US Treasury Department and White House officials have repeatedly denied that technologists associated with Elon Musks so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) had the ability to rewrite the code of the payment system through which the vast majority of federal spending flows. WIRED reporting shows, however, that at the time these statements were made, a DOGE operative did in fact have write access. Not only that, but sources tell WIRED that at least one note was added to Treasury records indicating that he no longer had write access before senior IT staff stated it was actually rescinded.Marko Elez, a 25-year-old DOGE technologist, was recently installed at the Treasury Department as a special government employee. One of a number of young men identified by WIRED who have little to no government experience but are currently associated with DOGE, Elez previously worked for SpaceX, Musks space company, and X, Musks social media company. Elez resigned Thursday after The Wall Street Journal inquired about his connections to a deleted social-media account that advocated for racism and eugenics.As WIRED has reported, Elez was granted privileges including the ability to not just read but write code on two of the most sensitive systems in the US government: the Payment Automation Manager (PAM) and Secure Payment System (SPS) at the Bureau of the Fiscal Service (BFS), an agency that according to Treasury records paid out $5.45 trillion in fiscal year 2024. Reporting from Talking Points Memo confirmed that Treasury employees were concerned that Elez had already made extensive changes to code within the Treasury system. The payments processed by BFS include federal tax returns, Social Security benefits, Supplemental Security Income benefits, and veterans pay.Over the last week, the nuts and bolts of DOGEs access to the Treasury has been at the center of an escalating crisis.On January 31, David Lebryk, the most senior career civil servant in the Treasury, announced he would retire; he had been placed on administrative leave after refusing to give Musks DOGE team access to the federal payment system. The next morning, sources tell WIRED, Elez was granted read and write access to PAM and SPS.On February 3, Politico reported that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Republican lawmakers in the House Financial Services Committee that Musk and DOGE didnt have control over key Treasury systems. The same day, The New York Times reported that Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, said that DOGEs access was read-only.Got a Tip?Are you a current or former employee at the Treasury or Bureau of the Fiscal Service? Or other government tech worker? We'd like to hear from you. Using a nonwork phone or computer, contact the reporters securely on Signal at velliott88.18, dmehro.89, leahfeiger.86, and timmarchman.01.The significance of this is that the ability to alter the code on these systems would in theory give a DOGE technologistand, by extension, Musk, President Donald Trump, or other actorsthe capability to, among other things, illegally cut off Congressionally authorized payments to specific individuals or entities. (CNN reported on Thursday that Musk associates had demanded that Treasury pause authorized payments to USAID, precipitating Lebryks resignation.)On February 4, WIRED reported that Elez did, in fact, have admin access to PAM and SPS. Talking Points Memo reported later that day that Elez had made extensive changes to the code base for these critical payment systems. In a letter that same day that did not mention Musk or DOGE, Treasury official Jonathan Blum wrote to Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon, Currently, Treasury staff members working with Tom Krause, a Treasury employee, will have read-only to the coded data of the Fiscal Services payment systems. (Krause is the top DOGE operative at Treasury and CEO of Cloud Software Group.) The letter did not say what kind of access the staff members actually had.

