Small Details You Missed In Captain America: Brave New World Trailer

The return of Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) was coming up on super scoopers' radars recently, and now he's finally coming into land with the first fresh look at his next mission as Captain America. Following the events of "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier," "Captain America: Brave New World" sees the newly-appointed shield-slinger having his allegiances tested, courtesy of President Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross (Harrison Ford). After an old friend seemingly turns on his country, Wilson is once again forced to spread his wings and seek out truth, and the flightpath leads him all the way back to the White House to face a brand new threat of monstrous proportions.

With elements of the trailer echoing the likes of "The Manchurian Candidate," "No Way Out," and, well, "The Incredible Hulk," there's plenty to pick apart. Just what has led an only recently redeemed war hero to turn on the President? Why are we seeing two sets of wings taking to the sky in an awesome aerial battle, and what has Sam done to turn the Hulk so mad he's seeing red in a final epic shot? Let's take off and see for ourselves, shall we?

"Captain America: Brave New World" features a prominent recast for Thunderbolt Ross, with legendary actor Harrison Ford taking over the role for the late William Hurt.

Hurt previously played Ross in a handful of Marvel Cinematic Universe films, including "The Incredible Hulk," "Captain America: Civil War," "Avengers: Infinity War," and "Avengers: Endgame." Hurt's last appearance in the franchise came in 2021's "Black Widow." In March 2022, years after his prostate cancer diagnosis became public, he died at his home in Portland. Hurt's devastating death at 71 years old led Marvel to recast Ross in the upcoming Captain America film.

Ford's Ross will be the United States president in "Captain America: Brave New World," with the trailer showing off his dual role as the Red Hulk — a transformation directly from the comics. Ford expressed excitement about taking on the part in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, saying "I thought, 'Everybody else seems to be having a great time.' I watch all these terrific actors having a good time. I like doing something different to what I've ever done and pleasing people with it. So I'll try a piece of that."

Ford has big shoes to fill, but the MCU currently still has major plans for Ross even after Hurt's passing that made this recast necessary.

One of the defining traits of Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross in both his previous appearances in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and in the pages of Marvel Comics is his trademark mustache. However, with William Hurt's tragic passing and Harrison Ford taking over the role, Marvel is using the recasting as a chance to explain how Ross loses the facial hair, with a meta comment explaining the major change.

In the "Captain America: Brave New World" trailer, Ross meets with Captain America (Anthony Mackie), who tells him, "I have to admit, I'm still not used to the new look," referencing his changed appearance. Ross responds, "They said lose the mustache or lose the election." Clearly, the president ditched the look, showing why Ford's version of the character is clean-shaven.

Giving Ross no mustache makes it easier to explain why he doesn't have one when he transforms into the Red Hulk. The comics have depicted Red Hulk with and without facial hair, causing a small amount of confusion about what happens to it when Ross changes. Plus, the character might look a tad goofy in live-action with a mustache.

"Breaking Bad" and "The Boys" veteran Giancarlo Esposito is a welcome addition to the MCU, but his role remains a mystery — officially, at least. The trailer shows Esposito's gun-wielding, sunglasses-rocking character in multiple scenarios, but apart from being extremely armed and extremely cool, there are very few clues about the character's identity. However, rumor has it that Esposito is playing none other than the excellently-named George Washington Bridge, co-created by Rob Liefeld of Deadpool fame.

In the comics, Bridge is a mercenary who's affiliated with SHIELD, and who also has connections to the mutant corner of the Marvel universe thanks to a previous working relationship with Cable. He's also clashed with the Punisher (Jon Bernthal), who's set to make his Marvel return on "Daredevil: Born Again."

If Esposito turns out to be Bridge, it's possible that "Captain America: Brave New World" won't be the well-connected character's only MCU rodeo. Could the MCU be setting Esposito up as a new Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson)-style espionage player whose arc will take him through multiple projects?

Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross has a history with Sam Wilson, and much of the trailer's first half revolves around a slightly uncomfortable discussion where the pair try to make amends. After all, it wouldn't look great if the United States president was feuding with Captain America. However, Ross has an agenda; he wants to bring Captain America back in the military fold. "You and I haven't always agreed in the past," he says. "But I want to make another run at making Captain America an official military position." Sam immediately spots the flaw in this plan. "And if you and I disagree on how to manage a situation, then what happens?" he asks.

Ross does have a point, though. In "Captain America: The First Avenger," Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) gets his powers in a government-funded military experiment and works as part of the armed forces — first as an entertainer, then as a special forces operative — until he goes missing in action. After he's discovered decades later, he works as part of SHIELD's Avengers project, and his relationship with the government eventually becomes somewhat strained.

Since Ross has a long history of wanting to control superheroes in one way or another, it's only natural that he wants to bring the one who's most intimately associated with the U.S. under his command, being the country's president and all. Likewise, it's understandable that Sam is deeply wary of the proposition, considering his history with Ross. Perhaps this is what ends up driving the conflict between the pair.

Whatever speaking terms Sam Wilson and Ross might be on at the start of "Brave New World," it's clear it won't be lasting for long, thanks to the actions of Isaiah Bradley (played once again by the enigmatic Carl Lumbly). Last seen getting the recognition he deserved on "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier," the legendary war hero seemingly becomes an unexpected gunman, disarming a guard and firing on the president during an event. From there, the last remaining super soldier jumps out the Oval Office window in a set piece that feels very similar to Nightcrawler's assassination attempt in "X-Men 2."

But what gives, Bradley? We thought you were one of the good guys. Well, as clearly shown in the trailer, the attack comes out of nowhere, almost as if Isaiah has been activated to take action in a "Manchurian Candidate"-style fashion. So who flicks the switch on this living legend, and does it have something to do with the examination room Sam finds later in the trailer? It boasts a similar aesthetic to the one Bucky wound up in when he was captured by Hydra. However, the biggest fear is that this could be one found on home turf. Whatever has happened with Bradley, will Sam be able to find him in time to clear his name and fix the mess that's been made? All roads, aerial battles, and newly-arrived Hulks suggest no.

Early in the trailer, we see Joaquín Torres (Danny Ramirez), Sam's ally from "Falcon and the Winter Soldier." Torres inherits the Falcon mantle after Sam becomes Captain America in the comics, and in an exclusive interview with Looper, Ramirez thought Torres can bring plenty to the Falcon role in the MCU, as well.

It appears that "Captain America: Brave New World" intends to show how Torres fares in the wingsuit. At 1:34 in the trailer, Sam can be briefly glimpsed flying with another person in a wingsuit, and judging by its red and black color, it sure seems like a Falcon costume.

Where things get interesting is what kind of Falcon costume it resembles. In March, a "Captain America 4" leak revealed the MCU's new Falcon to be wearing a yellow and green getup that's fairly similar to the costume Torres wears in the comics. However, from what we see in the trailer, the other wingsuit seems to be patterned after Sam's more muted Falcon colors, so it will be interesting to see what the costume will really look like once clearer footage emerges.

The Red Hulk is here, and from the looks of it, Captain America is in a world of trouble. The big red guy makes his grand entrance at the very end of the trailer, letting out an animalistic roar as he slaps Cap's flying shield into the ground like he was swatting a mosquito.

Though the trailer understandably keeps its cards close to the chest when it comes to the character's full design, a few things catch the eye. Apart from the obvious red color, the main thing that seems to differentiate Red Hulk from Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) is that the former seems to have a somewhat slighter build — from this angle, at least. His roar also sounds a little different from the Hulk's distorted screams, sounding more deeply primal and almost elephantine.

While the Red Hulk doesn't appear anywhere else in the trailer, it's worth noting that the cherry tree-lined park area where he's standing does make several appearances — including one at 1:17 where destroyed cars lie in the middle of a smashed road. Perhaps this location is where the final battle between Cap and Red Hulk takes place?

