give him the edge in fights – his new costumes and various gadgets allow for some creatively entertaining set-pieces throughout – but, even without them, Wilson (and, by proxy, Mackie) is a far more assured presence who commands the screen with aplomb.

That isn't to say Wilson is the complete package. Unlike Rogers, Bucky, and Bradley, he's not a super-soldier – he's an ordinary man who bleeds and can be hurt physically and emotionally. The latter vulnerability is on full show in Captain America 4, too, with Wilson proving that he's still grappling with the weight of responsibility of being the Star-Spangled Man with a Plan, and Rogers' legacy. Unsurprisingly, Mackie lights up the screen during such moments with typically moving performances.

Shielded from originality

Mackie and Ford aren't the only ones who deliver acting masterclasses. Lumbly gives a powerhouse performance that elevates each disappointingly brief scene he's in, and the endearing friendship he shares with Wilson is also enriched by these moments – it's just a bummer that this dynamic, and the generational trauma oozing out of these melodramatic moments, isn't explored further.

The same is true of Wilson and Torres' brothers-in-arms relationship. There's a pleasing evolution to their banter-and-respect-filled friendship from FATWS, but it's a dynamic that occasionally takes a backseat when the movie could have leaned into it more. Wilson's interactions with Ross' security advisor Ruth Bat-Seraph (Shira Haas) and US Secret Service agent Leila Taylor (Xosha Roquemore) don't get much play, either.

Captain America: Brave New World's biggest problems, though, center around its surprising lack of MCU interconnectivity and innovation. Sure, where the former is concerned, its clear ties and references to The Incredible Hulk and Eternals are satisfying. I and many other MCU fans have long waited for narrative pay-off from two of the lowest-ranked films – on any best Marvel movies list – to be addressed, so I'm glad they are here. However, there are other Marvel projects, such as the universally panned Secret Invasion TV series, whose events are key to setting up Brave New World but which have bizarrely been swept under the rug. Last May, Marvel said fans no longer needed to watch its Disney Plus shows to understand what happens in its movies. In theory it's a smart move but, in practice, for a studio that prides itself on its shared universe where characters and storylines overlap and interweave with one another, it's a particularly big oversight for this flick, in my view.

Then there's the aforementioned lack of imagination. As a character study and overall narrative, Captain America 4 is too safe and predictable for my liking. Moore and Onah told me that Marvel's goal is to always make the best movie possible, but there's no sense of that being the case here. I've seen the story before in The Winter Soldier and FATWS. I've already watched a man in a suit of armor (aka Iron Man) try to deal with a gamma-irradiated, seemingly unstoppable monster (i.e., Bruce Banner's Hulk) in 2015's Avengers: Age of Ultron. And, while its sub-two-hour runtime means Brave New World doesn't outstay its welcome, I've witnessed first-hand the problems that Marvel movies have when they move at a break-neck pace. Structurally, Cap 4 is as an uneven MCU film as I've watched for a while.

My verdict

After Marvel released exciting new trailers for Captain America 4 and Thunderbolts in November 2024, I suggested that they would help Marvel Phase 5 to go out with a bang rather than a whimper. Four months before the Multiverse Saga's latest phase ends, though, I may be proven wrong, because Brave New World isn't as great as it could have been.

I want to stress that it's not a completely bad movie. There are elements that are enjoyable, and its cast, particularly Mackie, Ford, and Lumbly, anchor it with outstanding performances. As a standalone adventure that's supposed to herald a brave new world for the MCU, though, it's not nearly as narratively or creatively fulfilling as I'd hoped. Thunderbolts needs to deliver, otherwise I'll have plenty of egg on my face in May.

Captain America: Brave New World launches in theaters worldwide on Friday, February 14.

Wolf Man is the latest horror movie from Leigh Whannell, who’s known for horror hits including Insidious, Saw, and most recently, his adaptation of the Universal Monster movie The Invisible Man. Wolf Man was one of my most anticipated horror movies of 2025, and I'm pleased to say that Whannell has delivered once again, with a surprisingly heartfelt tale that takes us on a horrifying journey of grief and loss.

These themes are present throughout the whole movie, and it wastes no time in throwing us straight into the action after a family – parents Blake (Christopher Abbott) and Charlotte (Julia Garner), and their daughter Ginger (Matilda Firth) – are attacked by a creature during a full moon. The family end up barricading themselves into their isolated farmhouse hoping to protect themselves from the danger that lurks outside – but unknowingly, they’ve inadvertently locked danger inside with them.

Blake’s body begins to deteriorate and transform into something monstrous, confronting the viewer with horror that is both physical and psychological. Much like The Substance, our favorite body horror of 2024, it doesn't shy away from the gory detail and physiological trauma of a human being metamorphosing into something utterly inhuman . Expect nails ripping off, a jaw being broken, and bones moving – and it sounds as dreadful as it looks, thanks to a sound design that leaves nothing to the imagination, and which really elevates the whole movie. And yet, as horrific as it is to witness, it's the psychological aspects of Blake's transformation that scared me the most. The loss of a person’s identity is a recurring theme across many body horrors; it’s perhaps captured best in the way that Jeff Goldblum’s scientist slowly loses his mind as he loses his humanity in The Fly, and in Wolf Man Whannell approaches a similarly traumatic metamorphosis through a very sympathetic lens.