The perfect Valentine's Day gift.Nintendo's been pretty consistent so far this year with the Switch Online game updates, and joining the service next week is the Game Boy Advance title Wario Land 4.This title originally made its debut on the handheld platform in 2001 and follows on from the first three games as well as the Virtual Boy entry. You can see this game in action via the Switch Online service in the trailer above. Here's the official description:Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Image: iicon, ESAIn some industry news, the Entertainment Software Association (which operated E3) has this week announced it will be returning with a new event known as the Interactive Innovation Conference.This will apparently be a "first-of-its-kind" event taking place in Las Vegas between April 27th - April 30th, 2026 connecting "visionaries, thought leaders and innovators" from across industries within interactive entertainment. The plan is to also bring together a "broad spectrum of sectors that converge with interactive entertainment". This includes "film, television and music, as well as sports, healthcare, education, finance" and more.Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube795kWatch on YouTube Attendees can expect to "learn from and engage with industry icons" from major companies including Nintendo of America, Electronic Arts, Epic Games, Microsoft, Sony Interactive Entertainment, Square Enix, Take-Two Interactive, Warner Bros. Games, Amazon Games, and Disney.Here's what the ESA's Chairman of the Board (and NoA president) Doug Bowser had to say about this announcement:The Entertainment Software Association and its member companies are among the innovators and leaders shaping the future of culture, business and human connection. Its a natural role for ESA to host and support an event that fosters an open exchange of new ideas with our peer industry leaders. iicon is bringing together changemakers from across industries to envision how the strengths of the interactive entertainment industry can break entirely new ground.'iicon' as it's abbreviated, will supposedly be the "premier summit for discovering new opportunities powered by the industry and its technology". There are more details about this upcoming event on the iicon website including the ability to sign up for future updates. Yep, it's deadWhat are your thoughts about this? Let us know in the comments.[source theesa.com, via gamedeveloper.com]See AlsoShare:00 Liam is a news writer and reviewer for Nintendo Life and Pure Xbox. He's been writing about games for more than 15 years and is a lifelong fan of Mario and Master Chief. Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...Related ArticlesNintendo Reconfirms Release Windows For Major Upcoming Switch Games... and the Switch 2!69 Games You Should Pick Up In Nintendo's 'Supercharge' eShop Sale (North America)Every game we scored 9/10 or higherEx-PlayStation Boss On Switch 2's Name: Nintendo Created So Much "Brand Value""Why would you mess with that?""Nintendo Is Probably The Easiest To Scam" - Devs Discuss The Current State Of The eShopThe rise of "eSlop"

On Thursday, President Trump asked Republican lawmakers to end tax breaks on carried interest.The tax break allows private equity and venture fund managers to treat their earnings from investments at a lower capital gains rate, rather than as ordinary income.The removal of the tax break would be a big hit to the VC industry.Carried interest encourages smart, high-risk investments in innovative high-growth startups, National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) President and CEO Bobby Franklin said in a statement.Trump floated ending the carried interest loophole when he campaigned for president in 2016. However, when he assumed office for his first term, its elimination wasnt included in the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Instead, the tax code was modified, extending the holding period for assets to qualify for the capital gains rate from one year to three years.Since venture capital firms rarely sell assets a year after first making an investment, that modification was perfectly satisfactory for the industry.The 2017 Trump tax legislation kept venture investment flowing to emerging technologies like AI, crypto, life sciences, and national defense. A change now will disrupt that progress and disproportionately harm small investors, especially in middle America, Franklin said.Despite the NVCAs concerns, the vast majority of capital invested in emerging tech companies comes from New York and Silicon Valley, with Northern California remaining particularly dominant.

In BriefPosted:4:22 PM PST February 6, 2025Image Credits:OpenAIReport: OpenAIs ex-CTO, Mira Murati, has recruited OpenAI co-founder John SchulmanOpenAI co-founder John Schulman, who left AI company Anthropic earlier this week after a mere five months, is reportedly joining former OpenAI CTO Mira Muratis secretive new startup, per Fortune.Its not clear what Schulmans role there will be. Fortune wasnt able to learn that information, and Murati has been tight-lipped about the venture since she left OpenAI in September. But one source did reveal to Fortune that Murati has recruited additional ex-OpenAI staff, including Christian Gibson, who had been serving on OpenAIs supercomputing team.Murati was reportedly in talks to raise over $100 million for her company in October. Credited as one of the leading architects of ChatGPT, Schulman left OpenAI last August for Anthropic. Hepostedabout the decision on X, saying it stemmed from a desire to deepen his focus on AI alignment the science of ensuring AI behaves as intended and engage in more hands-on technical work.Topics

One of the most overlooked Samsung features lets you pair your phone with a monitor or TV and operate it like a computer.

