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To some extent, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is still caught in the after effects of Avengers: Endgame. The original members of the team disbanded. Some found their eternal reward, while others found what they were due elsewhere in the Multiverse. But for Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), the end came with a huge responsibility. Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) selected him to be the new Captain America.
Of course, that transition was not easy, as outlined in Disney+’s second Marvel limited series, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. But now that Sam is wielding the shield – alongside his customary wings – what crisis could bring the new Cap into the White House?
The Captain America film series gets back to international espionage in 2025’s Captain America: Brave New World. New threats emerge, new heroes rise, and a Red Hulk may do more damage in Washington than anything the villains can cook up.
But what does it all mean for Sam and the ongoing Marvel tale? With the news that Doctor Doom (Robert Downey Jr.) will appear in the not-too-distant future, will Brave New World establish the Earth Doom seeks to control? Let’s take a look at everything we know about the film and see if we can’t guess how the tapestry comes together.
Getting Used To The New Look
Thanks to a few previews and a shocking sizzle real screened at Comic-Con International: San Diego 2024, the once classified plot of the film is starting to emerge. Following the events of Eternals, the stillborn Celestial in the Indian Ocean has been the focus of worldwide politics. Entering into that fray is the newly elected president of the United States, Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross (Harrison Ford). As revealed at the Comic-Con presentation, some treaties have been made regarding the Celestial and through those agreements, the world as has discovered a new element: adamantium. That term means a lot to the X-Men and a few other Marvel characters, but from the standpoint of the MCU, it is literally a new thing and, one presumes, a substance various world powers want to control, leading to a mystery Sam needs to solve.
But that is only one concern, as the SDCC sizzle reel also revealed Ross’s interest in a new Avengers team, going so far as to encourage Sam to assemble a new squad. Having been Team Cap, though, Sam immediately questions what happens when Ross – who advocated for the original Sokovia Accords – issues an order the new Avengers do not agree with.
Those external and internal conflicts will be writ large when the Serpent Society makes their presence known. Led by Seth Voelker (Giancarlo Esposito), aka Sidewinder, the group originates in the pages of Marvel Comics as a snake-themed supervillain labor union. It remains to be seen if the MCU counterpart will organize in the same fashion – a funny thought, considering Disney’s on-going labor troubles – or debut in the same vein as HYDRA or other villain teams.
It also remains to be seen if the Red Hulk, teased for years and properly confirmed in the SDCC sizzle reel, is part of their plan. No matter how he comes to be, though, he will make an impact in the film.
A Shining City On A Hill
While Captain America movies tend to use a lot of locations, like the European front in World War II, Manhattan, Munich and Sokovia, Brave New World seems particularly rooted in Washington DC. Sure, the American capital has appeared before, most notably in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, but with President Ross a key figure in the film and the nation’s involvement in adamantium a feature of the plot, the District may matter more than ever before – even if it is just a backdrop for the Red Hulk and the Serpent Society to carve a path of destruction.
But since this is a political thriller, it is always possible we’ll visit other locales where Sam and his allies may learn more about what’s really going on.
Allies and Adversaries Assembled
As mentioned above, Mackie returns as Sam. Headlining his own film filled the actor with glee as he took to the SDCC 2024 stage, joking that fellow Avenger Tom Holland’s old saw about Sam never getting his own movie is at an end. “I have a movie, but he ain’t gonna be 5’ 11”,” Mackie quipped. From the scenes shown at the presentation and the available previews, the actor’s exuberance will not be shared by Sam, who now has the weight of the world and the shield on his shoulders.
But he doesn’t have to do it alone. As Mackie observed at Comic-Con, Sam never stops being a counselor and his skill to connect with people means he always has a group ready to help.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’s Danny Ramirez graduates from guest star to full time supporting cast as Joaquin Torres, the new Falcon. “I feel at home in the skies,” he said when asked about taking over the costumed identity at Comic-Con. “It’s great to take these wings.” Joaquin and Sam will have a tighter bond than the one Sam shared with Bucky (Sebastian Stan). At a previous press event, Mackie claimed it will be more of an equal friendship.
Also lending Sam a hand is Shira Haas as Ruth Bat-Seraph, a former Black Widow from Israel who is also a confidant of President Ross. In the comics, the character is a Mossad-trained Mutant who came into conflict with the Hulk in an early appearance, but eventually helped the X-Men in their efforts against Operation: Zero Tolerance (a plot loosely adapted for the first season of X-Men ’97). It is unclear how much of that history will transfer to her MCU counterpart, though. As it happens, Marvel assured critics of Bat-Seraph’s inclusion that she would be re-imagined to avoid certain anti-Palestinian connotations tied to the character since her 1980 debut. Nevertheless, she remains a controversial addition.
