Captain America: Brave New World: release date, trailer, confirmed cast, plot synopsis, and more news and rumors about the Marvel movie

Captain America: Brave New World is out now in theaters worldwide. So, if you're eager to know more about Sam Wilson's first big-screen adventure as Cap 2.0 before you watch it, you've come to the right place.

In this guide, I've compiled the biggest news (and odd rumor) on Captain America 4. Indeed, you'll learn more about its confirmed cast, official plot details, trailers, and its potential impact on the Marvel Cinematic Universe's (MCU) future from here on out. Before you dive in, though, read my Captain America: Brave New World review to see if it's worth watching.

It goes without saying, but major spoilers follow for Falcon and the Winter Soldier (FATWS), aka the most obvious Marvel project that precedes Captain America: Brave New World. Potential cast and plot spoilers also follow for Cap 4, so proceed with caution if you're actively avoiding them before you watch it.

Captain America: Brave New World release date

Captain America: Brave New World launched in theaters worldwide on Friday, February 14.

The Marvel Phase 5 movie was originall due out on May 3, 2024, but the 2023 Hollywood strikes led to the delayed release of multiple Marvel films., including Captain America 4. It was later given a revised launch date of July 26, 2024 before a third and current release date was settled on.

Captain America: Brave New World trailer

Captain America: Brave New World | Official Trailer - YouTube

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Captain America: Brave New World's official trailer was unveiled last November. Alongside the first Thunderbolts movie's first teaser, Captain America 4's final teaser suggested Marvel Phase 5 would go out with a bang rather than a whimper, too.

Its most recent teaser arrived four months after Captain America: Brave New World's first trailer, which premiered in July 2024. That was the first time we saw the film series' political thriller vibes. Oh, and that legendary actor Harrison Ford was not only playing Thaddeus 'Thunderbolt' Ross, but that he'd also be hulk-ing out as Ross' iconic Red Hulk alter-ego.

Captain America: Brave New World cast

Potential spoilers follow for Captain America: Brave New World.

Here's the confirmed cast for Captain America 4 so far:

• Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson/Captain America
• Danny Ramirez as Joaquin Torres/Falcon
• Harrison Ford as Thaddeus 'Thunderbolt' Ross/Red Hulk
• Tim Blake Nelson as Samuel Sterns/The Leader
• Shira Haas as Rut Bat-Seraph
• Carl Lumbly as Isaiah Bradley
• Giancarlo Esposito as Seth Voelker/Sidewinder
• Liv Tyler as Betty Ross
• Takehiro Hira as Ozaki
• Xosha Roquemore as TBC
• Rosa Salazar as TBC

Some of the above actors and their Marvel characters will be familiar to MCU fans. For one, Wilson has been ever-present since 2014's Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Meanwhile, Ramirez and Lumbly made their debuts in FATWS, while Nelson and Tyler played supporting roles in 2010's The Incredible Hulk – a flick some readers might have forgotten is an MCU movie. It was the second Marvel Studios film to arrive after 2008's Iron Man – you can learn more about this duo in our Marvel movies in order guide.

As I mentioned earlier, veteran actor Harrison Ford was hired to play Ross following William Hurt's passing in March 2022. He'll also portray Red Hulk, a much angrier and seemingly unstoppable version of Bruce Banner's gamma-irradiated superpowered alias.

For more details on the individuals you'll see in the movie and the actors who'll play them, my Captain America: Brave New World cast and character guide is a must-read.

There are other characters rumored to appear in Captain America 4, but I won't spoil them ahead of time. Two individuals I don't expect to make cameos, though, are Sebastien Stan's James 'Bucky' Barnes, aka the Winter Soldier, and Mark Ruffalo's Bruce Banner/The Hulk.

Where 'Bucky' is concerned, he'll appear in Thunderbolts, which arrives in theaters on May 2. It wouldn't make sense for him to be involved in this film, then, if he's caught up in events elsewhere. As for Banner, despite Ruffalo appearing to suggest (during a chat at the 2024 Santa Barbara International Film Festival) that he'll show up, Variety reports that he misspoke about his involvement, so I'd be very surprised if Banner or his superpowered alias show up.

Captain America: Brave New World plot synopsis and speculation

Potential spoilers follow for Captain America: Brave New World.

Here's the movie's official plot synopsis: "Captain America: Brave New World follows Sam Wilson who, after meeting with newly elected U.S. President Thaddeus Ross, finds himself in the middle of an international incident. He must discover the reason behind a nefarious global plot before the true mastermind has the entire world seeing red."

That's not much to go on, but Captain America 4's cast and crew have provided some additional details about its story.

First, Captain America 4 producer Nate Moore told TechRadar that Brave New World's politically-charged story was partly inspired by a 1970s Marvel comic book series (you can read that seven-issue run by signing up to Marvel Unlimited using the link below, FYI). Moore and the film's director also told me why fans should ignore any reports suggesting that Captain America 4 underwent significant reshoots and tested poorly among audiences during its initial test screenings. And, despite what many people have said, Brave New World isn't just a rehashed version of The Winter Soldier, according to Moore and Onah.

