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Summary
- The introduction of Adamantium sets up a new era for the MCU & the eventual appearance of Wolverine.
- The plot revolves around Sam Wilson really, officially taking the Mantle of Captain America set among the backdrop of Adamantium conflicts.
- The movie sets up intense international intrigue regarding the need for newly discovered metal.
The events of Captain America: Brave New World mark the beginning of a new era for Sam Wilson, the Avengers and the MCU. While was essentially a direct sequel to both The Incredible Hulk and Eternals, Captain America: Brave New World is set up to be the roadmap for everything that comes after it in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The biggest way that Brave New World is set up to affect the entirety of the MCU from here on out is the introduction of Adamantium into the world thanks to the frozen Celestial that briefly started emerging from deep within the earth. That was the larger plot of this film, the race to harvest the new mineral that is purported to be stronger and more adaptive than Wakanda’s Vibranium. The discovery of this material is obviously a hint to the eventual introduction of Wolverine and Weapon X but for now, the movie is all about setting up international intrigue about how countries from all over the world will deal with each other as they race to get as much of the new metal as possible.
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Captain America: Brave New World just premiered to mixed reviews, and a new report detailing its troubled production shines a light on that outcome.
What Happens In Captain America: Brave New World?
The attempts to mine Adamantium are the backdrop to the plot of Brave New World, but in the forefront is the handing off officially on the big screen of the mantle of Captain America. In order to do this, the movie starts with new the Cap in the form of Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson and his new partner who is definitively not the new Falcon taking out some terrorists that are revealed to be the MCU’s version of the Serpent Society led by Giancarlo Esposito as Sidewinder.
Sidewinder in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is not a costumed criminal with any high tech gadgets, or buddies that can emit poison or possess super strength to crush their enemies. Instead, is a more run of the mill paramilitary group trying to steal some adamantium from Japan.
However, it’s later revealed that the group was hired and double crossed by Samuel Stearns, who has an axe to grind with new US President Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, who was just General Ross when he and Stearns first crossed paths all the way back in The Incredible Hulk and in Brave New World it’s set up that Ross imprisoned Stearns so that the gamma radiated big brain could come up with a drug that would cure Ross’s heart condition. This “cure” or treatment comes in the forrm of pills Ross takes throughout the movie.
Stearns has launched a rather complicated plot to expose Ross for the liar he is by using mind control to hypnotize the Lost Captain America, Isaiah Bradley. Bradley is brainwashed into shooting at President Ross during an even announcing the discovery of Adamantium and is subsequently taken into custody, not remembering what happened. It’s soon shown that Stearns reach is broad, capturing the minds of many men, including two fighter pilots who start an international incident that has Japan and the US on the brink of war. Fortunately, the new Captain America and his sidekick stop the fighter pilots and diffuse tensions.
However, during this incident, Ross and Stearns have a conversation that Stearns records for later use and the president almost loses his cool and becomes the Red Hulk while he’s aboard an aircraft carrier headed to Celestial Island. This sets up the final battle when Ross is back safely at the White House and Captain America and Danny Torres have teamed up with Ruth Bat-Seraph in order to try and stop the Stearns master plan.
How Does Captain America: Brave New World End?
As President Ross is giving a press conference in the White House Rose Garden, a now captured Stearns has somehow set it up so that the recording of their conversation begins playing over speakers at the press conference. Outraged that he’s being exposed for keeping a criminal in prison, Ross – whose heart pills were laced with Gamma radiation – begins transforming into the Red Hulk and soon Captain America is able to move the fight to the street lined by Cherry Blossoms.
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Director |
Julius Onah |
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Written By |
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Those Cherry Blossoms are an essential point as the new Captain America, who doesn’t have the Super Soldier serum flowing through his veins, can’t brute strength the Red Hulk into submission but he is able to remind Ross/Red Hulk of the man’s desire to walk through the Cherry Blossom adorned streets with his daughter. Ross eventually returns to normal and is imprisoned for his covering up of Stearns and his rampage as the Red Hulk.
Meanwhile, Cap goes to see Danny Torres in the hospital (he was injured in the fight to stop the brainwashed fighter pilots) and Wilson informs his friend he’s rebuilding the Avengers and wants Torres to be one of them. The final shot is Ross getting a visit from his estranged daughter, Betty talking about one day going to see the Cherry Blossoms together.
Captain America: Brave New World
- Release Date
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February 14, 2025
- Director
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Julius Onah
- Writers
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Dalan Musson, Malcolm Spellman
- Prequel(s)
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Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War
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Anthony Mackie
Sam Wilson / Captain America
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Harrison Ford
Thaddeus ‘Thunderbolt’ Ross / Red Hulk
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Giancarlo Esposito
Sidewinder
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Review – Captain America: Brave New World Is Frustrating, Messy, And Uninteresting
Captain America: Brave New World didn’t inspire the highest expectations and still managed to fall short of them.