Captain America: Brave New World – Detailed Teaser Breakdown, Analysis & Easter Eggs
The teaser for the latest entry to the ‘Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)’ titled Captain America – Brave New Worldhas created quite a stir among the fans of the beloved comics, mostly because it was announced a long while back and also because it looks quite unique in its own way. There is a lot of stunning visuals and shots which brings a lot of question to the spectators’ mind. To be honest, this teaser does bring a lot of optimism and anticipation for the film, which otherwise didn’t get to pique the attention of general audience, especially because of the delayed production and the current brand value of MCU. In addition to this, fans are also gravely waiting to see how Sam Wilson (portrayed by actor Anthony Mackie) will fare as the New Captain America, after Steve Rodgers’ departure as the original Cap.
Now the audience are still wondering about what the plot of Captain America – Brave New Worldwill turn out into. Well in all honesty, we have to admit ourselves that we are still a lot behind from making an actual speculation since all we have received so far is just a teaser to the film. But of course, we can still make our own analysis and draw a framework about the film’s storyline and its plot structure. Here we are trying to make an analysis of what we have received so far with this teaser.
Thaddeus Ross
The teaser of Captain America – Brave New World starts with a shot of Sam entering the ‘Oval Office’ which is presided by Thaddeus Ross aka Thunderbolt Ross, who is now the President of the United States. Now Ross was largely absent after making appearance in 2021’s Black Widow. Ross started as the former US Army General in The Incredible Hulk (2006), the second installment in the MCU. After a long gap, he made the appearance in Captain America: Civil War (2016) where he got promoted as the United States Secretary of the State. During this period, he tried to regulate the activities of the Avengers by introducing the ‘Sokovia Accords’, after some of the heroic attempts of the team resulted in severe collateral damages for the public.
While Thunderbolt Ross was initially antagonistic towards Hulk and the rest of the Avengers during the initial phases of MCU, he appears to have a more friendly touch with Sam Wilson here. The reason to why he got mellowed is yet to be revealed. Not to mention that it’s the first-time appearance of Hollywood Legend Harrison Ford as Ross, after the passing of William Hurt, who essayed the role till Black Widow (2021). There is a jest thrown against Ross over his clean-shaven look as William Hurt’s interpretation of the character had a noticeable moustache in his face while Harrison Ford appears in a cleanshaven look in the film.
Sam Wilson as a Government agent
Ross talks about turning Captain America into an ‘official military position’, as a reward and attempt at putting the past behind. This move is without a doubt, a pivotal point as Sam himself is quite not receptive upon hearing Ross’ plan. There is a lot of history behind of course. Steve Rogers himself was a soldier of the government. And of course, he had to fight his own team along with Sam and Bucky, with the opposite side siding with the Sokovia Accords plan proposed by Ross. And then of course came the events of Falcon and the Winter Soldier, where the government introduced a new Captain America, in the form of John Walker and created an entirely new level of ruckus for both Sam and Bucky Barnes aka Winter Soldier to tackle.
The reason for inviting Sam could also be James Rhodes’ fate shown in Secret Invasion as he got kidnapped and held captive as per the show, for a long time. In short, considering Sam Wilson as the perfect choice for fitting the role of someone who would stay and fight by the countryside through her ideals, could be the result of Ross’ guilt conscience coupled with despair. With all the things that happened in the past, Sam Wilson showed a level of skepticism upon hearing Ross’ plans at first. He even says “And what if we disagree on how to manage a situation, then what happens” at one point. This line in a way suggests about Sam’s lack of trust or interest in government’s way of interference in his sort of work. As such conflicts in working could somehow result in the main objective/task getting compromised.
