A couple of Captain America: Brave New World-themed adverts were recently shared online, and while they only feature brief snippets of footage from the movie itself (see below), one quick shot may explain how Sam Wilson is able to stand and fight an enemy of incredible power such as the Red Hulk.
Ever since we first heard that our new Cap would be taking on "Rulk" in the movie, fans have wondered how a highly-skilled - but unenhanced - individual like Wilson could possibly hope to last more than a few seconds against the rampaging Red Goliath. Sure, the suit and shield would give him an edge over the average Joe, but with no super soldier serum, the battle would still be over very quickly.
During a 2024 interview, Anthony Mackie was asked how his character could withstand an attack from Red Hulk.
"Sam’s evolution is simple. He’s still a counsellor. He’s still serving soldiers, but at the same time, now he’s a leader of his community in the country," the actor started. "It’s very different with the serum - you can fight anybody. When you don’t have the serum, you have to be smart and engineer different ways of defeating [enemies]." "
With Sam, him being a counselor, he uses more of his brains than brawn. He uses more of his wit than his fist. He’s more of a friend to everyone."
Mackie concluded by hinting that Wilson may have "had dinner" in Wakanda at some point, and it looks like this trip to T'Challa's homeland provided him with the tech he needs to go toe-to-toe with Ross.
The shot in question sees Rulk bounce Wilson between two cars like a pinball, as his wings emit a purple hue. This would seem to confirm that Sam's new suit will have the same capabilities as the Black Panther costumes designed by Shuri (Letitia Wright). If so, there's a good chance Cap's new wing-suit will be able to absorb Red Hulk's hits and channel them into kinetic energy while also serving as a shield.
Would this realistically explain how Wilson would survive an onslaught of such magnitude? Hey, it's a superhero movie - Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) walked away from all kinds of situations that no normal human ever would in previous MCU movies, and all they had were a bow-and-arrow and some wrist-tasers.
After meeting with newly elected U.S. President Thaddeus Ross, played by Harrison Ford in his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut, Sam finds himself in the middle of an international incident. He must discover the reason behind a nefarious global plot before the true mastermind has the entire world seeing red.
Captain America: Brave New World stars Anthony Mackie, Danny Ramirez, Shira Haas, Xosha Roquemore, Carl Lumbly, with Giancarlo Esposito, Liv Tyler, Tim Blake Nelson, and Harrison Ford. The film is directed by Julius Onah and produced by Kevin Feige and Nate Moore. Louis D’Esposito and Charles Newirth serve as executive producers.
"It made more sense for it to be more of a grounded espionage action movie as opposed to aliens and airplanes coming through portals and sh*t," Mackie said in a recent interview. "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."
"This movie is a clear reset," he added. "It really re-establishes the idea of what this universe is and what this universe is going to be. I think with these movies, you're getting a clear, new branding of what Marvel is headed towards the same way they did with Captain America: The Winter Soldier."
Marvel Studios’ Captain America: Brave New World opens in U.S. theaters on February 14, 2025.