Anthony Mackie will return as Sam Wilson, the new Captain America after Chris Evan left the franchise following the release of the 2019 Avengers: Endgame, in Captain America: Brave New World. Fans are now all hyped up to see Falcon take the mantle, and the attendees at CinemaCon in Las Vegas on Thursday, April 11, get their first look at the former United States Air Force now leading the fight. But aside from that, it also shows Harrison Ford’s Marvel Cinematic Universe debut as Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, and he has one request for Sam: to rebuild the Avengers.
Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige compared the upcoming Captain America: Brave New World to the 2014 Captain America: The Winter Soldier, calling it a “relatively grounded action thriller. Mackie then took the stage to present his film and the footage featuring his scene with Ford.
As Comicbook detailed, Ross, who is now the US President, greeted Sam in the White House. The original Thunderbolt, played by the late William Hurt in The Incredible Hulk and Endgame, had a mustache, and now that it's gone, Ross revealed he wasn’t used to it. Their discussion then shifted to superheroes, and though Ross admitted that he wasn’t a fan of them, he couldn’t help but appreciate the good Sam had done. From there, Ross revealed what he wanted Sam to do next.
“I want Captain America to help rebuild the Avengers,” he said.
Later, Sam got into action while talking to an audience and telling them that Joaquin Torres and Captain America had completed a mission to keep the world safe again. Little did he know that Isaiah Bradley was part of the audience and attacked him. As this happened, the President was evacuated, and gunshots started to ring out, with world leaders being shot. But while the White House was in chaos, Ross couldn’t help but mock Ross subtly.
“You’re not Steve Rogers,” he said. “You’re right; I’m not,” Sam confirmed.
Captain America: Brave New World First Stills
Entertainment Weekly also dropped the first stills for Captain America: Brave New World at the same event. The preview features Mackie as Sam, walking through an unknown place while holding Captain America’s iconic vibranium shield. Though he looks alert, he also seems afraid.
The other still shows Sam and Ford’s Ross coming face to face in a room at the White House. Sam is wearing his new Captain America costume while talking to Ross, and the latter is thanking him for his heroic actions.
Mackie told EW that the film would be a “grounded espionage action” as opposed to what fans used to see of aliens and airplanes coming through portals. “Even though I've been in so many of them and have seen it all now, the opportunity for Sam to really establish himself as a true action star and Avenger comes with this movie,” he said.
You can see the Captain America: Brave New World first stills below:
What is Captain America: Brave New World about?
Captain America: Brave New World will follow the new adventures of Sam as Captain America following the events of the 2021 The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. But despite it being a follow-up, Mackie made sure that it would never be Winter Soldier – Part 2. He promised that this one would be its own movie with its own story and characters.
However, he admitted that it would still be somehow a “two-hander.” But this time, instead of Bucky Barnes, Sam will be closely working with Joaquin Torres, Sam’s tech-savvy friend and another iteration of Falcon from the comics.
“They're evenly yoked," he said. “They're both military guys. I was his commanding officer. We have more of a friendship as opposed to the way I admired Steve or the way I didn't like Bucky.”
Captain America: Brave New World is set to hit the theaters on February 14, 2025. Are you excited to see Mackie as Captain America again? With Ross’ tease, which surely hyped Marvel fans, it looks like Sam will start to form the new Avengers.
