Anthony Mackie recently spoke about whatCaptain America: Brave New Worldsets up for theMCU, and I’m concerned Marvel may be running out of time to tell a cohesive story. Marvel’s Multiverse Saga hasn’t had the same consistent success as the Infinity Saga. One common complaint is that phases 4 & 5 haven’t built a connected narrative that keeps audiences engaged for each film. TheInfinity Saga started withIron Man,Captain America: The First Avenger, andThor, establishing a universe of stories built off one another leading up toThe Avengers,thenAvengers: Infinity WarandAvengers: Endgame.
Brave New Worldis the12th MCU film sinceAvengers: Endgame. However, Mackie says the film is “the beginning” of a new story, rather than a continuation of what recent films have established. During theCaptain America: Brave New Worldpress conference (viaGamesradar), Mackie compared the movie toThe First Avenger, calling it a “building block to that next crescendo.” He said:
I feel like this movie Brave New World, just like Captain America: The First Avenger, is that foundation, the building block to that next crescendo [and] massive moment in the MCU. I’m just proud that we’re here at the beginning.
It’s promising to hear Mackie say thatBrave New Worldhas an important part in the overarching storyline of the MCU. However, I’m concerned that the upcoming film is supposedly setting up a new story this late into the Multiverse Saga. Marvel has had to make many changes in this recent era of the MCU, but the studio may be rushing to the finish line, withAvengers: Doomsdayset to release in 2026andAvengers: Secret Warsset to close out the saga in 2027.
Captain America 4 Is More Than Halfway Through The Multiverse Saga
It’s A Little Too Late For Marvel To Introduce A New “Foundation”
The Infinity Saga was a cinematic accomplishment that may never be achieved again.Avengers: Endgamewas an epic finaleof a decade of superhero films that established a universal narrative, leading to all the heroes coming together to defeat Thanos. Following this $2 billion success, it was uncertain if Marvel could repeat the same success. While Marvel has had successful films sinceEndgame,likeDoctor Strange in the Multiverse Of Madness,Spider-Man: No Way Home, andDeadpool & Wolverine, the Multiverse Saga hasn’t had the same continuity as the previous era.
10 Marvel Movies & Shows To Watch Before Captain America: Brave New World
Sam Wilson becomes the new Captain America in Brave New World, but there are some vital past events from the MCU that should be remembered.
New characters and storylines keep getting introduced in movies and TV shows that don’t connect or resolve their stories in one project. Mackie’s comments thatCaptain America 4is a new “foundation” suggest thatMarvel movies may finally have a continuous story, but it’s arriving too late. TheAvengers: Secret Warsrelease dateis only two years away, meaningBrave New Worldarrives well over the halfway point of this saga. If it does establish a new story, Marvel doesn’t have many projects to build on before the big finale.
Marvel Made A Late-Stage Change To The Multiverse Saga’s Main Villain
Prior to 2023, the MCU was set on making Kang the Conqueror its next Thanos. They teased Kang’s arrival in the finale ofLokiseason 1 and introduced him inAnt-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. However, things went south fast, partially due to things outside Marvel’s control. Poor critical reception toQuantumaniaand an underwhelming box office performance suggested audiences weren’t engaged in the MCU’s Kang storyline.
Additionally, Marvel Studios parted ways withKang actor Jonathan Majors after he was found guiltyon two misdemeanor charges in a domestic violence case involving an incident that occurred a few weeks afterQuantumania’stheatrical release. While Marvel could have recast Kang after Majors' conviction, the studio elected to go in a different direction. Rather than continue to set up Kang as the new Thanos, Marvel decided to pivot to a new villain: Doctor Doom.
Those who attended the 2024 San Diego Comic-Con were ecstatic to seeRobert Downey Jr. return as Doctor Doom, but it meant that the Kang storyline was officially dead.Marvel dramatically pivoted toward Doctor Doom, completely changing the direction for its next two Avengers films.Captain America: Brave New Worldfinished shooting before this announcement, and the rumors of frequent reshoots could have been Marvel restructuring the film’s narrative for the studio’s new direction.
It’s Possible Captain America 4 Could Be The Beginning Of Something Beyond Secret Wars
Mackie Could Be Referring To Marvel’s Upcoming Mutant Saga
WhileAvengers: Secret Warsis the final event for the Multiverse Saga, Marvel is no doubt thinking about what comes next. Kevin Feige has confirmed thatSecret Warssets up the MCU’s X-Men, and the beginning of this storyline could happen inCaptain America: Brave New World. As confirmed in a new TV spot,Brave New Worldintroduces Adamantium to the MCU. The powerful metal alloy was discovered inside Tiamut, the dead celestial poking out of the earth fromEternals.
Adamantium is a crucial part of the X-Men universe as it’s the element that’s bonded to Wolverine’s skeleton, giving him his iconic metal claws. Several characters are affected by Adamantium, including Deadpool, X-23, Lady Deathstrike, and Sabretooth. Mutants like Ms. Marvel and Namor have debuted in the MCU, but this is the first storyline tied directly to the X-Men. If Mackie was referring to the beginning of the Mutant Saga, thenCaptain America: Brave New Worldcould impact the MCU in unexpected ways.
