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Captain America: Brave New World: Release date, cast and plot

Liv Tyler is the latest name to join the fourth Captain America film

Falcon/Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) as the new Captain America in Falcon and the Winter Soldier. (Marvel Studios)
Falcon/Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) as the new Captain America in Falcon and the Winter Soldier. (Marvel Studios)

The Star-Spangled Man with a plan is back in Captain America: Brave New World.

Well not quite yet, but he will be. Sam Wilson aka The Falcon aka the new Captain America is getting his own solo movie after the success of his team up mini-series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

Captain America: Brave New World is set to be the tenth instalment of Marvel’s Phase 5 which kicked off with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and will serve as a sequel of sorts to the series.

Read more: Every upcoming MCU movie

Here is everything we know about the film so far.

Captain America: Brave New World release date

Captain America: Brave New World was initially scheduled to fly into UK cinemas on Friday, 26 July 2024 having moved from May 3 2024. Sadly, this plan was impacted by the SAF-AFTRA strike which forced Disney to push a number of projects, including this one.

As a result, Captain America: Brave New World will now hit cinemas on Friday, 14 February 2025.

Its release date comes after Nia DaCosta’s The Marvels, but before Thunderbolts which will pick up threads of other MCU characters like Bucky Barnes aka Winter Soldier. The film was originally titled Captain America: New World Order but Marvel changed its name in June 2023.

Captain America: Brave New World cast

Falcon/Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) in Falcon and the Winter Soldier (Marvel Studios)
Falcon/Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) in Falcon and the Winter Soldier (Marvel Studios)

Anthony Mackie is back as Sam Wilson / Captain America, marking his eight appearance in the MCU. Talking about taking on the mantle of Captain America from Chris Evans, Mackie told Yahoo: “My Cap, he’s not a superhero.

“He doesn’t have a super-serum. So his superpower is his humanity. So I think with him he has to come to the stage with a very different understanding of what it is it to be a good guy or be a bad guy, and what are the decisions that make you tow that line in the way that you did.

Falcon/Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) in Falcon and the Winter Soldier (Marvel Studios)
Falcon/Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) in Falcon and the Winter Soldier (Marvel Studios)

“I just see him as more of a humane Cap, as opposed to a Cap of judgment, where this is right, or this is wrong. There are decisions that make you choose right or wrong.”

“And [he’ll have] a flyer costume,” Mackie added in regards to Sam Wilson’s new winged red, white and blue threads. “Cause it’s leg day every day [in the gym]. We going straight spandex, none of this cotton stuff. We doing straight spandex.”

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Mackie will be joined by Harrison Ford as former General and Secretary of State Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross.

Ford takes over the role from Wiliam Hurt who played him from 2008’s The Incredible Hulk until 2021’s Black Widow following his death from brain cancer.

Ford’s iteration will see the character moved up to being President of the United States suggesting once again Ross will be trying to control superheroes. Ford has signed on for two films, this one and Thunderbolts which will follow on.

L'incroyable Hulk The Incredible Hulk (2008) USA Edward Norton, Liv Tyler  Director: Louis Leterrier
Ed Norton and Liv Tyler in 2008's The Incredible Hulk. (Alamy)

Also returning from The Incredible Hulk is Liv Tyler's Betty Ross, marking her first appearance in the MCU for 15 years. She's the scientist daughter of Thaddeus Ross who was Bruce Banner's love interest when Ed Norton played the Hulk.

Read more on Deadline: Liv Tyler set for Captain America 4 return as Betty Ross (2 min read)

As well as Tyler, Tim Blake Nelson is also back as Dr Samuel Sterns from the 2008 film. Nelson was last seen as Bruce Banner's ally who had gamma-radiated blood dripped into an open wound showing him mutate.

Tim Blake Nelson
Tim Blake Nelson as we last saw him in 2008's The Incredible Hulk. (Marvel Studios)

Since then there’s not been much from him, but it’s suggested that Nelson will be taking on Sterns’ villainous alter-ego The Leader to cause trouble for Wilson.

Back from Falcon and the Winter Soldier is Carl Lumbly as Isiah Bradley, a former super soldier now living a normal life. Bradley’s arc in the show showed that Black Americans were undervalued in the past and that will clearly weigh heavily on Sam going forwards.

Read more: Everything we know about Secret Invasion

Lumbly’s grandson Eli, portrayed by Elijah Richardson, also becomes the superhero Patriot in the comics. Whether that happens in the film or not remains to be seen.

(L-R): Eli Bradley (Elijah Richardson), Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly) and Falcon/Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. (Marvel Studios)
(L-R): Eli Bradley (Elijah Richardson), Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly) and Falcon/Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. (Marvel Studios)

Also back is Joaquin Torres portrayed by Danny Ramirez. In the series he was an Air Force Lieutenant on the hunt for the Flag Smashers, but as promised by Marvel he will have a beefed up role in the movie and will don the Falcon suit as the second iteration of the character.

Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez) in Marvel Studios' THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2021. All Rights Reserved.
Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez) in in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. (Marvel Studios)

New cast members announced for the film include Emmy-nominated Israeli actress Shira Haas as Sabra, a character from the comics linked with the mutants. In the comics she’s a Mossad agent with super powers like healing, strength and stamina as well as the ability to grant superpowers to others and transfer her life force. making the film feel like an intentional intrigue story.

Read more: Who are the Young Avengers?

Also in the cast is Xosha Roquemore though her role has not yet been disclosed. Roquemore is best known for roles in Precious, The Disaster Artist and Black Monday.

Captain America: Brave New World plot

(L-R): Karli Morgenthau (Erin Kellyman) and Falcon/Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) in Falcon and the Winter Soldier (Marvel Studios)
(L-R): Karli Morgenthau (Erin Kellyman) and Falcon/Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) in Falcon and the Winter Soldier (Marvel Studios)

Little is known about the plot outside of the so-far announced characters but we do know it will follow on from Falcon and the Winter Soldier is showing Sam grapple with being a Black Captain America in a world of heightened tensions.

Mackie has spoken about the weight that the name Captain America brings and the inclusion of Lumbly as Bradley suggests that this will still weigh heavily on Wilson’s shoulders adding some much needed emotional weight.

Bringing back Sterns as an antagonist also suggests that this will be about bringing back threads from Phase 1 and making them relevant again, just as She-Hulk brought back Abomination.

Who is making Captain America: Brave New World?

ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 10: (L-R) Anthony Mackie, Carl Lumbly, Danny Ramirez, and Julius Onah pose at the IMDb Official Portrait Studio during D23 2022 at Anaheim Convention Center on September 10, 2022 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Corey Nickols/Getty Images for IMDb)
(L-R) Anthony Mackie, Carl Lumbly, Danny Ramirez, and Julius Onah pose during D23 2022. (Corey Nickols/Getty Images for IMDb)

Captain America: Brave New World is being directed by Julius Onah. Onah previously directed science fiction sequel The Cloverfield Paradox and independent drama Luce.

Both of these give a feel for what Marvel are looking for in a director. Luce was very much about race and psychological exploration, while Cloverfield Paradox showed that Onah could handle a large ensemble, visual effects and the confines of working within a franchise, both of which bode well as he takes over the reigns of the franchise from previous directors Joe Johnston, The Russo Brothers and Kari Skogland.

Read more: Ant-Man 3's post-credit scenes explained

The screenplay is being written by Malcolm Spellman and Dalan Musson. Spellman was both writer and show runner on Falcon and The Winter Soldier while Musson also worked on scripts for the series suggesting that this will be as much as a sequel to the series as it is a new iteration of Cap.

Captain America: Brave New World will be released on Friday, 14 February 2025.