Steve Rogers Phenomenon
Steven Rogers aka the very first Captain America is a cultural icon and a symbol of unyielding strength which is both physical and mental. Let us not forget that he stood bold against Thanos and is army, despite getting his shoulder muscles sliced in Avengers: Endgame. The nation was shown to still mourn over Steve’s apparent death (even though it isn’t visibly shown on screen). Now Sam here has some really huge shoes to fill as the legacy inculcated by Steven Rogers as Cap is just too huge. In the beginning of Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Sam is shown to have transferred the iconic Vibranium shield which Steve passed on to Sam in the end of Avengers: Endgame, as he was pretty much convinced that he is not fit to be a successor of Steve Rogers. Of course, there is also the whole ‘Black politics angle’ In the same show as Isiah Bradley once told Sam that the country won’t let a black man be the Captain America and even if they do, no self-respecting black man would even consider being one.
During the beginning of the teaser, there is a bit of quick transition segment consisting of different shots of Sam on multiple occasions and even while wearing his suit, shown while Sam would enter the ‘Oval Office’. This could in a way, symbolize the kind of disturbance Sam might be facing at that moment. On one side, Sam has this whole history dealing with the government in his TV series while on the other, he is yet to prove to the world about his worth and how much of a good successor would he be to Steve Rogers. There is also one segment where Harrison Ford’s Thunderbolt Ross would remind Sam that while he might be the new Captain America, he is not Steve Rogers. In fact, on the parallel side, we – the audience, ourselves are waiting to see how well Anthony Mackie would do on the Big Screen as the New Captain America. Only when the film hits the big screen would we get to make a clear picture about the future his version holds. After all, Sam Wilson bravely embraces the fact he is not Steven Rogers prior to the shot where he unwrapped his wings and stood bold against the upcoming missile attacks.
Joaquin Torres
Joaquin Torres is a famous character within the Marvel superhero world. He is a friend and ally of Sam Wilson. In fact, in the comics, he will become the new Falcon after Sam Wilson begins his adventure as the new Captain America. There is a whole different storyline for Torres in the comics as he is a victim of freakish experimentation, which would reward him with unimaginable powers. But he has a different storyline devoted here. In Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Joaquin Torres (played by actor Danny Ramirez) is a member of the US Air Force and a friend of Sam Wilson. Its this version of the character who would explain to Sam about the things the happened during the ‘blip’ in MCU. During the opening addressal scene of Ross, Torres is shown sitting near to Isiah prior to the ‘eventual situation’ inside the hall. There is also a scene where he would say “What if it’s a trap?”. This could be a scene which would take place immediately after the meeting between Sam and Ross. Or it might be at a different place where Sam would narrate the whole incident to him. Either way, judging from his face in each shot, its clearly evident that Torres isn’t truly pleased with this situation where Sam got supposedly shoehorned into a whole different set of plannings. Since Bucky Barnes is so far hinted to be absent in the film, Joaquin Torres could be Sam Wilson’s partner in heroic actions in his film and there is a chance for their relationship to be expressed well on big screen.
Isiah Bradley
Isiah Bradley is a popular character who made his first appearance in the MCU through Falcon and the Winter Soldier. He is considered as a late entry but a pivotal character within the lore of Captain America. Isiah made his first appearance in the comic book limited series titled ‘Truth: Red, White & Black’. As per this storyline, Steve Rogers is far from being the only test subject of the Captain America Super-Soldier serum. Isiah Bradley was one of those unfortunate test subjects who had to go through the process. While he emerged as one of those victims who survived the tests, almost everyone involved in it were ordered to be executed, in-order to conceal every information behind it. Isiah later had to go through another wild ride in his life as a lab rat and into the proceedings of court-martials and imprisonment. However, former President Eisenhower during his tenure pardoned him, only to serve the rest of his life in obscurity. When Sam Wilson met Isiah first, the effects of old age had taken its toll on him slowly. He still held by his ideals against the whites for the mistreatment he and his comrades had to endure in the past. As mentioned before, Isiah saw ‘being Captain America’ as a sign of embarrassment.