Walgreens Boots Alliance has sold more shares of drug distributor Cencora for proceeds of about $300 ... [+] million, primarily for debt paydown and general corporate purposes, the drugstore giant said Thursday night, Feb. 6, 2025. In this photo, Walgreens signage is displayed outside a Walgreens store June 4, 2003 in Niles, Illinois. (Photo by Tim Boyle/Getty Images)Getty ImagesWalgreens Boots Alliance has sold more shares of drug distributor Cencora for proceeds of about $300 million, primarily for debt paydown and general corporate purposes, the company said Thursday night. The stock sale, which comes as chief executive officer Tim Wentworth works on a financial turnaround of the iconic drugstore chain, brings Walgreens stake in Cencora down to 6% from 10%.The stock sale comes a week after Walgreens suspended its quarterly dividend payments to stockholders for the first time in nearly a century as the company works to free up cash to fund the companys broader long-term turnaround, Walgreens said last week. The drugstore giant is already in the early stages of closing more than 1,200 stores.Walgreens began reducing its stake in the distributor, formerly known as AmerisourceBergen, and other businesses in the last four years to raise money for other priorities such as the creation of a new specialty pharmacy business as well as putting more healthcare services in its stores.Thursday nights announcement was part of an announcement regarding Walgrens selling certain prepaid variable share forward transactions, the company said. Concurrent with the early settlement, the Company executed a sale of the remaining 1.3 million shares of Cencora pledged under the early settled contracts. The Company receives approximately $300 million from the early settlement and the concurrent sale of shares.MORE FOR YOUWalgreens said the "proceeds from these transactions as well as other actions, including the recent suspension of the dividend, further help position the Company to address its upcoming debt maturities in fiscal 2026.Though Walgreens stake in Cencora continues to fall, the company said the sale has no impact to the long-term partnership between the two companies.Walgreens Boots Alliance remains fully committed to the strategic, mutually beneficial relationship with Cencora, which has been a strong and trusted partner since 2013, the company said. Chief Operating Officer, International of Walgreens Boots Alliance, Ornella Barra, will continue to serve on Cencoras Board of Directors.

Today's NYT Strands hints and answersCredit: New York TimesLooking for Thursdays Strands hints, spangram and answers? You can find them here:Weve come to Friday at last, dearest Strandistarians. This is my last day on this particular guide, though my daily Wordle column will continue. And Ill be back in two weeks, of course, to walk with you from grid to grid, uncovering words together. I hope you all have a lovely weekend! Lets solve this Strands!Strands is the newest game in the New York Times stable of puzzle games. Its a fun twist on classic word search games. Every day were given a new theme and then tasked with uncovering all the words on the grid that fit that theme, including a spangram that spans two sides of the board. One of these words is the spangram which crosses from one side of the grid to another and reveals even more about the days theme.Spoilers ahead.Todays Strands HintsTodays Theme: A flair for fashionHint #1: Think ascots, scarves, rhinestones, etc.Hint #2: Garment accoutrementsTo help you uncover all the words, here are the first two letters of each word:SETAFRLAEMCLRemember, spoilers ahead!What Are Todays Strands Answers?Todays spangram is: CLOTHINGACCENTSHeres the full list of words:SEQUINTASSELFRINGELACEEMBROIDERYHeres the completed Strands grid:Today's StrandsScreenshot: Erik KainTodays Strands BreakdownOddly enough, I found SEQUIN first. I suppose its because I saw that Q and knew that QU had to be in the word. It took quite a bit of trial and error before I finally got to SEQUIN, but this helped a great deal. Once I had LACE and TASSEL, I went back to an earlier word Id stumbled across but didnt work: THING. Working backwards (and forwards) I came up with the spangram, CLOTHINGACCENTS, which made my last two words pretty simple. FRINGE and EMBROIDERY all tied up in a bow, my work here was done.How did you do on your Strands today? Let me know on Twitter and Facebook.Be sure to check out my blog for my daily Wordle guides as well as all my other writing about TV shows, streaming guides, movie reviews, video game coverage and much more. Thanks for stopping by!