Without giving too much away, Wolf Man uses some clever POV shifting so we get to experience Blake’s transformation through both human and wolf's eyes, with the latter making for some particularly distressing scenes. As he changes into a ferocious wild animal, Blake can no longer understand his terrified wife and daughter., everything is more heightened. Their inability to communicate cleverly mirrors Blake and Charlotte's already strained relationship.

The goal of a the original Universal Monster movies was to be scary, and the creature in the latest Wolf Man adaptation certainly is. There are some effective jump scares here, again thanks in part to the sound design, which are best experienced on a big screen, though some might argue that the movie is too reliant on the jump. I'm inclined to agree – and for me the psychological aspects of the story are just as frightening if not more so.

The creature design did seem to divide audiences when teasers for Wolf Man were first released, and while I do think it could have been a bit more, well, wolf-like in places, no horror movie has so far really managed to nail the werewolf, and any shortcomings in this department are easily made up for by Abbott’s performance as a man losing both his own humanity and the people he loves. I can easily forgive some slightly-off special effects when a story is as rich and thought-provoking as this, proving that sometimes raw, human emotion is the scariest thing of all. All three of the lead actors are fantastic, but 10-year-old Matilda Firth deserves a special shoutout for the way in which she skilfully navigates the terrifying, dark, jump-filled landscape of Wolf Man, displaying a confidence and maturity way beyond her years. Considering I'm approaching 30 and I watched a lot of this through my fingers, she's officially braver than me.

Wolf Man is quite a way to start 2025, and while January is not typically the season for horror, it's already set the bar high for scarier entries among the new movies we’re looking forward to this year. You’ll want to catch it in the theater for the best experience – but you might want to make sure there's not a full moon that night, as it could make for a nerve-jangling walk home.

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SiriusXM app: Two-minute review

Mention SiriusXM and most people think of the service that uses satellites to beam hundreds of music, talk, comedy, news, and sports radio stations to automobiles. That service has become popular for several reasons. First, traditional (i.e., terrestrial AM/FM) radio isn’t what it used to be. Second, for many in rural areas, the ability to receive terrestrial station signals can be limited.

However, there is a SiriusXM internet-based mobile app that delivers virtually all of the content found on the satellite service. While that typically requires a line of site between the automobile and the satellite to work, like the best music streaming services, the SiriusXM app only requires a cellular or Wi-Fi connection. It will work on your iOS or Android-based phone or tablet and is also supported by many of the best TVs, the best streaming devices, and the best wireless speakers from brands such as Sonos and Bose. The app’s content can also be accessed on a computer web browser. SiriusXM’s app has you covered whether you are home, outside exercising, in your car, or anywhere else where you can access the internet.

The SiriusXM app’s All Access” $9.99 per month subscription plan includes an astonishing amount of content that is sure to provide something for everyone. It features over 425 streaming stations and thousands of podcasts courtesy of Pandora, which is owned by SiriusXM. As discussed below, there’s also exclusive content, the crowning jewel of which is The Howard Stern Show and its related programming.

Unlike streaming services such as Spotify, Apple Music, Qobuz, and Tidal, the SiriusXM app does not support the playback of specific music tracks or the creation of track-specific music playlists. (Users can train the app through thumbs up and down icons to play the type of music that they like, however.) Also, some of the music channels can get a bit repetitive and the sound quality won’t satisfy those using expensive, audiophile playback gear. Still, with the enormous amount of content available on the app, all of which is served up via a slick interface, we think the only problem will be deciding what to listen to and watch.

SiriusXM app review: Pricing and subscription

• $9.99 per month
• Three-month free trial 
• No free ad-based tier

A SiriusXM app All Access subscription plan costs $9.99 per month and can be canceled at any time. It provides access to over 425 channels of ad-free music, news, talk, comedy, and sports. Also included are the Howard Stern channels, video, sports talk, live sports coverage, artist stations, Pandora podcasts, and exclusive in-studio content.

If you want also to receive SiriusXM satellite radio for your car, numerous plans start at $16.98 per month. Details about those plans are available on SiriusXM’s website.

As with competitors like Apple Music, there's no free ad-based tier for any SiriusXM subscription plan. Nor is there a comprehensive family plan, although there is a discount for each additional subscription within the family. Students can get the All Access plan for $4 per month. Also, a three-month free trial for All Access will let you determine if it is right for you.

SiriusXM app review: Specs

SiriusXM app review: Content

• Over 425 diverse audio channels, plus video
• Includes ad-free music and live-action sports
• Pandora podcasts

The content library available with the SiriusXM app’s All Access subscription plan is, to say the least, extremely vast. For example, if you’ve come to the SiriusXM app for music, there are plenty of ad-free music stations ranging from SiriusXM Hits 1 (pop hits from Taylor Swift, Harry Styles, Miley Cyrus, etc.) to Oldies Party (The Supremes, Elvis Presley, etc.) and Miles Davis Radio (24/7 Miles Davis music).