Carl Lumbly returns as Isaiah Bradley from The Falcon and the Winter Solider. As detailed in that story, he was imprisoned for 30 years after he volunteered for an attempt to recreate the Super Solider Serum during the Korean War. While Sam was able to bring him into the light and get him some recognition, the Brave New World teaser revealed he can still be controlled – a la the Winter Solider – via a codephrase embedded in music.
Another potential ally for Sam: Betty Ross (Liv Tyler). Returning to the Marvel fray after many years – she was last seen in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk – it remains to be seen if she and her father are on good terms, if she’s somehow involved in the adamantium project, or if she will immediately reach out to Sam when things turn red.
Speaking of the new president, Ford takes over from Ross following the passing of William Hurt in 2022, who played the part in various Marvel projects since The Incredible Hulk. “I would’ve grown the mustache if I had been asked,” Ford joked at SDCC 2024 when asked about becoming Ross. He also mimed “hulking out” as he walked onto stage, proving he has a sense of humor about the whole thing. From the scenes released so far, he is still the stern Ross that Hurt outlined in his appearances, but we imagine that will change when the character finally hulks out in the film – a moment partially revealed during the Comic-Con sizzle reel.
The antagonists, meanwhile, are represented by Esposito’s Sidewinder and Tim Blake Nelson, who returns as The Incredible Hulk’s Samuel Sterns – although, this time, he will be more like his comic book counterpart, the villainous Leader. “I want them to bring me back,” he said during the 2024 SDCC appearance, evading any potential spoilers. “They wrote a great story for him and I think people are going to be excited.”
Esposito, meanwhile, told us a little bit about his character after the presentation:
Giancarlo Esposito shares why Seth Voelker, aka 'Sidewinder' is a completely different villain than we have seen him play before.
— Fandango (@Fandango) July 30, 2024
Catch him in #CaptainAmericaBraveNewWorld when it hits theaters February 14, 2025. pic.twitter.com/ZQWfbwlNLH
At the moment, it is unclear if the Leader is using the Serpent Society for his own ends or if he represents a separate faction all his own.
Other members of the cast include Rosa Salazar as Serpent Society member Diamondback and Seth Rollins in an as-yet-undisclosed role.
The Inner Circle
The Cloverfield Paradox and Luce director Julius Onah joins an exclusive club of Captain American film directors that includes Albert Pyun (who helmed the 1990 non-MCU film), Joe Johnston and the Russo Brothers. Reportedly, Onah was interested in the film, in part, because of the opportunity to bring a more comic book accurate Leader to the screen, but we imagine the politics surrounding Sam, the geopolitics of the MCU, and the Serpent Society also appealed to him. According to the director, the film is a grounded thriller more in line with The Winter Soldier than the superhero blowout of Captain America: Civil War.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier writers Malcolm Spellman and Dalan Musson wrote the initial drafts of the film with Moon Knight consulting producer Matthew Orton signing on in late 2023 to write material intended for the eventual reshoots. Initially, the film was subtitled New World Order but was later re-titled as the phrase had strong implications in conspiracy theory realms not intended by Marvel.
Producers on the film include Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige, of course, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’s Nate Moore. Louis D’Esposito and Charles Newirth serve as executive producers. Other crew include director of photography Kramer Morgenthau, production designer Ramsey Avery, costume designer Gersha Phillips, and editor Matthew Schmidt.
Filming began in March of 2023 and was reportedly complete before the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes were called that summer. Nevertheless, the film was delayed to 2025 in anticipation of planned reshoots and the ongoing post-production bottlenecks that have plagued Marvel the last few years. As it turned out, the studio used the reshoots to integrate Esposito’s Sidewinder into the story.
Back In Action
The Brave New World begins on February 14, 2025. To many, the subtitle is especially apt, with Mackie claiming the film will set a new status quo for the MCU. And in light of the recent Doctor Doom revelation, we imagine that new paradigm will open the door for his eventual incursion into the mainline “616” reality. Or, at the very least, establish why the heroes are too disorganized to stop him in 2026’s Avengers: Doomsday. Then again, maybe Sam will be in a position to assemble a new Avengers by the end of Brave New World. Like Steve Rogers, he can probably do this all day.
Captain America: Brave New World opens in theaters on February 14, 2025. Sign up for a FanAlert to be notified when tickets are on sale on Fandango.
By Erik Amaya