"Global power is shifting. You're just a pawn," says a mysterious voice amidst flashes of Sam standing with the president and aircraft carriers ablaze. Upon a first viewing, you might be unsure who is speaking, but thanks to the trusty subtitles, it's confirmed to be none other than Samuel Sterns (Tim Blake Nelson), last seen on the verge of a massive headache when some of Bruce Banner's blood sparked a mutation that would turn him into one of the Hulk's iconic arch-rivals, Leader. In the comics, this villain with superhuman intelligence, telepathy, telekinesis and even self-resurrection has been a longtime thorn in the side of our not-so-jolly green giant, but could this "Brave New World" see him more as friend than foe in the MCU?

Sterns looks to have already undergone his transformation, with his hat doing a poor job of covering up his green, veiny cranium. Interestingly though, he doesn't look to be shown as the film's big threat. Considering his words of warning to Sam, might Stern be the "Deep Throat" of this new chapter and more of an ally than the adversary fans expect him to be? Given his history with the Hulk in the MCU, Sterns could very well be helping blow the whistle on things Ross could be linked to. The kind that leads Sam to that ominous looking test facility that comes complete with notable red — not green — lighting.

Besides assassinations, potential threats in the White House, and Captain America flying real fast, there's one visual detail that stands out amidst the carnage unfolding in the trailer — cherry trees, which are prominent in Washington, D.C. Throughout the preview, various money shots look to be set in one location, given the abundance of the notable flower in view. Firstly, there's a military funeral procession (with no confirmation as to who it's for), followed by Ross speaking to an audience attending the event. After that, we see a decimated motorcade before Sam picks up his shield and spreads his wings and the Red Hulk makes his debut.

Looking at the varying conditions of this little spot Sam seems to be fighting in, there's a high chance all these shots are out of sync, but the important thing to consider is who is being laid to rest. We hate to say it, but given his actions at the White House, the chances are that our favorite forgotten hero Isaiah Bradley could be getting the special treatment before all hell breaks loose. The worrying thing to consider is that if it is Bradley, might his body been studied for super soldier secrets, and that's what Ross has used to transform into the newest rage monster on the block?

It was thanks to a leak back in May revealing a big upgrade to Sam Wilson's MCU suit that we knew the new Cap would be getting a wardrobe change; we just didn't know what for. Now, thanks to a stunning aerial sequence in the trailer near a long-forgotten MCU location, we know why. After taking on henchmen in dimly-lit bunkers and getting heated with the leader of the free world, one winning sight shows Sam Wilson clipping the wings of some fighter jets before going supersonic. Thankfully, he has the correct attire to handle such a feat.

Realistically, a man in only a flight suit with a jetpack strapped to him would most likely be ripped apart if even touching those speeds. However, this is a world where the president may or may not have been testing on himself to be turned into an 8-foot Kool-Aid colored monster. Anything can happen, right? Chances are that these newly-revealed enhancements come from his good pal Joaquín Torres, who helped with Sam's gear during his stint on "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier." Torres has also kitted out some new toys for himself, but there's no confirmation if he'll be able to keep up with his wingman in the movie. Shame really, it's a big sky and there's plenty of airspace to go around, right?

The "Captain America: Brave New World" trailer finally addresses a storyline that was seemingly forgotten about after "Eternals." The end of Chloe Zhao's movie sees the Celestial Tiamut get frozen in the middle of the Indian Ocean before he can spring to life and destroy Earth. The deceased Celestial's presence appears to be at the center of a conflict in "Captain America 4," suggesting that Adamantium could factor into the plot.

The teaser shows missiles being fired near Tiamut, indicating that people are fighting over the location. It seems that the world's leaders want to exploit its resources for their self-interests, and Adamantium — a metal that's right up there with Vibranium in terms of strength — is the sort of thing global superpowers would fight over.

Wolverine's claws are also made out of the aforementioned metal, and he's set to join the MCU courtesy of "Deadpool & Wolverine." As such, the metal is bound to factor into storylines sooner rather than later, but it remains to be seen if it'll cause drama in "Captain America: Brave New World."