Captain America: Brave New World brings back one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s most underutilized villains after a 16-year absence. Samuel Sterns (Tim Blake Nelson) was last seen in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk when exposure to Bruce Banner’s blood triggered his transformation. Now, he emerges as the Leader, the mastermind behind an intricate plot that threatens to destroy President Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford) and destabilize global politics. The scale of Sterns’s machinations only becomes clear as Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) unravels multiple layers of manipulation, uncovering how a single imprisoned scientist orchestrated events that nearly led to a widespread international crisis.
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WARNING: Spoilers below for Captain America: Brave New World!
After discovering Sterns gained superintelligence from Banner’s blood, Ross deliberately increased his gamma exposure to enhance his cognitive abilities further – a process that also led to Sterns becoming more disfigured than before. After that, Sterns was kep imprisoned for decades at the secret military facility known as “Camp Echo One,” where Ross used Sterns to develop weapons and calculate the probability of different political moves. Using Sterns’ enhanced intellect, Ross engineered his path to the presidency; Sterns cooperated because Ross promised him freedom once he reached the White House. Instead, Ross kept Sterns imprisoned after winning the election, fearing he would expose years of unethical operations.
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What Ross didn’t know is that Sterns had prepared for this betrayal. When Ross came to him with a terminal heart condition, Sterns developed medication laced with a unique strain of gamma radiation designed to slowly accumulate in Ross’s tissues. This turns Ross into a dormant Hulk, a transformation Sterns can trigger by provoking his rage, proving to the world that the general remains the same ruthless man who had imprisoned him.
What Does The Leader Want in Captain America: Brave New World?
Following the emergence of the Celestial Tiamut, now known as “Celestial Island,” scientists discovered a new metal in its remains: Adamantium. Captain America: Brave New World underlines how Adamantium is even more resistant than vibranium, with applications in medicine, engineering, and the military industry. Unsurprisingly, the substance become highly coveted by every nation on the planet.
As President, Ross campaigned on a platform of negotiating equal trade of this powerful resource between nations. However, Sterns sees the metal as the perfect tool to destroy Ross’ political career. The Leader hires the Serpent Society to steal Japan’s Adamantium reserves, paying them through a CIA account to create a clear trail back to Ross. After the theft, Sterns uses his mind-controlling technology, triggered by the song “Mr. Blue,” to make Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly) attack Ross during a diplomatic summit with international officials. Isaiah deliberately misses his target, as the goal is not to kill Ross but to show his weakness and undermine his ability to manage domestic super-soldiers and international relations.
Sterns keeps the pressure on Ross by leaking evidence of the CIA’s payment of the Serpent Society to Japanese intelligence. The Japanese Prime Minister concludes that Ross staged the Adamantium theft so he could play hero when Captain America recovered it. Convinced of American deception, Japan sent its fleet to Celestial Island to secure its claim on the Adamantium deposits. Ross responds by deploying the U.S. fleet, deciding that if a treaty is impossible, America must take the Adamantium by force.
As the fleets face off near Celestial Island, the Leader enacts the next phase of his plan, mind-controlling two American F-18 pilots to attack the Japanese vessels. To gain direct access to Ross, Sterns also kills a high-ranking naval officer and uses the dead man’s encrypted phone to mock Ross’s failures, intentionally stoking his rage. The plan is for Ross to transform into Red Hulk aboard his ship, leading to both fleets’ destruction, sparking a war, and exposing Ross as the monster at the center of it all. Sam Wilson and Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez) prevent this by stopping the pilots, proving to Japan that a third party orchestrated the attacks.
With the naval strategy foiled, the Leader murders the military liaison who was helping Sam to investigate the President’s mysterious medicine. Sterns then surrenders himself to Washington police, just as Ross is in a press conference to address the skirmish at Celestial Island. The Leader’s arrest by regular officers exposes how Ross had illegally imprisoned and exploited an enhanced individual for decades. Sterns also released audio recordings to the press, proving Ross authorized unethical experiments and operations. By learning that his legacy is destroyed, and his daughter Betty (Liv Tyler) will most likely never forgive him, Ross finally loses control, transforming into Red Hulk and destroying the White House.
Sam Wilson uses his Wakandan-made wings to battle the Red Hulk across Washington. Drawing on all his training, Sam eventually wears Ross down by leading him to the cherry blossoms where the President used to walk with Betty, using these memories to help the Red Hulk cool off and regain control. After Ross surrenders, he’s taken to the Raft, where Sterns is also imprisoned. Sam’s actions as Captain America disrupt the Leader’s plan – however, the villain is not entirely defeated, since Ross is still behind bars and lost the presidency.
Captain America: Brave New World is currently playing in theaters. Did you like the MCU’s take on the Leader? Do you think his plan was well elaborated? Tell us in the comments!
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Image courtesy of Walt Disney Animation