Maxs well-rounded catalog makes it among the top platforms for watching the best movies. However, the streamer is far more than the quantity on its platform, giving audiences virtually endless entertainment to appeal to subscribers and fans of all genres.Max has movies showcasing an incredible range, from fantasy and sci-fi to superhero adventures and comedy. Still, this impressive diversity can create some indecision among viewers. Thankfully, this monthly updated guide does the hard part by highlighting recent additions of some of the best movies on Max right now.Recommended VideosIn need of some more streaming recommendations? We also have guides to the best new movies to stream, the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu, the best movies on Amazon Prime Video, and the best movies on Disney+ that are worth looking through.Recently added to MaxFinal Destination2000Dredd2012Malcolm X1992Taxi Driver1976RelatedSuper/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (2024)104mGenreDocumentary, DramaStarsChristopher Reeve, Dana Reeve, Matthew ReeveDirected byIan Bonhte, Peter EttedguiWatch on max may have soft-launched James Gunn and Peter Safrans DC Universe, but Warner Bros. superhero division already has a powerful documentary film to its name. Co-directed by Ian Bonhte and Peter Ettedgui, Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story chronicles the eponymous Superman actors rise to fame, tragic injury, and compassionate activism.Aside from playing one of the most aspirational characters in pop culture, Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story does a superb job of recounting the late actors heroics off the silver screen. From his loving family to social activism for disability health care research and rights, Super/Man is one of the most sincere documentaries of 2024.Dune: Part Two (2024)167mGenreScience Fiction, AdventureStarsTimothe Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca FergusonDirected byDenis VilleneuveWatch on maxFollowing director Denis Villeneuves successful first adaptation of Frank Herberts sci-fi novel, he raises the bar with Dune: Part Two. Adapting roughly the second half of Herberts book, this sequel sees Paul Atreides (Timothe Chalamet) and his mother, Lady Jessica, become more intertwined with the Fremen people of Arrakis. Together, they mount an offensive against the incursions of the ruthless House Harkonnen.Dune: Part Two elevates everything that made the first movie successful, from its breathtaking scope, visuals, drama, and stellar ensemble performances. Villeneuve continues to demonstrate his intimate knowledge of the acclaimed source material, vividly giving this gritty sci-fi world life.Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)161mGenreAdventure, FantasyStarsDaniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma WatsonDirected byChris ColumbusWatch on maxThe Harry Potter franchise remains a blockbuster property, and the film series holds up. Director Chris Columbus sophomore entry, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, chronicles the young protagonists (Daniel Radcliffe) second year at Hogwarts.With Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) by his side, Harry faces a monstrosity unleashed from the chamber by the Heir of Salazar Slytherin. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets was well-received for its tasteful adaptation of the book and the young casts endearing performances. The story is notably darker than its predecessor, but thanks to the aforementioned cast, Columbus deft direction, and stunning visuals, Chamber of Secrets remains accessible to all audiences.Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001)152mGenreAdventure, FantasyStarsDaniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma WatsonDirected byChris ColumbusWatch on maxThe Harry Potter franchises global juggernaut status is partly due to the film series critical success. Directed by Chris Columbus, Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone or Philosophers Stone, alternatively adapts the first book in author J.K. Rowlings acclaimed series. After living in his abusive uncle and aunts house, young Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) discovers hes a powerful wizard and embarks on his first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.He meets various characters, including his endearing friends Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) and Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint). Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone was praised for its tasteful balance of faithfulness to the book and condensing it to fit into a satisfying feature-length runtime. More than that, its main cast was lauded for their charm and heartfelt performances.Editors RecommendationsMovie images and data from:Topics Guillermo KurtenFreelance Writer, EntertainmentA University of Houston graduate in Print Media Journalism, Guillermo has covered sports entertainment and practically all forms of geek culture as a freelance writer.His young career so far has seen him write about soccer through websites including Read Bundesliga and Bayern Strikes, specializing in FC Bayern Munich. From there he moved on to Comic Book Resources, Game Rant, The Gamer, and Screen Rant to indulge his inner nerd, with over 2 years and counting as a senior writer at the latter.Guillermo's interests span video games, movies, TV series, comic books, anime, and manga -- and if you're not careful, will talk your ear off specifically about the last 40-plus years of Batman lore.Born in Caracas, Venezuela, Guillermo studied at Lone Star College in Texas before ultimately completing his Bachelor's degree. Blair MarnellBlair Marnell has been an