Captain America 4: News, Updates, & Everything We Know About Brave New World

Sam Wilson takes up the shield in Captain America: Brave New World for the penultimate MCU Phase 5 movie, announcing a new chapter in Cap’s story. Captain America 4 was announced as part of the MCU timeline at the end of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which ended with Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) becoming the new Captain America.

Following Steve Rogers stepping away as Captain America at the end of Avengers: Endgame, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier explored Sam’s struggles with whether to take up the Captain America mantle and attempt to live up to his legacy. Captain America: Brave New World will be Sam’s first opportunity to show why he’s the worthy successor to Steve Rogers, as he faces multiple threats, including the MCU’s Red Hulk. Here’s everything we know about Captain America: Brave New World so far.

Captain America Brave New World Trailer & Latest News

The first Captain America: Brave New World trailer was released on July 12, 2024, almost two years after its announcement. Marvel revealed an official breakdown of the trailer, including some additional story details alongside the release:

The trailer kicks off with a tense White House meeting, as Sam comes to face with newly-elected U.S. President Thaddeus Ross. Harrison Ford makes his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut as Ross, a role originated by the late William Hurt.

Ross and Sam have a bit of a history: In his previous role as Secretary of State, Ross was responsible for arresting Sam and his fellow Avengers during the events of Captain America: Civil War. Now as president, Ross is eager to work with Sam, hoping to make Captain America an official military position.

But that tentative alliance is jeopardized when Sam finds himself in the middle of an international incident, with friend and retired super-soldier Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly) as the prime suspect. Sam’s investigation send him on a dangerous chase, and the trailer ends with a deadly showdown and a tease of the menacing Red Hulk.

The trailer announcement also included some key cast information, shedding more light on what to expect from many new and familiar faces. This included the revelation that Shira Haas will play a new version of Ruth Bat-Seraph, rewriting Sabra as a former Black Widow.

More details were revealed about Captain America: Brave New World during Marvel’s panel at the 2024 San Diego Comic-Con. Captain America: Brave New World footage was unveiled at the Comic-Con, which gave a proper look at President Ross’ Red Hulk transformation, and also brought adamantium to the MCU, explained in this universe to be the material that Celestial’s bodies are made out of.

Since adamantium is such a key resource in Marvel, this is sure to be a major development for the cinematic universe. This is particularly true since it plays a crucial role for many heroes and villains, including being integral to Wolverine’s own story – which makes the impending introduction of an Earth-616 Logan more possible, even if it’s not as likely while Hugh Jackman is still the main movie Wolverine.

The San Diego Comic-Con also saw the confirmation that Giancarlo Esposito will play Sidewinder in the upcoming MCU movie. The leader of the Serpent Society in the comics, Sidewinder is an especially notable figure to bring into the Captain America: Brave New World cast, and cements the idea of the Serpent Society being in the MCU, potentially paving the way for future appearances fro the villainous faction.

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Captain America 4 Trailer Breakdown: 10 Bombshells, Hidden Details & Best Moments In Brave New World’s Trailer Explained

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Captain America: Brave New World Was Originally Confirmed At SDCC 2022

Not long after Sam Wilson took up the role of Captain America, a new Captain America 4 was announced, allowing him to properly step into the role in his own solo adventure. The news was further confirmed at San Diego Comic-Con 2022, when the title Captain America: New World Order was revealed and the movie was given a release date as part of Phase 5 of the MCU. Since then, the retitled Captain America: Brave New World has been on a fast-track development, though the 2023 Hollywood strikes will have naturally altered what the production schedule previously may have looked like.

Captain America: Brave New World Release Date

Part of the MCU’s Phase 5, Captain America: Brave New World will hit theaters on February 14, 2025. This comes after some delays, which saw the movie previously set to release on May 3, 2024, and then July 26, 2024. This also appears to have pushed back other MCU movies, reflecting the overall delays the MCU slate experienced in the 2023 period.

Unlike in MCU Phase 4, there seems to be a directly unified plot that connects the entire MCU Phase 5 slate. The Multiverse Saga’s middle act, Phase 5, starts with Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania in 2023, with Captain America 4 positioned towards the end of Phase 5, making it notably important, as a movie about one of the major mantles in the MCU deserves to be.

With Brave New World also being one of four movies currently on the slate before Avengers: Doomsday, it stands to reason that this release date will make the fourth Captain America film all the more crucial for setting the stage in time for the next Avengers release. Given the story of Captain America: Brave New World sees President Ross trying to convince Sam Wilson to reform the Avengers, it could well mean that this chapter of the story begins the new Multiverse Saga Avengers outright, or otherwise sets the idea in motion for Avengers: Doomsday itself.

Captain America: Brave New World Cast

All Returning & New Marvel Characters

Sam Wilson, the new Captain America, will of course be played by Anthony Mackie. After being the Falcon since his debut in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Mackie takes on the new title and headlines his own MCU movie for the first time. He’s joined by a cast of new and returning characters.

