Summary
- Captain America: Brave New World introduces a new Captain America, Sam Wilson, with a Wakandan-designed suit and tech upgrades.
- The movie may feature connections to Black Panther characters like Shuri, M'Baku, and Okoye.
- Despite troubled production, the film could surprise fans with unexpected character appearances and ties to the wider MCU.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is returning to rare territory with Captain America: Brave New World. While the mantle might have changed hands, Captain America stands alongside Thor as the only hero to have led four standalone movies. Joining the four-movie club alongside Tom Holland’s Spider-Man for the upcoming Spider-Man 4, Captain America is navigating more political strife and global warfare in Captain America: Brave New World.
After making his debut in 2014’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson is stepping up to the plate as Captain America. Following Wilson officially taking the title in Disney+’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, fans were teased a very different kind of Captain America movie without Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) at the helm. The many trailers for Brave New World show it will be connected to the wider MCU. But with plenty of twists presumably being held back, could the fourth Captain America movie be hiding a major Black Panther cameo?
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Captain America: Brave New World’s Black Panther Connection
Captain America is sporting a new suit in Brave New World, and harking back to his Falcon days, Mackie’s star-spangled hero will be able to fly. Various shots have shown him soaring by the Celestial corpse of Tiamut to tie to the forgotten stinger at the end of 2021’s Eternals. O ne slow-motion clip shows Cap evading Harrison Ford’s Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross/Red Hulk in what looks like a major fight scene. Confirmation that Tiamut is made of adamantium can also give Wilson’s new Captain America suit an upgrade, but that’s not the only tweak that’s been made.
While Wilson got to try out an upgraded suit courtesy of the Wakanda Design Group at the end of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, it looks like he’s getting an even newer version in the next Captain America movie. Alongside a full-blown helmet (presumably to help with supersonic flight), some useful Wakandan tech has been added to his Captain America suit. Eagle-eyed viewers have noticed a purple glow around the suit when Sam takes damage. MCU fans might remember that this kind of impact tech was designed by Shuri (Letitia Wright) for T’Challa’s (Chadwick Boseman) suit in 2016’s Black Panther.
Mackie has already explained the importance of his Wakandan suit, telling Disney APAC Content Showcase in Singapore:
I went to Wakanda, met with everybody in Wakanda, we had dinner. It was a great time. They threw me a welcome party. It was dope. But when I was leaving, they gave me a suit, right?
There are some clear gaps here, but Brave New World might not include a segue to Wakanda due to already being stuffed with characters like Thunderbolt Ross, Danny Ramirez’s Joaquin Torres/Falcon, Shira Haas’ Ruth Bat-Seraph, and Tim Blake Nelson’s long-awaited return as Samuel Sterns/the Leader. Still, the suit and its Wakandan tech sound like an important part of the story. Mackie continued:
I put it on. I can kick harder, I can fly faster, and it gives me the ability to be more agile in my skills, so it’s taking all my skills to a completely different level.
Even though Mackie simply says the Wakandan Design Group is behind his new suit without name-dropping Shuri, it offers up some interesting cameo opportunities. More than Wakandan tech featuring in Brave New World, some familiar faces from the Black Panther movies could also be stopping by.
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Could Shuri Appear in Captain America: Brave New World?
After Wakanda was revealed to the world at the end of Black Panther, the country has been thrown into political conflict ever since. This was most evident in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever when it was drawn into a war with both the CIA and the nautical world of Talokan. Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett) represented Wakanda at the United Nations. But with her tragic death in Wakanda Forever and Winston Duke’s M’Baku now sitting as its king, he could appear in Brave New World’s White House scenes.
An altogether more important inclusion would be Black Panther herself. Shuri left Wakanda behind at the end of Wakanda Forever and reunited with Naikia (Lupita Nyong'o) in Haiti, meeting T’Challa’s son. The same could be said for Danai Gurira’s Okoye, who appeared alongside Shuri in a deleted scene and teased her future with the Midnight Angels. Officially, Okoye was last seen rescuing Everett K. Ross (Martin Freeman) from custody. Shuri would be a logical choice, especially to remind fans of Black Panther’s importance ahead of the next two Avengers movies, as well as set her up for Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther 3.
As the inclusion of Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow showed in The Winter Soldier, Captain America movies have always been great ensembles. Then again, if Shuri was going to have any real prominence, she’d likely have been featured or spoiled by now. There’s no official news of when Shuri could be returning to the MCU, although she’s expected to be a part of the massive ensemble of Secret Wars. If she’s not part of Avengers: Doomsday and doesn’t reunite with Riri Williams for Ironheart, it could be a five-year gap since she last appeared in a project.
It’s entirely possible that Brave New World’s Black Panther connection could be as simple as a throwaway mention of where Sam got his new suit. If Tiamut had been made from vibranium instead of adamantium, it would have been an easier way to bring Black Panther into the story. Instead, there’s a tentative link to Wolverine as a clear setup for the imminent arrival of the X-Men in the MCU. It’s a shame that Wright’s tenure as Black Panther could be short-lived, especially considering rumors that the MCU is gearing up to recast Boseman’s T’Challa following the actor’s death.
There are sure to be plenty of surprises in Captain America: Brave New World. As things head toward Doomsday, both Julius Onah’s movie and Jake Schreier’s Thunderbolts* are set to round off Phase 5 with some more grounded outings. Brave New World’s troubled production could actually work in its favor. With so many reshoots, it might have been possible to squeeze in a surprise character or two. Brave New World has more than enough star power without adding anyone from Black Panther to the ensemble, but in terms of tying back to this sometimes beloved corner of the MCU and its characters, it wouldn’t be the worst idea the franchise has ever had.
- Release Date
- February 14, 2025
- Runtime
- 118 minutes
- Director
- Julius Onah
- Writers
- Dalan Musson, Malcolm Spellman
- Prequel(s)
- Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War
- Franchise(s)
- Captain America, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Cast
-
Anthony MackieSam Wilson / Captain America -
Harrison FordThaddeus 'Thunderbolt' Ross / Red Hulk
WHERE TO WATCH
- Studio(s)
- Marvel Studios