In the teaser, Isiah Bradley is shown attending an event where President Ross attended and was about to present a speech or something. Out of nowhere, Isiah sitting next to Joaquin Torres, stood up and fired shots against the Prez, who survived simply because of the glass chamber (somewhat similar to what former President Barack Obama made in his time) within which he stood and addressed the guests. (we know that this might sound a bit too much of a coincidence but we were writing this analysis content while the same time the news about a gunshot assassination attempt against former President and the candidate for the 2024 US Presidential Election, Mr. Donald Trump, broke out)
Isiah is shown making a jump to escape the guards through one of those fixed windows. The reason for why someone like him, who had been mostly in somewhat a dormant stage, made an attempt against the President of the United States, is kinda baffling to everyone including us. Its most likely the influence of Leader, the main antagonist of the film. But there is also a chance for it to be an attempt produced out of mere spite for the harm inflicted on him during the past era. Well, we still have to wait for some more promo stuff to get a better picture of it.
Leader
Leader is so far said to be the main antagonist in this film. In comics, Leader is someone who got exposed to the gamma radiations, which mutated him to a green-skinned, super-intelligent entity. He is also one of those major adversaries of the Hulk. It was confirmed a long back that this version of the character is the same which we saw in The Incredible Hulk (2008), the second installment in MCU. Dr. Samuel Sterns (portrayed by actor Tim Blake Nelson), is a Harlem based university professor, who tried to help Dr. Bruce Banner find a cure for controlling the Hulk mutations. He gets forced by Emil Blonsky (who after a long while, made appearance in She-Hulk) for conducting experimentation on him. Blonsky as Abomination later destroyed Sterns’ lab and during the chaos, one of those blood samples of Bruce Banner get inside his brain through his forehead cut. This caused mutation on him by expanding his cranium and transformed him into the psychotic villain ‘Leader’.
Leader later made an appearance in the prequel comics of MCU, where he would later help Black Widow into tracing a location, after which she rebuffed and handed him over to the S.H.I.E.L.D. This is his first appearance within the MCU lore, ever since that. Even though the face of Leader isn’t shown in the teaser, there is a shot of him from behind, wearing a cap. He warns Sam Wilson that the latter is just a pawn in a bigger game and that the global power is shifting. While we are yet to see what his plans are about and how detrimental they could be, we can safely say from all the gliding and the attack against Sam that he is not facing any child play. It is still a mystery to how Leader got to include someone like Isiah Bradley into turning against the President of the United States. Fans still wonder as to whether this is still an after effect of something like in Captain America: Civil War, where Zemo gets to turn Bucky Barnes into a relentless mass murderer weapon by whispering just a few words to the latter, thereby activating his wilder side. There is a high pitch voice teased in between, which is currently branded as the trigger for Isiah. As per a report by IGN, there was a similar sounding pitch which was present in a footage of the film, shown during the Disney’s ‘Cinemacon 2024’ event. But even then, its still a wonder as to how Leader acquires data like that since almost every data relating to the experimentation of Isiah got scrapped then itself.
(note: We are not ignoring the chances of this being another MCU tactic, fooling the audience through altered film footages)
However, his plans aren’t over yet as there are still missile attacks and physical attacks against Sam, which he struggles to fight back. There is a chance for him to have somehow revived and turned a few of the undercover HYDRA agents against President Ross and his country. Or else, this could still be a global threat in any other obscure way. It is also possible for Ross’ governmental plan to have something insidious within, judging from his ‘pawn dialogue’. Leader might be offering a chance for Sam Wilson to escape and not come between him and United States. But again, Sam is ‘Captain America’ and he can’t simply watch all the attacks against the White House like a spectator and do nothing. And everything between Leader and Ross has now become a problem of Sam himself. The reason to why Leader has this elaborate plan against President Ross is still unknown. It could be the past incident of his which turned his life upside down or simply because his brains got deformed and filled with uncontrollable rage. Nevertheless, we still have to see what and as to why Leader is devising all the havoc.
