Summary
Captain America: Brave New Worldis the follow-up toThe Falcon and the Winter Soldier, but it’s also a surprising sequel to two olderMCUfilms.Captain America 4is Sam Wilson’s first project with the official Captain America moniker after adopting it in the previously mentioned Disney+ series. As seen in the firstBrave New Worldtrailer, the film also continues the stories of Isaiah Bradley, a redeemed secret super soldier, andJoaquin Torres, who is taking over the Falcon mantle. However, these aren’t the only familiar MCU characters returning for this sequel.
The trailer features several returning characters, such asHarrison Ford’s Thunderbolt Ross, now President Ross, and The Leader, played by Tim Blake Nelson. Both Ross and Sterns have been in the MCU for a long time, and appear to have significant roles in this movie. With the addition of these figures,Captain America 4can act as a sequel to two MCU films that audiences have waited a long time to see more of.
Captain America: Brave New World Is The Winter Soldier Sequel I’ve Waited 10 Years For
Following Captain America: Brave New World’s first trailer, it’s clear to me that it is coming to fill a spot left by one of the MCU’s best movies.
Captain America: Brave New World Continues The Story Of Civil War
Thunderbolt Ross' Story Ties In To Civil War
Brave New Worldis the fourth chapter in the MCU’s Captain America series, andwhile it may not include Steve Rogers, the film will continue one significant part of his story. InCaptain America: Civil War, Steve goes against the U.S. government’s order to arrest Bucky Barnes, and becomes a fugitive from his country. After the events ofCivil War, Secretary Ross continues to search for these exiled heroes inAvengers: Infinity WarandBlack Widow. However, after the events ofEndgame, these characters are no longer hunted by the government.
In theCaptain America: Brave New Worldtrailer, Ross tells Sam he wants to make Captain America an “official military position.” This would place Captain America under the control of the U.S. government once again, but it would also repair a broken relationship. The U.S. wants Cap to be an international symbol, but their demands often conflict with Steve and Sam’s morals. Still, Ross' attempt to bring Captain America back into the fold shows the MCU is tying up loose ends remaining fromCivil War.
Captain America 4 Is Also A Secret Sequel To 2008’s The Incredible Hulk
The Leader & Other Movie Characters Tie The Two Marvel Films Together
Thunderbolt Ross first appeared inThe Incredible Hulk, but he has had a more consistent presence in the MCU than other characters from that film. That could change afterCaptain America: Brave New World, given the notable returns of Samuel Sterns and Betty Ross.
The upcoming movie appears set to finally deliver on a 16-year-old teasefromThe Incredible Hulk, which showed the start of Sterns' transformation into The Leader when his head starts mutating after being exposed to Bruce Banner’s blood. Similarly, Betty was last seen with Bruce in the movie before he fled New York as the Hulk. While not seen in theBrave New Worldtrailer, Liv Tyler as Betty is confirmed to appear in the film.
Sterns' appearance as The Leader isn’t fully shown in the trailer, but there is a brief image of him in a hat and jacket.The Leader is reportedly the film’s main antagonist, so it will be intriguing to see what he looks like and the political schemes he’s planning in the shadows. In addition to these characters, Ross' arc fromThe Incredible Hulkcontinues as he transforms intothe MCU Red Hulk. Ross' life mission was to capture and weaponize the Hulk, and he now becomes the weapon he wanted to utilize.
Will Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner Return Alongside The Other Hulk Characters?
The Hulk’s Appearance Would Make Sense, But He Doesn’t Currently Seem To Be In The Movie’s Cast
Despite all the returningThe Incredible Hulkcharacters, Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner will reportedly not be inBrave New World. According toVariety, Ruffalo spoke at a Q&A at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, where he was asked if he would return in the 2025 MCU film. Ruffalo said, “Yeah. It’s going to be great.” However, multiple sources later reported that Ruffalo misheard the question, and thought he was “agreeing that ‘Brave New World’ is one of Marvel’s next films, not that he was going to be in it.”
However, given the MCU has aimed to hide major cameos and appearances before, it wouldn’t be strictly impossible for the Hulk to still potentially show up in the movie, especially given its ties to his story. That said, there haven’t been any indications that Hulk will appear inCaptain America: Brave New World, and Hulk is dealing with his own problems after debuting his son inShe-Hulk. Ruffalo isn’t done in the MCU, but he may not be starring alongside his Incredible Hulk co-stars in 2025.
