Sam Wilson is the new Captain America, but that’s old news by now. When Avengers: Endgame ended with an elderly Steve Rogers passing his shield to Sam, fans were thrilled. But as time has passed, the excitement has shifted to what this means for the MCU moving forward. Captain America: Brave New World is basically setting the stage for Avengers: Doomsday, which has fans wondering what’s next. The official trailer has already dropped some interesting details, like the Red Hulk showing up and Isaiah Bradley’s attempts to murder President Thaddeus Ross. What else could the new movie dive into?
Videos by ComicBook.com
The plot will also serve as a sequel to The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which focused on Sam’s journey to become the new Captain America. Now, fans will get to see him fully take on the mantle and the weight of such a significant responsibility. Can he live up to the legacy of a figure who has been an icon since World War II? In scenes from the trailer, Sam boldly states that he’s not Steve, hinting that audiences should brace for a Captain America who’s ready to break even more barriers than he did in the Disney+ series. The movie’s title says it all.
What to Expect from Captain America: Brave New World
The Captain America: Brave New World trailer has already sparked high expectations, especially because it feels tonally reminiscent of Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Anthony Mackie, who plays Sam Wilson, attended the Disney APAC Content Showcase in November and shared that, unlike other Marvel Studios films that experiment with different genres, this one will stick to a more grounded and realistic approach. “This movie stays in the line with the original Captain America, of that thrill, of that espionage, of that grounded nature with storytelling and really investing the actual audience into the story;” and the promotional material definitely backs that up. But what about the story?
It’s well known that with great powers come great responsibilities, and Sam will initially have to accept that he doesn’t have his predecessor’s super-soldier serum. Even so, he’s going to have a pretty amazing suit, one that can compensate for some of that lack of enhanced abilities. In the second trailer, Marvel fans got a glimpse of the power of the material in the former Falcon’s new wings, with Wakandan Vibranium now part of more than just his iconic shield. A scene where Sam slices a car in half with just his wings marks the explosive end of the second trailer for Captain America: Brave New World, showing off exactly what he’s capable of.
[RELATED: Captain America: Brave New World’s Director’s Reaction to Harrison Ford’s Hulk: “Holy F-cking Sh-t”]
We also need to talk about one of the hero’s enemies in the new story – Red Hulk. This will be the first time Red Hulk has appeared in the MCU, and as comic readers know, it’s none other than General Thaddeus Ross himself (Harrison Ford). Not only will Ford’s character gain his own gamma powers, but he will be assuming the presidency of the United States in the film. Due to the events of Captain America: Civil War, Ross and Sam have some unresolved issues, but they’re expected to work through them, especially since the president wants to make Captain America an official military figure.
However, the plot will also focus on Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly), a character who had a significant role in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. In the series, Isaiah was the only survivor of a dozen African-American soldiers forcibly recruited for experiments with the super soldier serum after Steve Rogers was presumed dead. He was also one of the key reasons Sam struggled with accepting the role of Captain America, as the government had always been fearful of creating a Black super soldier. In the new movie, Isaiah will seemingly be sent to prison after trying to kill the president (though it seems clear he’s been brainwashed ala the Winter Soldier). This sets the stage for Sam’s internal conflict, as he begins to realize that he’s likely up against something much bigger than just the government.
To take it a step further, it seems that someone else is pulling the strings in Captain America: Brave New World, even above Ross. Enter Samuel Sterns (Tim Blake Nelson), better known as The Leader, who could emerge as the true mastermind behind the chaos. Sterns first appeared in the MCU in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk, and now, he returns as the story’s main villain.
Captain America: Brave New World Will Open Doors for Future MCU Stories
Not long after the premiere of Captain America: Brave New World comes Thunderbolts*, and while the two storylines may not seem directly connected, there is one character who could bring them together. Since this will be the first appearance of Red Hulk in the MCU, one important thing to remember is Thaddeus Ross’s specific nickname, which is likely not a coincidence. This raises the question – what’s the connection with the new squad of anti-heroes? Could the team take its name from Ross himself? In the comics, Red Hulk is a key member of one version of the group, so his presence in Thunderbolts* is perhaps expected by some Marvel fans.
In addition, it’s important to remember that with Sam now taking on the mantle of Captain America, the position of Falcon became vacant. Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez), who first appeared in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier as Sam’s friend, he will officially take on the Falcon role in Captain America: Brave New World. It was already becoming clear that a new generation of heroes was on the way in the MCU, but the Brave New World trailer has also confirmed Sam intends to assemble a new team of Avengers.
Two more characters will also make their MCU debut in Captain America: Brave New World with Giancarlo Esposito playing Sidewinder, the leader of the Serpent Society; and Shira Haas playing Ruth Bat-Seraph. In the pages of Marvel Comics, Ruth Bat-Seraph is a mutant and a member of the Israeli secret service, but for the screen, Marvel has made the character a former Black Widow. Marvel fans may see more of these two in the future as they could very easily make their way into more MCU movies.
Captain America: Brave New World will hit theaters on February 14, 2025.
