A new detail about Captain America: Brave New World is helping Marvel fans answer a big question about the film: how can Sam Wilson/Falcon’s Captain America ever hope to battle someone like the Red Hulk? The trailers for Captain America 4 have teased Sam (Anthony Mackie) facing Thaddeus Ross/Red Hulk (Harrison Ford) as a major set piece in the film, as well as teasing some new suit tech that will keep Sam from getting obliterated in the fight.
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According to longtime Marvel Studios producer Nate Moore, the team behind Brave New World invested serious time in figuring out how to sell fans on the idea of a Captain America with no Super Soldier Serum running through his veins:
“As soon as we decided this was the story we were going to tell, we realized there was a big hurdle,” Moore explained to EW. Dan Cox, Weta visual effects supervisor who worked on the film, added that Sam isn’t built for the powered-up reality of the MCU: “He takes a punch, his head’s going to go flying.”
To explain how Sam Wilson will be able to hold his own as Captain America, Moore reveals that they dipped into the other major franchise he works on: Black Panther. The kingdom of Wakanda and its prized ore, Vibranium, will be how Sam can take on Red Hulk without ending up in a body cast – or body bag.
That said, Moore teases that Vibranium may not end up being the undisputed top source of technological might anymore, as the hierarchy of power in the MCU continues to change. Apparently, Vibranium will only “somewhat” protect this new Captain America from harm. “I say ‘somewhat’ because it’s a Red Hulk,” Moore explained. “What are you going to do? We’re very conscious of not having the movie feel disingenuous. So, giving Sam equipment to survive is different than giving Sam equipment to succeed.”
[RELATED: Everything We KNow About Captain America: Brave New World]
That’s some surgical producer-speak right there. Reading between the lines: Moore is seemingly hinting at how the initial meeting between Sam Wilson/Captain America and Red Hulk will turn out. That presumably entails Sam getting thrashed pretty hard but ultimately surviving the fight, which would be a major feat for a non-enhanced human being (suit or not). MCU fans were impressed by preview scenes that show Sam using his suit to cut through a car Red Hulk throws at him – but as soon as the raging brute lands a direct hit (or one of those Loki-style slams) it seems like Sam will be taken out of the fight pretty quickly.
Theory: Sam Wilson Will Level Up With New Captain America Adamantium Gear
MCU fans have been wondering why the pivotal Marvel metal Adamantium was included in Captain America 4, and if it is the MacGuffin that is being referenced in the “Brave New World” subtitle. We know from preview events that Sam will be involved in recovering an Adamantium sample from the corpse of the dead Celestial Tiamut the Communicator (see: Eternals). If MCU history is any indication, Captain America: Brave New World will require Sam to get an Adamantium costume upgrade in order to finally take down opponents like Red Hulk and The Leader.
A new Adamantium flight suit would be a major Iron Man-style armor upgrade for Sam, instantly making him one of the most formidable warriors in the MCU. If Sam gets an Adamantium shield to go with his suit, he’ll also have a weapon (both offensive and defensive) that will be one of the most powerful on It might even be enough to cut through a Hulk’s skin – and could conceivably set Captain “America” on a collision course with a Canadian operative fitted with his own Adamantium… (Wolverine).
Captain America: Brave New World is directed by Julius Onah, from a script by writers Malcolm Spellman, Dalan Musson, and Matthew Orton. Kevin Feige and Nate Moore are producers on the film, which stars Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson/Captain America, Danny Ramirez as Joaquin Torres/Falcon, Shira Haas as Ruth Bat-Seraph, Carl Lumbay as Isaiah Bradley, Liva Tyler as Betty Ross, Giancarlo Esposito as Seth Voelker/Sidewinder, and Tim Blake Nelson as Samuel Sterns/The Leader. The film will be released in theaters on February 14, 2025.
