Captain America: Brave New World Launches Avengers 2.0

It's been nearly six years since the Avengers disbanded after defeating Thanos and the tragic loss of Tony Stark. However, the world's need for its mightiest heroes never truly fades. With new Avengers films slated for 2026 and 2027, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is gearing up to bring the team back together. The journey to reassemble the Avengers kicks off in the highly anticipated film, Captain America: Brave New World.

"We know people miss the Avengers, and we miss them too," says Nate Moore, a veteran producer at Marvel Studios and a key figure in shaping 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 been centered around Captain America. Following Steve Rogers passing his shield to Sam Wilson in Avengers: Endgame, the MCU has taken the time to develop Wilson into the leader he needs to be. This process wasn't easy for Wilson, who struggled with assuming the mantle of Captain America, as explored in the six-part Disney+ series, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. By the time of Brave New World, Wilson proudly dons the red, white, and blue. Yet, as he overcomes the challenge of becoming Captain America, he faces an even more daunting task: leading the new Avengers team.

In a pre-release marketing clip, we see President Ross, portrayed by Harrison Ford (taking over from the late William Hurt), tasking Wilson with the mission to restart the Avengers project. This might confuse long-term fans, considering Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross was the architect of the Sokovia Accords, which led to the Avengers' civil war. So why would the man who split the team want to see them reassembled?

"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. He 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."

As a general, Ross understands the tactical advantage of having the Avengers under his command. "Of course, President Ross doesn’t plan to recreate the Avengers exactly as they once were. As we saw in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Captain America is now an official United States government role. And in the opening of Brave New World, Wilson is working directly with the President. All this means that a Captain America-led Avengers team would also effectively be a branch of the US defense department," Moore states.

"Ross is the man who passed the Sokovia Accords," Moore continues. "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 step up to Captain America's ultimate responsibility: leading the Avengers. | Image credit: Disney / Marvel Studios

President Ross's sudden interest in reassembling 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 closely guarded Vibranium. With this miracle metal available in the ocean, an Adamantium arms race is imminent, making it strategic to have superheroes on your side.

"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 underlying motive to this new Avengers team, it suggests that the working relationship between President Ross and Sam Wilson’s Captain America may not be smooth. Steve Rogers was staunchly against government control, and Wilson has spent his superhero career trying to uphold his predecessor's values.

"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 complexities, it's possible that Sam Wilson is not the man President Ross envisions leading the new Avengers. The answer might lie in the 2025 MCU project, 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 the legacy Steve Rogers left behind. Perhaps Walker and his morally ambiguous team will become the President's Avengers, fittingly given Ross's nickname, Thunderbolt.

If this scenario unfolds, Wilson could form his own independent team of superheroes, just in time for Robert Downey Jr.’s return as Doctor Doom in 2026’s Avengers: Doomsday. Regardless of the specifics, Brave New World marks the next step in Wilson’s journey since he took up the shield, setting him on the path to becoming the leader of the Avengers.

"Historically, the Avengers have been led by a Captain America, and Sam Wilson is very much so a worthy one," Onah remarks. "But part of telling this story is also reinforcing, illustrating, and dramatizing for an audience: why [is he worthy]?"

Wilson's worthiness stems from his empathy, which Onah describes as his superpower. While Wilson is just a man with a shield and mechanical wings, his ability to understand the perspectives of both allies and enemies enables him to wield the shield effectively, 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."

With only two films between Brave New World and Avengers: Doomsday, Wilson must act swiftly. It's likely that Captain America will appear in both Thunderbolts and Fantastic Four: First Steps as he recruits his team ahead of the 2026 event. While the road to the next Avengers assembly is shorter than the five films leading to 2012's The Avengers, characters like Spider-Man, Thor, and Bruce Banner may be ready to answer the call. The assembly of Avengers 2.0 begins here.