The latest MCU film, most of the necessary context and what to remember can be found in three main Marvel projects — The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021), Eternals (2021) and The Incredible Hulk (2018).
For a recap of what to know ahead of watching Captain America: Brave New World, read on below.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier – Released on Disney+ in March 2021
(L-R): Winter Soldier/Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) and Falcon/Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) in ‘Falcon and the Winter Soldier’
We last left off with Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson when he was still The Falcon in Marvel’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which was released in March 2021. Still hesitant to pick up the shield that Steve Rogers wielded as the Avenger wearing the stars and stripes, Wilson at first relinquished the shield to the government. Soon after that, though, they turned around and named a new white, blonde-haired, blue-eyed Captain America, John Walker (Wyatt Russell) to take up the mantle, creating a deeper discussion about which American citizens were worthy to wear the patriotic uniform.
Sam, who had begun working with soldier Joaquin Torres as his eyes on the ground while he took to the skies, also teamed up with James Buchanan Barnes, aka “Bucky,” who was Steve Rogers’ best friend when they joined the armed forces together, to track down a mysterious rebel group known as the Flag Smashers who were fighting for a world without borders post-blip. Torres aided with his hacking and tracking skills, and Sam helped Bucky realize what he really needed to do in addition to his court-mandated therapy to make amends for his time as the mind-controlled Winter Soldier who committed tragic tasks.
L-R: Danny Ramirez and Carl Lumbly in ‘The Falcon and The Winter Soldier’Courtesy of Marvel
Following the events of the six-episode series, Sam decided to take up the Captain America mantle after much discussion with the first Black Super Soldier Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly), whom Sam didn’t know existed until Bucky introduced them. Bradley advised Sam not to become the next First Avenger because of the way Blackness is treated in America, but Wilson’s decision was entirely his own.
Take Aways: Isaiah Bradley’s introduction and past with experimentations during his wrongful stint in jail set the stage for his appearance in Captain America: Brave New World. The dynamic between duo Sam Wilson and Joaquin Torres established in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier carries on into Brave New World. Wyatt Russell’s John Walker will get more attention in Marvel’s Thunderbolts* set to release in theaters May 2, 2025, as will Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes.
Eternals (2021)
ETERNALS (2021)© Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures / © Marvel Studios / Courtesy Everett Collection
The Chloe Zhao-directed Eternals (2021) introduced the Celestial Island mass that plays a role in Captain America: Brave New World. In the film, which may or may not receive a sequel, ten Eternals, or beings created by the Celestials — all powerful godlike authorities — learned that they would have to carry out the transition of the world through an Emergence, or aiding the birth of a new Celestial which would take up all the energy from planet earth to accomplish. Cersei (Gemma Chan) leader of the group after the death of their beloved Ajak (Salma Hayek), made the decision to not carry out the major universal event because of her love for the planet, which had finally reached the optimal population to carry out the transition. Thus, the Emergence of the yellow Celestial Tiamut was only partially begun and then paused, leaving a fraction of the mammoth figure’s head and sections of its hands sticking out of the ocean, forming an island of sorts. Arishem, the Prime Eternal, did not take kindly to Cersei’s decision, aided by her teammates Thena (Angelina Jolie), Phastos (Bryan Tyree Henry), Makkari (Lauren Ridloff) and combatted by Ikaris (Richard Madden) and Sprite (Lia McHugh) while some figures like Kingo (Kumail Nanjiani) sat out of the conflict entirely. The material that makes up Tiamut plays a big role in the plot of Captain America: Brave New World.
Take Aways: The end of Eternals produced the humanoid structure consisting of the top of a skull and hands protruding from the ocean that becomes a point of contention in Captain America: Brave New World (2025).
The Incredible Hulk (2008)
Edward Norton in ‘The Incredible Hulk’
Many of the faces in Captain America: Brave New World haven’t been on screen since 2008’s The Incredible Hulk which starred Edward Norton in the role of Bruce Banner, later recast with Mark Ruffalo when The Avengers (2012) came out and the Marvel Cinematic Universe took off.
In The Incredible Hulk (2008), Bruce Banner’s love interest was Betty Ross (Liv Tyler), daughter of William Hurt’s Thaddeus Ross. Norton’s Bruce Banner incurred the wrath of Thaddeus Ross, at that time a general in the United States military, after hospitalizing Betty during one of his green and rage-filled transformations.
L-R: Harrison Ford as Thaddeus Ross in ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ and William Hurt as the general in ‘The Incredible Hulk’Courtesy of Marvel
Banner fled to Brazil where he worked at a soda bottling factory and learned breathing methods and martial arts to control the gamma radiation that poisoned his cells and unleashes The Hulk through uncontrollable rage. Norton met a “Mr. Blue” online who wanted to aid him find a cure to his predicament. Mr. Blue is an important clue for Captain America: Brave New World, so eagle-eyed and eared viewers, look out. In The Incredible Hulk (2008), Ross told people that the Hulk resulted from a failed experiment aiming to mimic the “Super-Soldier” program and serum.
Take Aways: Thaddeus Ross’ backstory can be seen in The Incredible Hulk (2008) in which his military career is on display. The importance of the gamma radiation to Ross’ red hulk condition is also explained in the film, as is Ross’ estrangement from his daughter.