Also, there is this one shot where Sam gets closer to a specially shaped chamber or cloistered shuttle within the colder region. As per the latest fans theory, it’s Valkyrie, the same plane in which Steve Rogers tried to capture Red Skull and got collapsed within the colder region of Greenland after which he woke up like 70 years later. Whether or not the Valkyrie holds any pivotal clue for Leader’s evil schematics.
Red Hulk
One of the best moments about the teaser of Captain America – Brave New World, for the fans, would be the entry of Red Hulk. Red Hulk is actually a relatively new character within the Marvel lore and somewhat an adversary to the original Hulk. Red Hulk in the comics is actually Thaddeus Ross himself in serval incarnations. He was created as a part of Ross’ growing obsession towards Hulk but later mellowed inside. There is a small shot of somewhat a lab shown in one frame. Perhaps the experimentation for Ross into becoming the Red Hulk, was conducted here in this very place. Characters like MODOK (the same guy who received backlashes for his appearance in Ant-man and the Wasp: Quantumania) is also said to be one of those major brains behind the Red Hulk. And judging by the looks of it, its highly probable for The Leader to have played a pivotal role in this whole process.
Red Hulk is shown emerging out of the White House building as a significant portion of it is shown getting smashed from the inside itself. Probably the Leader might have triggered Ross into transforming into the monster side within. He is also shown throwing the Vibranium shield down to the road itself, splintering its surface itself. In a way, its confirmed that a duel sequence somewhat similar to the one in The Avengers (2012), where Thor tried to stop an unleashed Hulk, is waiting for us to see on the big screen along with our usual cheers. While it’s a duel perpetrated by Loki and happened between Thor and Hulk in The Avengers, it is between Sam Wilson aka Captain America and Red Hulk here, which is seemingly instigated under Leader’s influence.
Giancarlo Esposito
Giancarlo Esposito’s casting news is widely claimed to be the most exciting factor about titled Captain America – Brave New World, among some fans and they can’t be blamed for it. The magna-potent actor has carved such an image in the minds of all television series lovers by portraying the role of the iconic villain Gus Fring in the Breaking Bad franchise and several other characters including Stan Edgar in the ongoing series The Boys and as Moff Gideon in The Mandalorian. While the news about his casting has gained a lot of attention, the fans still haven’t fully figured out which character he is playing in the movie, as it is yet to be fully revealed. One of the major fans speculations suggests that he is portraying the role of G.W. Bridge, a not so familiar character within the lore. G.W. Bridge in Marvel comics is a former mercenary who initially worked with Cable (a character from the future portrayed by actor Josh Brolin in Deadpool 2). On a later stage, he would join S.H.I.E.L.D. and later become a high-ranking officer within.
While this whole idea seems intriguing, it is also puzzling since Cable is not a part of MCU so far. While Giancarlo Esposito looks badass, his objective is still an enigma judging from the teaser. While he is holding firearms and is shown to have caused explosions, we can’t tell from now on whose side he is. Maybe he is still a mercenary with his comic book origins altered and treated as an antihero who would later turn into a supporting character. Or maybe, he would be a top agent at the S.H.I.E.L.D., sent to provide support for Sam Wilson and his team. Either way, Giancarlo Esposito’s participation is what we personally are eyeing to enjoy the most in the film. However, because of MCU’s notorious reputation for wasting the potential of major actors in the past films, we are also hoping to see something really unique from his part rather than getting simply appeased through his mere presence.
Bottom line is, we agree that there is still a lot more to be revealed. But we have made the best use at decrypting the best we could with the small amount of data and sources provided. With more promo stuff within the upcoming months, we will get a more concrete picture of the actual plotline and can come into a conclusion as to whether this latest MCU entry is something worthy to be hoped for, or not.
Captain America – Brave New World is scheduled to hit the theatres on February, 2025. Until then, stay tuned!
Compiled By Amal John