Another returning character is Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross. However, with the death of actor William Hurt, Harrison Ford will be taking over the role for his first appearance as Ross. As confirmed by the first trailer, Ross will also transform into Marvel villain Red Hulk.

One of the biggest surprises in the cast is the return of Tim Blake Nelson as Samuel Sterns aka The Leader, who has not been seen in the MCU since 2008’s The Incredible Hulk where he was teased to be becoming his villainous alter-ego. Another surprise return was revealed in March 2023, when The Hollywood Reporter announced that Betty Ross would be played once more by Liv Tyler. This is especially interesting as Tyler played Betty Ross last in The Incredible Hulk, playing the love interest to a Hulk who was at the time played by Edward Norton.

Given that Sam became Captain America in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, it is not surprising that some cast members from that show will be included in Captain America: Brave New World. Fellow super-soldier Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly) will be featured in the story, perhaps delving deeper into his past as a Black super-soldier who was forgotten about by the U.S. military.

Joaquin Torres/Falcon (Danny Ramirez) will also return in his sidekick-like role opposite Sam and is following his comic book storyline and becoming the new Falcon. Additionally, Shira Haas will play a new version of Ruth Bat-Seraph, who was known as Sabra, a mutant agent of MOSSAD from the comics, while Xosha Roquemore joins the cast in an undisclosed role.

Giancarlo Esposito became the last member of the cast, joining for reshoots as an initially unnamed villain who was popularly speculated to be George Washington Bridge. However, the 2024 San Diego Comic-Con revealed that Esposito’s Brave New World character is Sidewinder, a notable Marvel villain.

In the comics, Sidewinder is the leader of the Serpent Society, having formed a criminal organization of snake-themed antagonists who align themselves with a range of infamous and well-paying figures. This aligns well with what has been teased for Sidewinder’s MCU story, which appears to see him working as a mercenary in the live-action world too – potentially having been hired by the The Leader to do his dirty work for him.

Captain America: Brave New World Story Details

Brave New World‘s original title “New World Order” is also the title of the pilot episode of Falcon and the Winter Soldier, the finale of which sees Wilson becoming the new Cap. This isn’t surprising as the movie’s head writer is The Falcon And The Winter Soldier showrunner, Malcolm Spellman.

How Falcon becomes Captain America in the comics is actually quite different from the MCU, and holds more thematic depth. In Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Spellman used Sam Wilson taking up the Shield to explore not only the racial politics of a Black man becoming a living symbol of America’s values, but also Cap’s role as an intermediary between ordinary people and the authorities.

The trailer and footage from Cinema Con confirmed that Thunderbolt Ross will attempt to set up a new Avengers team under Sam Wilson, before an assassination attempt almost kills him. That assassination attempt comes from Isaiah Bradley, who is activated (much like Bucky as The Winter Soldier) by an unknown force.

Similarly, the 2024 San Diego Comic-Con footage revealed that the movie will explore the discovery of adamantium in the MCU, and the potential impact of this is sure to be explored in the movie. Given the teaser disclosed that adamantium in the MCU is actually what the Celestial’s bodies are comprised of, the harvesting of the still half-emerged Tiamat from Earth seems set to be at least partially addressed in Captain America: Brave New World, even if this may be more in the background of the plot itself in order to set up the valuable resource for future MCU storylines.

Captain America: Brave New World’s Title Explained

After the Captain America 4 title was changed to Captain America: Brave New World, it’s possible to read Sam Wilson’s first solo movie as the new MCU Cap as a promise for a new era for the MCU. He will presumably be auditioning to lead the Avengers, but the very idea of a Black Captain America alone obviously promises progress.

The original title of Captain America: New World Order draws from a Red Skull story in the comics. In Marvel Comics, New World Order is the name of an organization formed by the Red Skull, who lures the Hulk into the NWO’s base in the Amazon jungle, where the Juggernaut captures Hulk to be brainwashed.

Apart from the mobster Silvermane and Red Skull himself, the real identities of the other members of the NWO are never revealed. Curiously, Harrison Ford’s MCU character General Ross’ has no real connection to this comic book story arc, save for the fact that he is obsessed with the Hulk. However, the introduction of his Red Hulk form the inclusion of The Leader in Captain America: Brave New World could give more weight to this possible storyline.

Captain America: Brave New World

Captain America: Brave New World (formerly titled New World Order) marks Sam Wilson’s first MCU big-screen appearance as Steve Rogers’ successor after receiving the suit and shield in Phase 4’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Anthony Mackie returns as the titular Avenger alongside Danny Ramirez as Joaquin Torres, Carl Lumby as Isaiah Bradley, and Tim Blake Nelson as The Incredible Hulk’s former ally Samuel Sterns. Harrison Ford makes his MCU debut replacing the late William Hurt as Thaddeus Ross.

Director

Julius Onah

Release Date

February 14, 2025

Studio(s)

Marvel Studios

Writers

Dalan Musson , Malcolm Spellman

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