Only one year after its release, Marvel secretly released a reboot of the MCU‘s last Phase 5 disappointment. Of all eras of the Marvel Cinematic Universe so far, Phase 5 is definitely the most inconsistent. The highs of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Deadpool & Wolverine, and Thunderbolts* were offset by the lows of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and Captain America: Brave New World. On the small screen, the highs of series like Loki season 2 were partly overshadowed by the controversial lows of streaming releases like Secret Invasion.
Phase 5 titles like Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and Secret Invasion had extremely ambitious premises that made it difficult for the final projects to meet expectations. Meanwhile, Captain America: Brave New World had several promising paths it could have taken. The return of Thaddeus Ross, Samuel Stern, and Betty Ross, plus Sam Wilson’s first movie as Captain America accompanied by his new Falcon, plus Ross’ transformation into Red Hulk and Sterns’ first appearance as the Leader, all could have left a huge mark on the MCU.
Unfortunately, while Captain America: Brave New World wasn’t met with the controversial reception of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, it also didn’t meet critical and box office expectations.
Captain America’s Prelude To Marvel’s Armageddon Is The Perfect Brave New World Remake
Captain America #11; Written by Chip Zdarsky; Art by Valerio Schiti & Romulo Fajardo Jr.
The revelation that Doctor Doom left a young clone of himself in Latveria has ignited the final flame Thaddeus Ross needed to wage war on behalf of the United States. In Captain America #11, Red Hulk arrives to kill the boy, so he enters a no-holds-barred fight against Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson. Aided by his army of gamma mutates, Red Hulk destroys Doomstadt, seemingly kills Captain America, and doubles down on the United States’ full-fledged war against Doctor Doom’s sovereign state.
10 Harsh Realities Of Rewatching Captain America: Brave New World Now It’s On Disney+
Captain America: Brave New World has officially hit Disney+, and there are some harsh realities to consider about the movie on a re-watch.
Captain America #11 is edge-of-your-seat tense from beginning to end, with significant glimpses at Doomstadt’s destruction and the civilian casualties Captain America can’t avoid. Red Hulk’s rampage is truly unbound, and Captain America suffers real injuries from only a few blows exchanged with the gamma monster. Unlike his MCU counterpart, Sam Wilson decides to outsmart Red Hulk by commanding birds to distract him instead of fighting him head-on. And most importantly, Red Hulk’s attack leaves lasting consequences for at least two nations, as it sparks a global war and portrays his own country as the world’s top threat.
These are all promises that Captain America: Brave New World doesn’t quite fulfill. Thaddeus Ross’ tragic transformation into his own biggest nightmare goes by too fast even though the personal and global consequences of Red Hulk’s destruction of Ross’ political career are worthy of a whole movie of its own. Red Hulk should shake global politics to the core, showing the world that not even the President of the United States is safe from causing an Avengers-level catastrophe. Likewise, Brave New World was Sam Wilson’s opportunity to show how different his approach to crime-fighting really is, prioritizing tactics instead of combat skills.
Marvel’s Armageddon Will Do Red Hulk Justice
Thaddeus Ross Is Owed His Proper Villain Turn
In Captain America #11, Red Hulk crosses a line that may affect the Marvel Universe deeply for years to come. Thaddeus Ross doesn’t seem to be backing down anytime soon, meaning that Red Hulk will finally become the world-threatening supervillain he was always meant to be in the comics and the movies. Throughout Armageddon, Red Hulk is set to beat several major Marvel heroes within an inch of their lives, if not outright kill them. Afterward, there may not be any chance for redemption.
In the MCU, Harrison Ford’s Thaddeus Ross is kept safe at the Raft. However, the Leader is also imprisoned with him, and influential characters like Valentina Allegra de Fontaine and Mr Charles likely have plans for powerful figures like them. There’s a chance that, after the Thunderbolts became the New Avengers, Val is devising a new Thunderbolt squad that includes the likes of Red Hulk, the Leader, and Bullseye. While he may not get the spotlight like his comic book counterpart, Red Hulk’s MCU journey may not have ended with Captain America: Brave New World.
What would you change if you could remake Captain America: Brave New World?
Captain America #11 is now available from Marvel Comics.
