Captain America: Brave New World is now available to stream on Disney+. It follows the new Captain America, Sam Wilson, as he navigates taking on the mantle during the chaos of the post-Snap world he’s living in.
But unfortunately, this film is essentially a sequel to the 2008 film The Incredible Hulk, as well as to the film Eternals and the miniseries The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, both released in 2021. And not everyone has time to binge-watch everything in one sitting.
Luckily for you, this article has a brief rundown of all the important things you need to know from each film and series to help you make sense of Brave New World.
Why Is There a New Captain America?
The original Captain America, Steve Rogers, decided to retire from his role in Avengers: Endgame. After traveling through time to return the Infinity Stones to their proper places, Steve chooses to stay in the past to live a quiet life with his long-lost love Peggy Carter. When Sam encounters an elderly Steve in the present, Steve passes the mantle onto Sam.
While Steve believes Sam embodies the integrity and values required to continue Captain America’s legacy, Sam feels unworthy of the title and struggles with representing a country that has a history of anti-Black racism.
Sam’s perspective shifts after he meets Isaiah Bradley in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Isaiah is a super soldier from the 1950s who was imprisoned by the U.S. government to hide the exploitation of Black super soldiers. Isaiah’s story inspires Sam to accept the role of Captain America, not just to honor Steve’s legacy but to represent all Americans and give forgotten heroes a voice.
What Does The Incredible Hulk Have to Do with Captain America?
It might seem random, but there’s a key connection between The Incredible Hulk and Captain America: Brave New World. Project Gamma Pulse was the U.S. Army attempt to recreate the Super Soldier Serum that gave Steve Rogers his abilities. General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross led the project and lied to Dr. Bruce Banner, claiming the serum was meant to prevent radiation poisoning.
This led to the creation of the Hulk and Bruce becoming a fugitive. Dr. Samuel Sterns was trying to cure Banner’s condition (and use Banner’s blood for research) until special-ops commander Emil Blonsky forced Sterns to inject him with Bruce’s blood, turning him into Abomination. Abomination then threw Sterns into a container of Bruce’s blood, which enhanced Sterns’ intelligence.
General Ross blamed Sterns for Abomination’s creation and had him imprisoned. Over the years, Sterns was exposed to more gamma radiation to increase his mental abilities and was forced to create technology for the government and heart medication for Ross. Ross promised to pardon Sterns if he helped him become President of the United States. But after his winning the election, Ross reneged on the deal.
Ross’s broken promises set the stage for the main conflict in Brave New World. Sterns becomes the Leader, who manipulates events and uses mind-control technology to make Ross’s life a living hell. He also secretly laced Ross’s heart pills with gamma radiation, mutating him into the Red Hulk in an attempt to destroy his reputation.
But Wait…Where Do The Eternals Fit in?
In a surprise twist, the ending of Eternals plays a crucial role in Brave New World. The Eternals saved Earth by blocking the emergence of the Celestial Tiamut, whose birth would have destroyed the entire planet. His remains turned to stone and now stick out of the Indian Ocean.
In Brave New World, Tiamut’s stone corpse is called Celestial Island, and it’s revealed that his body is made of adamantium. Dubbed the world’s strongest metal, the discovery of adamantium triggers a global arms race as nations scramble to control this rare resource. President Ross pushes for an international treaty to regulate who can mine and distribute adamantium. But if the Leader gets his way, the fight over adamantium could shove the planet into World War III.
There’s also a lot of speculation that the existence of adamantium in the MCU will lead to the appearance of Wolverine. Depending on how Wolverine is introduced, his story could have serious ramifications for Sam and his allies following the aftermath of Brave New World.
The adamantium storyline not only raises the stakes for global conflict but also opens the door for new characters and sets the stage for Avengers: Doomsday.
