There were several divisive box office releases in 2025, with few receiving as much backlash as Captain America: Brave New World. In a year when The Fantastic Four: First Steps and Thunderbolts* proved popular with fans, although both fell short at the box office, Brave New World represents the worst of an MCU franchise that looks a shadow of its former self. Receiving much of the backlash was Anthony Mackie in his first feature-starring turn as Cap, taking over the mantle from Chris Evans (who is now confirmed to reprise his role as Steve Rogers for Avengers: Doomsday).
The new year represents a small turn in fortune for Mackie, as one of his more underrated performances is finding streaming success in the shadow of Brave New World. At the time of writing, the dystopian sci-fi flick, Elevation, is one of the ten most-streamed movies on HBO Max in the U.S. Starring Mackie alongside Sheriff County star Morena Baccarin and Maddie Hasson, Elevation earned a mixed response from critics, receiving just 55% on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, with the consensus reading, “Beautiful scenery and a solid star turn from Anthony Mackie raise Elevation up to an extent, but this sci-fi thriller is too derivative to reach the peak of its potential.” However, audiences proved much more receptive to this pulse-racing sci-fi thriller, awarding a strong 80% on Rotten Tomatoes.
‘Elevation’ Was Criticized for its Lack of Originality
Although many praised the execution of Elevation, a consistent complaint from some was the lack of originality in the script, something this genre has struggled with over the past decade or so. In his review for Collider, Shawn Van Horn sided with critics, awarding a 5/10 score and writing, “Elevation is a thin story with every trope and stereotype you’ve seen from better monster movies. You know exactly who’s going to live and who’s going to die. There’s even a drawn-out scene you can predict from 8,000 feet away where a protagonist is in peril as the monsters approach, only for someone else to show up at the last second and save them.” A logline for Elevation reads:
Anthony Mackie’s sci-fi thriller Elevation is a streaming hit on HBO Max in the U.S. For all the latest streaming stories, make sure to stay tuned to Collider.