Captain America: Brave New World

Lore & Background

The film was directed by Julius Onah from a screenplay by Rob Edwards and the writing teams of Malcolm Spellman & Dalan Musson and Onah & Peter Glanz. It stars Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson / Captain America alongside Danny Ramirez, Shira Haas, Carl Lumbly, Xosha Roquemore, Giancarlo Esposito, Liv Tyler, Tim Blake Nelson, and Harrison Ford. In the film, Wilson investigates a conspiracy involving U.S. president Thaddeus Ross (Ford). Captain America: Civil War (2016) ended the Captain America trilogy starring Chris Evans as Steve Rogers, and Wilson becomes the new Captain America in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Series writers Spellman and Musson were writing a new Captain America film by April 2021, and Mackie signed on that August. Onah joined in July 2022, when the title Captain America: New World Order was announced. Additional cast members joined later that year. Nelson and Tyler returned from the second MCU film, The Incredible Hulk (2008), while Ford replaced William Hurt as Ross following Hurt's death in March 2022; Ross becomes the superpowered Red Hulk in the film. Filming took place from March to June 2023 at Trilith Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, with additional filming in Washington, D.C. The subtitle was changed to Brave New World during filming. Matthew Orton joined in December 2023 to write for reshoots, which took place between May and November 2024, and added Esposito to the film. The involvement of Edwards and Glanz was revealed that December.

Reader's Guide

Captain America: Brave New World premiered on February 11, 2025, at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, and was released in the United States on February 14 as part of Phase Five of the MCU. It grossed $415 million worldwide. The film received mixed reviews from critics for its story, connections to other MCU projects, and visual effects. The performances, particularly those of Mackie and Ford, received praise. The film continues the story of Sam Wilson as Captain America, a character who lacks super-soldier abilities and relies on empathy and tactical skill. It introduces the Red Hulk and explores themes of political conspiracy and redemption. The film's legacy lies in its role as the first Captain America film without Steve Rogers and its integration of characters from The Incredible Hulk and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

Did You Know?

• The film is the 35th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
• Harrison Ford replaced William Hurt as Thaddeus Ross after Hurt's death in March 2022.
• The subtitle was changed from New World Order to Brave New World during filming.
• The film features the debut of the Red Hulk, portrayed by Harrison Ford.

Production Journey & Title Evolution

The film's development stretched across several years, beginning in earnest by April 2021 when series writers Malcolm Spellman and Dalan Musson were already drafting a new Captain America movie. Anthony Mackie committed to the role that August, and Julius Onah came aboard in July 2022 alongside the initial title Captain America: New World Order. Principal photography ran from March through June 2023 at Trilith Studios in Atlanta, with supplemental shooting in Washington, D.C. The subtitle was reworked to Brave New World during the shoot itself. A significant second wave of production occurred between May and November 2024, when Matthew Orton joined to write reshoot material and Giancarlo Esposito was added to the cast. Rob Edwards and the writing team of Onah and Peter Glanz were formally credited in December 2024. The project thus evolved through multiple writing phases and a substantial reshoot period before reaching audiences.

Cast & Character Lineage

The ensemble bridges multiple eras of the MCU. Anthony Mackie carries the Captain America mantle forward from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021), which itself followed Chris Evans's Steve Rogers in Captain America: Civil War (2016). Danny Ramirez steps into the Falcon role, Shira Haas appears as Ruth Bat-Seraph, a former Black Widow, and Carl Lumbly, Xosha Roquemore, and Liv Tyler round out the supporting cast. Harrison Ford takes over the role of Thaddeus Ross after William Hurt's passing in March 2022, transforming the character into the superpowered Red Hulk. Notably, both Liv Tyler and Tim Blake Nelson return to the franchise from The Incredible Hulk (2008), the second MCU film. Giancarlo Esposito joined during the 2024 reshoot period. The film thus weaves together characters from the 2008 Hulk, the 2016 Civil War, the 2021 series, and entirely new introductions, creating a layered continuity thread.

Narrative & Conspiracy Structure

The story centers on a political conspiracy that unfolds over five months after Thaddeus Ross's presidential election. Ross tasks Sam Wilson and Joaquin Torres with recovering stolen adamantium samples in Oaxaca, Mexico, from mercenary Sidewinder and his group Serpent. The metal was discovered on Celestial Island, a landmass formed when the Celestial Tiamut surfaced in the Indian Ocean. Ross proposes an international treaty to prevent an arms race, but a White House summit is disrupted when the song "Mr. Blue" triggers mind-controlled men to open fire. The investigation leads Wilson and Torres to Camp Echo One in West Virginia, where they uncover Dr. Samuel Sterns, a former character who gained enhanced intelligence after exposure to Hulk blood during the Abomination's Harlem rampage. Sterns uses the song as a mind-control tool and seeks revenge after Ross imprisoned him. The conspiracy culminates on Celestial Island and at a press conference, where Ross transforms into the Red Hulk and destroys part of the White House before Wilson calms him with memories of his daughter Betty.

Release, Reception & MCU Position

Captain America: Brave New World premiered at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood on February 11, 2025, before hitting U.S. theaters on February 14 as part of Phase Five of the MCU. It marks the 35th film in the franchise and the fourth dedicated Captain America entry. Globally, the film collected $415 million at the box office. Critical response was mixed: reviewers noted divided feelings about the story's coherence, its connections to other MCU projects, and the visual effects. However, the acting drew consistent praise, with particular emphasis on Anthony Mackie's portrayal of Sam Wilson and Harrison Ford's performance as the conflicted, dying president-turned-Red Hulk. The film's placement in Phase Five positions it as a transitional entry, continuing the Sam Wilson era established by The Falcon and the Winter Soldier while introducing new threads such as the adamantium treaty and the fate of Ross at the Raft that could shape future MCU storytelling.

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