entertainment journalist for over 15 years. His bylines have appeared in Wizard Magazine, Geek Monthly, SYFY Wire, Superhero Hype, Collider, DC Universe, and the official sites for Star Trek and Marvel. He also lends his pop culture expertise to Digital Trends on a variety of TV, movie, and streaming features. Hulu offers tons of great content, and among its diverse selection is a series of originals. These include shows exclusive to Hulu as well as ones offered in partnership with FX, Disney+, and ABC, and even foreign language shows that are considered Hulu originals within the U.S. You'll find top, award-winning shows like Shgun, The Bear,andOnly Murders in the Buildingon Hulu, as well as enticing new series like Interior Chinatownavailable through the streamer.If you're looking for an idea of what to watch next, we're here to help. This list of the best Hulu original series right now includes a mix of genres and options. You're bound to find something worth watching, including shows you might not even have heard of yet. Read more Netflix's Black Stories collection celebrates Black cinema and culture and allows subscribers to narrow their search if they're interested in movies from Black creators and stars. However, like most categories on the platform, the library is very crowded, and it can be hard to filter through noise to find the movies most worth your time. That's why we curate this list each month.This January, two new films make the list: Netflix originalThe Six Triple Eight and Eddie Murphy's Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F. Read onfor the full list of the best Black movies on Netflix right now. Need more recommendations? Then check out the best new movies to stream this week, the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu, the best movies on Amazon Prime Video, the best movies on Max, and the best movies on Disney+.Read more Romantic dramas and romantic comedies are par for the course on Netflix. But one of this month's recent arrivals, The Age of Adaline, adds a touch of sci-fi/fantasy to the genre with its seemingly immortal title character. This month's other newcomers, Blended and Notting Hill, fall squarely in rom-com territory.You can find these films and the rest of the best romance movies on Netflix below. And if 2024 was any indication, there should be plenty of romance movies to enjoy on Netflix throughout 2025. Need more recommendations? Then check out the best new movies to stream this week, the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu, the best movies on Amazon Prime Video, the best movies on Max, and the best movies on Disney+.Read more

Chris Evans in The Avengers Marvel Studios / Marvel StudiosYoure not Steve Rogers, growls Thaddeus Thunderbolt Ross with signature Harrison Ford crankiness in Captain America: Brave New World, the new Marvel movie coming to theaters next week. Its a point the man hes addressing, the man in the stars and stripes, confidently concedes. Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) spent some of his Disney+ vehicle The Falcon and the Winter Soldier doubting his fitness to carry the shield Rogers, the original Captain America, passed down to him. In Brave New World, Sam has fully assumed the mantle of his mentor, and judging from scenes of Mackie swooping through the air on mechanical wings, hes going to do the whole national superhero thing his own way. Hes not trying to be Steve.Still, those are big combat boots to fill, arent they? The characters retirement hung heavily over The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and it will almost certainly continue to hang over Brave New World, the same way that other Marvel movies have grappled with the deaths of Tony Stark and TChalla. At this point in its lifespan, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is almost defined by absence textually, given the temporary halving of its ranks with The Snap, but also extratextually, given the stars the franchise has lost over the past few years. But if the Avengers are down a few heavy hitters, it might be Steve Rogers whose departure is most keenly felt. He was, after all, the moral and dramatic center of this 17-year-old series.Captain America: Brave New World | Official TrailerThe First Avenger, so dubbed for his origins as a WWII super soldier, was not the first Avenger Marvel introduced when setting out to engineer an interconnected movie franchise for its various comic-book properties. Smartly, the MCU was built around a big, charismatic personality the silver-tongued playboy flyboy Robert Downey Jr. brought to life in Iron Man. But it wasnt until three years later, when they dethawed a living-legend foil for Tony Stark, that Marvel introduced its platonic ideal of timeless superheroism. In nobility, if not power set, Captain America is probably the closest the company has to a Superman: a beacon of essential goodness, a superhero in the traditional sense, classical in his virtue and courage.Recommended VideosBut how do you make a square-jawed boy scout interesting? Nobility isnt the most exciting character trait. In that respect, Marvel hit the jackpot with Chris Evans. The star, who previously played The Human Torch in the Fox-funded Fantastic Four movies of the 2000s (a role he recently, jokingly reprised in Deadpool & Wolverine), had the blonde hair, blue eyes, and classical good looks necessary for the part. But he also brought a winningly light touch to the role of Steve Rogers, an ordinary Brooklyn kid destined by dint of his empathy and aww-shucks conviction for greater things. He found the person behind the Greatest Generation icon, making a character out of a symbol of patriotic might and decency.Downeys supernova of quick-witted snark might be the glowing power