Though the tracks on some of the app’s music stations can sometimes be repetitive, there’s always another interesting station or special event to tune in to. For example, SiriusXM’s Billy Joel Channel is currently broadcasting that artist’s final show from his ten-year Madison Square Garden residency.

Speaking of concerts, one fun thing about the SiriusXM app is the weekly giveaways. Some of the giveaways are tickets to see an artist at a venue near the entrant’s home. Others throw in an all-expenses paid trip to see an artist at a venue far away, such as Taylor Swift performing in Miami, Florida during her Eras tour.

For talk and entertainment fans, the elephant in the room is SiriusXM’s exclusive arrangement with talk host Howard Stern, who has two channels on the platform. Howard 100 broadcasts his show live and then repeats them until the next live show airs, while Howard 101 broadcasts a supplemental “wrap-up show,” archived Stern content, special features, and video clips recorded in Stern’s SiriusXM studio. Other interesting talk and entertainment channels include Business Radio (business, money, and life) and Crime Junkie Radio (24/7 true crime).

If you like sports, there is not only talk and analysis, but extensive play-by-play game coverage. ESPN Radio (sports talk and big games), SiriusXM College Sports Radio, and SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio (live tour coverage and talk) are just a few available stations. And there are also sports giveaway contests, such as VIP tickets to see the New York Jets play at their training camp.

Those seeking comedy on the SiriusXM app will want to check out Comedy Central Radio, Kevin Hart’s Laugh Out Loud Radio, Raw Comedy (uncensored), Pure Comedy (comedy for the entire family), and Comedy Classics. Yet another recent SiriusXM giveaway contest: an all-expense-paid trip to see Kevin Hart in Los Angeles. News junkies, meanwhile, will appreciate stations from the BBC, CNN, NPR, Fox News, and C-Span, among many others.

There are also several off-the-beaten-path channels on the app. These include Mental Health Radio (by NYU’s Langone Health), Road Dog Trucking (all things relating to the trucking industry), and Rural Radio (agricultural and other issues affecting rural America and Canada).

There’s also plenty of exclusive content to check out beyond Howard Stern such as music stations DJ’d by artists and celebrities and audio and video clips of interviews and musical performances recorded in SiriusXM’s studios. Recent videos that the app suggested for me included interviews of actor Matt Damon, comedian Will Arnet, musician Nelly Furtado, and actress Jamie Lee Curtis. Also recommended were musical performances by Upsahl and Common and Pete Rock, as well as several comedy clips by Jeff Lewis.

If all of the above were already not enough, the All Access plan also includes the full library of Pandora’s podcast stations.

SiriusXM app review: Apps and compatibility

• Slick and attractive design
• Smart channel surfing and playback features
• No specific track playback, but app learns what you like

I very much enjoyed using the SiriusXM app, which is continually updated and improved and is available for iOS and Android devices, smart TVs, and streaming devices from Apple, Roku, Amazon, and Google. It looks great, is user-friendly, and works well.

The app has three main tabs. Discover is broken down by content type and is where user-specific recommended content, including daily “morning picks” are displayed. The Discover tab is also where frequently and recently listened to channels are located.

Search allows for app-wide content searches and also displays trending and popular searches. Library is where you will find your designated favorite channels (including artist channels) and downloaded content. (You can locally download content that does not contain music.) Another Library tab feature is the ability for sports fans to add favorite teams so they can quickly access team-related information, programming, and contests.

The app does not allow users to search for and play a specific music track or create track-specific playlists as you can with Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Qobuz, and other services, though there is the ability to create what SiriusXM calls “artist-based” stations. To find such a station, just search for an artist in the app and a relevant station will typically appear in the search results. You can then train the app to better play more of what you like by selecting a thumbs-up or thumbs-down icon for each track played on that station.

A channel may play live and/or recorded content. Under one of the app’s default settings, “TuneStart,” music starts at the beginning of a track. This feature, which can also be disabled, facilitates channel surfing since you won’t call up a channel only to hear the end of the track.

The SiriusXM app generally lets users “skip” up to six times per hour for preprogrammed music and comedy channels. Outside of these channel types, skipping is not permitted on some channels and is unlimited on others.

SiriusXM app review: Sound and Video Quality

• Sound quality gets the job done
• No high-resolution or spatial audio
• Video looks great

The SiriusXM app offers Normal, High, and Maximum streaming quality settings for both audio and video. No technical specifications for compression format, bit rate, etc. are given for these classifications. Indeed, sample streams on Tidal and Qobuz, and Apple Music’s ALAC (lossless) files typically sounded better than streams over SiriusXM when I made listening comparisons. There are also no options for high-resolution audio or Atmos/spatial audio.

For video, moving from the app’s Normal to Maximum settings on my iPhone 14 Pro Max didn’t appreciably improve picture quality, even in full-screen mode – sharpness and color accuracy were great at all settings. It’s possible, however, that the Normal setting will be the best option for a stable stream if your cellular reception is poor.

Bottom line: For most people, the quality of the SiriusXM app’s audio and video streams will be more than adequate.

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