Captain America: Brave New World Launches Avengers 2.0

It's been nearly six years since the Avengers disbanded after defeating Thanos and mourning the loss of Tony Stark. However, the world is once again in need of its mightiest heroes. With new Avengers movies slated for 2026 and 2027, Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) fans eagerly await the team's reassembly. The journey to rebuild the Avengers starts in the upcoming film, Captain America: Brave New World.

"We know people miss the Avengers and we miss the Avengers," says Nate Moore, a seasoned producer at Marvel Studios and a key figure behind the fourth Captain America film. "But we knew if we jumped right back into the Avengers after Endgame, we wouldn't give people a chance to miss it."

Moore emphasizes that the most iconic Avengers teams in Marvel comics have always had Captain America at their core. After Steve Rogers passed the shield to Sam Wilson in Avengers: Endgame, the MCU took time to develop Wilson into the leader he needed to become. This transition was not easy for Wilson, as explored in the six-part Disney+ series, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. By the time of Brave New World, Wilson confidently dons the red, white, and blue. Yet, his new challenge is even more formidable: leading a new Avengers team.

A pre-release marketing clip for Brave New World reveals that President Ross, portrayed by Harrison Ford, who replaces the late William Hurt, asks Wilson to revive the Avengers initiative. Long-time fans might find this surprising, given Ross's history with the Sokovia Accords, which divided the Avengers. So, why would Ross, known for his past actions, now seek to reunite the team?

"He was a guy who had this real legacy that could maybe be defined by his anger," explains Julius Onah, director of Brave New World. "But the man that we're meeting now is an elder statesman, a diplomat turning a new leaf, who sees and understands the errors of his past and wants to do better. [He wants to initiate] the Avengers because they could be a benefit to the world."

Given Ross's military background, he understands the strategic advantage of having a superhero team. However, he doesn't intend to recreate the Avengers as they were. As seen in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Captain America is now an official role within the U.S. government, and in the opening of Brave New World, Wilson works directly with the President. This suggests that a Captain America-led Avengers team would essentially be a branch of the U.S. defense department.

"Ross is the man who passed the Sokovia Accords," says Moore. "He certainly realized that the Avengers left unchecked may not be the best idea for anyone. And so I certainly think he understands that power is more beneficial to him if it's under his command, and he figures why not do it first before somebody beats me to the punch."

Sam Wilson must now embrace Captain America's ultimate responsibility: leading the Avengers. | Image credit: Disney / Marvel Studios

President Ross's renewed interest in the Avengers likely stems from the discovery of a world-changing substance. The Celestial that turned to stone at the end of Eternals has been revealed at San Diego Comic Con 2024 to be a source of Adamantium, Marvel's renowned super metal and a valuable alternative to Wakanda's Vibranium. With this resource now accessible in the ocean, an Adamantium arms race looms, making a superhero team a strategic necessity.

"I think certainly any nation that has a group of Avengers has a leg up over anyone else," says Moore. "And Ross is a general, so certainly he understands what a tactical advantage is!"

How Sam Wilson/Falcon Became Captain America in the Comics

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If there is an ulterior motive to this new Avengers team, it suggests that the working relationship between President Ross and Sam Wilson's Captain America may face challenges. Steve Rogers was staunchly against government control, and Wilson has strived to uphold his predecessor's values throughout his superhero career.

"I really focused on the emotional journey that Sam was taking," says Onah. "It was really cool to then put him opposite somebody who had divided the Avengers in the past. Because of that history, Sam was put into prison. The Sokovia Accords, all the stuff that Ross pushed forward as Secretary of State [came into play]. These are things that when these two men walk into a room, that tension between them is palpable."

Given these dynamics, it's possible that Sam Wilson is not the leader President Ross envisions. The answer may lie in 2025's Thunderbolts, which follows shortly after Brave New World. Thunderbolts features a team of anti-heroes, including John Walker, who briefly took up the Captain America mantle in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier but tarnished Steve Rogers' legacy. Perhaps Walker and his morally ambiguous team will become the President's Avengers, fitting Ross's nickname, Thunderbolt.

If this scenario unfolds, Wilson could form his own independent superhero team, just in time for the arrival of Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom in 2026's Avengers: Doomsday. Regardless of specifics, Brave New World marks a crucial step in Wilson's journey to becoming the Avengers' leader, a journey that began the moment he picked up the shield.

Wilson's worthiness to lead stems from his empathy, which Onah describes as his superpower. As any MCU fan knows, Wilson is fundamentally a man with a shield and mechanical wings. While he can fight well, it's his ability to empathize with both allies and enemies that enables him to effectively wield the shield, embodying the values it represents.

"I think that's what makes him a Captain America of this moment," Onah says.

"I don't think Sam would be prepared to lead the Avengers until he truly believed that he was Captain America," Moore adds. "And our goal as filmmakers was to take him on a journey of questioning whether or not he made the right decision. Hopefully by the end, [we'll have] him and the audience go 'There certainly could be no one else'. He is Captain America, and hopefully he takes the tools from this movie to be able to lead the Avengers."

Wilson will need to act quickly. After Brave New World, only two movies remain before Avengers: Doomsday. It's likely that Captain America will appear in both Thunderbolts and Fantastic Four: First Steps to recruit his team for the 2026 event. While this is a shorter buildup than the five films leading to 2012's The Avengers, characters like Spider-Man, Thor, and Bruce Banner may be ready to join. Whatever happens, the reassembly of Avengers 2.0 begins with Captain America: Brave New World.