cell of the MCU the force that propelled it to early success but Evans arguably had the trickier task. His performance as Steve Rogers is more multifaceted than this blockbuster franchise maybe required or deserved. Walking a tightrope, Evans finds both the comedy and tragedy of a man unstuck in time. He makes Captain America funny without turning him into a walking punchline, a mere winking anachronism of ancient national values. He remained true to the cornball spirit of Steve Rogers (his dorky, unflagging uprightness) while investing it with a soulful sincerity.RelatedCaptain America is a fish out of water in multiple respects. The Marvel movies got a lot of comedic and dramatic mileage out of his anachronistic presence in a world (and an era) thats not his own. But they also fruitfully set him apart from the various quipsters that otherwise make up the extended Avengers family. When everyone is a sarcastic Joss Whedon cut-up, the straight shooter becomes the blessed alternative, the rebel outsider. In that way, Captain America is like an inverted Han Solo: His earnest lack of ironic detachment becomes its own kind of countercultural cool. In a sea of eye-rolling jesters, its hip to be square. And by refusing to put Steve in quotation marks, Evans rescued him from sitcom irrelevance.One reason the Captain America movies look better than the average Marvel product is that they have actual ideological stakes. Theyre interested in what it means to be a living embodiment of the American spirit. The first film, that stylish prequel, dealt with Steves uneasy feeling about being immortalized as a propaganda tool, Uncle Sam in the rippling, toned flesh. The Winter Soldier, which might still be the spit-shined peak of the whole MCU project, was all about him resisting the values of an America he doesnt recognize a surveillance state of indeterminate enemies and corrupt internal forces. And in Civil War, he defies expectations to take a moral stance even if, to be honest, that stance is kind of horrifying. (If the MCU presented a Captain America far from blindly patriotic or obeying, it also dared to complicate his heroism from time to time, too.)The ongoing conflict between Steve and Downeys Tony yin and yang leaders of the Avengers cavalry is the closest the MCU ever got to a central interpersonal friction, to real drama underscoring its world-saving spectacle. (It was smart of Civil War to literally divide the superheroes down the battle lines the two draw.) Few of the big effects sequences in the Marvel movies are as exciting as the moment, in the first Avengers, where Steve and Tony verbally square off: In a series sometimes guilty of reducing its entire ensemble to stand-up comics in spandex, here was a genuine clash of personalities and sensibilities. One fault to be found in Avengers: Endgame is that it barely had the time to resolve this essential frenemy relationship, even when devoting much of its last hour to the Steve and Tony Show.Avengers Argument - "We're a Time Bomb" Scene | The Avengers (2012) Movie Clip HD 4KCaptain America was the backbone of the whole Marvel saga. Its his values that get tested, to calamitous ends, in Avengers: Infinity War: You could say that the Avengers fail by following Steves lead and refusing to trade lives even with the whole universe at stake. Arguably the crowd-pleasing crescendo of the franchise (and maybe of 21st-century cinema!) is the moment when Cap proves himself worthy enough to wield Thors hammer in Endgame. And that three-hour blockbuster of falling action reserves its quiet final moment for Rogers, giving him a well-earned happy ending, a peace for the ageless soldier and in a sense, the only real ending that the MCU has yet dared to offer. Theres a case to be made that the franchise could and maybe should have called it a day with that climactic cheek-to-cheek denouement. That theres no post-credits scene, no future teased after Steves last dance, betrays some kind of understanding that the franchise reached its ideal, well, endgame when Captain Americas story came to a close.The MCU has felt decentered, even adrift in the years since Evans handed over the shield and hung up the uniform. Theres a lot of fault to be found in the post-Endgame gameplan of this franchise, which has blown past its natural punctuation point and continued into a bumpy limbo state of quantity over quality, diminishing returns (creative and financial), and aborted plotlines. The Marvel movies have lacked a larger sense of purpose in the post-COVID years. But what theyve maybe most critically lacked is the heart and soul Evans lent the series, to say nothing of the contrast Steve Rogers provided as a superhero a little more old-fashioned and a lot less cynical than the sprawling cast of superheroes he leads into battle. Of course, its smart that Marvel hasnt tried to simply replicate his retro-cool appeal. The Falcon is a worthy successor, in part because hes a different character. By allowing Sam to be his own Captain America and to shift the ideological tension of the material to what it means to be a Black superhero in a racist country Marvel has acknowledged that its better to go in a new direction than to try to retrace its steps. By the looks of it, Brave New World will address the legacy of Captain America without committing to staying forever in the shadow of Steve Rogers. At least until Kevin Feige talks Evans into coming back into the multiversal fold. It would take integrity of a Steve Rogers scale to turn down whatever hes offering.Captain America: Brave New World opens in theaters everywhere Friday, February 14. The other Captain America movies are currently streaming on Disney+. For more of A.A. Dowds writing, visit his Authory page.Editors Recommendations