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But back to the movie's story. Speaking to Empire magazine, director Julius Onah spoke about the challenges that Wilson will face in Brave New World. "Part of the challenge for Sam as Captain America, working within the government, is the way he’s going to make decisions,” Onah said. "The point of view he’s going to have will, at times, put him at odds with the president. Sam [also] finds himself almost standing between Samuel Sterns and what he thinks the government owes him, and how he wants to go about getting that.

"The action in this movie is incredibly exciting because this is a guy who can break, this is a guy who can bleed," Onah added. "We get to have a lot of fun pushing him to the limit."

It sounds like Wilson will be put through the wringer, then! Considering he'll be going up against Red Hulk, that's to be expected, but how will Wilson, who isn't a Super Soldier like Steve Rogers, withstand an assault from a far more menacing Hulk who can melt matter with his radiated skin? Speaking at Disney's 2024 APAC Content Showcase in Singapore, Mackie explained how his character may level the playing field.

"With Sam, him being a counselor, he uses more of his brains than brawn," Mackie said (via comicbookmovie.com). "When you don’t have the [super soldier] serum, you have to be smart and engineer different ways of defeating [enemies]. He uses more of his wit than his fist. He’s more of a friend to everyone."

That said, Wilson won't solely rely on his intellect when going to-to-toe with red Hulk. Per Entertainment Weekly (EW), Moore confirmed Wilson's Cap will get a new vibranium-infused wingsuit to combat Ross' rage-filled alias. "We're very conscious of not having the movie feel disingenuous," Moore said. "So, giving Sam equipment to survive is different than giving Sam equipment to succeed."

And what of the new Captain America-Falcon dynamic that was introduced in FATWS? In another Empire article, Onah teased: "There’s this incredible big brother/little brother dynamic between them [Wilson and Torres]. It’s going to be one of the key emotional centers of the film."

The pair will not only have to get to the bottom of a conspiracy that sees Lumbly's Isaiah Bradley almost assassinate Ross, but also need to have each other's backs because of the geopolitical storm they become embroiled in. As Captain America: Brave New World's trailers teased, the world's biggest nations are after a brand-new material that's been discovered in the Indian Ocean.

The substance in question? Adamantium – yep, the very same metal that iconic X-Men member Wolverine's bones are coated in. Per online rumors, the precious metal is found on the corpse of Tiamut, aka the Celestial that was set to emerge from Earth's core in 2021's Eternals movie. However, thanks to Sersi's matter transmutation abilities and the titular team using their shared Uni-Mind powers, the group stops Tiamut's emergence (and Earth's subsequent destruction) by turning the Celestial to marble. It seems the group's combined efforts also created adamantium and, once it's discovered and its unique properties are scientifically proven, the US, Japan, and other first-world countries will apparently try to claim it as their own after diplomatic talks break down over who owns it.

There are plenty of other questions – many of which were conceived by fans after Brave New World's trailers were released – that need answering.

Why does Ross want Wilson to reform the Avengers if he was previously at odds with the group's formation? What role does Samuel Sterns/The Leader, who'll be brought to life via practical effects (per Empire magazine), have in proceedings? Who brainwashes Lumbly into trying to assassinate Ross? And how will Captain America 4 set up future MCU movies? I can't answer all those yet, but I'll give my best guess about the last question in this guide's final section.

Where to watch the Captain America movies

Want to re-watch the other Captain America movies, or stream them for the first time, before Brave New World arrives? You can do so on Disney Plus.

The first three Captain America films, two of which are among the best Marvel movies, are viewable on one of the world's best streaming services, but you'll need to sign up to the platform to watch them. Read our Disney Plus price guide for more details on how to purchase a subscription.

How will Captain America: Brave New World set up future Marvel movies?

My Captain America: Brave New World ending explained piece answers that question – but, beware! Obvious though it is to say, full spoilers for the movie's ending are discussed in that article. So, if you haven't seen it yet, bookmark that page for later and revisit it once you have.

In the meantime, here's a spoiler-free, more speculative look at how it may set up some Marvel Phase 6 films.

Depending on how Captain America: Brave New World ends, I'd be surprised if Wilson doesn't try to reform the Avengers, although Moore said (per Empire magazine) that Cap 4 will ask the question if Sam Wilson is the right man to lead them. If he is, there are plenty of new recruits he could call upon to replace the likes of Iron Man and Black Widow. Veterans including Thor, Spider-Man, Captain Marvel, and Doctor Strange would also answer the call if, well, they're called upon.

It'll be in the team's interests to regroup, too, ahead of the next two Avengers movies. Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars will cap off the Marvel Multiverse Saga – and, with The Fantastic Four's legendary villain Doctor Doom (who'll be played by none other than ex-Iron Man superstar Robert Downey Jr) set to be the main villain of that duology, Earth's Mightiest Heroes will be required to defend our world once more, not to mention the entire Marvel multiverse. That all said, Onah gave a cryptic response when I asked him if Captain America 4 sets up any aspect of Avengers: Doomsday, so who knows!

Looking further ahead, the emergence of adamantium in the MCU continues the long-drawn-out arrival of the X-Men. Marvel President Kevin Feige has already stated that the post-Secret Wars era will "lead us into a new age of mutants", and the introduction of the malleable metal in Brave New World is further proof that the X-Men's MCU debut is fast approaching. Considering they've been teased in everything from Ms Marvel and Deadpool and Wolverine to The Marvels and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, it's high time they appeared, too.

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