Is ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ Hiding Its Ultimate Villain in Plain Sight?

Marvel Studios just dropped the first teaser trailer for Captain America: Brave New World and all I have to say is: we’re so back, baby! With Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson at the helm, we’re almost certainly in for a different kind of Cap adventure this time around—meaning we can also expect plenty of new villains.

Look, I’m hardly the first person to comment on the recent sludge of Marvel discourse, but still, it’s important to note that Phase 5 hasn’t exactly been kind to the MCU. So far, it’s been an era of epic highs (i.e. Loki season 2, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3) and low-lows (sorry, Secret Invasion), but the entertainment giant has the chance to turn things around with its upcoming cinematic releases, namely, Deadpool & Wolverine and Captain America: Brave New World, the latter of which just received a shiny new trailer.

But how did we get here? Well, we followed Sam Wilson’s journey to taking up the Cap mantle in the Disney+ The Falcon and the Winter Soldier miniseries, where he struggled to come to terms with the whole thing in the aftermath of Avengers: Endgame. Considering he was close pals with Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), not only did Sam think himself to be unworthy of the shield, but its meaning also felt deeply skewed in a country that failed thousands of its own constituents post-Blip, allowing terrorist groups like The Flag Smashers to rise to power. Oh, and Bucky (Sebastian Stan) was there, but moving forward, it looks like he’s going to have a new gig as frontman of the Thunderbolts.

Now, over three years later, Sam Wilson is finally set to return to the MCU—this time, on the big screen. Director Julius Onah’s Captain America: Brave New World isn’t slated to land in theaters until February of next year, but Marvel decided to surprise us with a trailer on Friday morning, and yeah, there’s a lot to unpack here!

From the introduction of Harrison Ford’s Thaddeus Ross to a glimpse at what seems to be the Celestial Tiamut from Eternals, it looks like we’re in for an action-packed political thriller that’s reminiscent of Captain America: The Winter Soldier. And from the sound of it, Sam will have a whole lot of new enemies to face in the White House and beyond.

All villains confirmed for Captain America: Brave New World so far—or so we think

Giancarlo Esposito’s mystery character

First off, we have to address the Giancarlo Esposito of it all. While we don’t know much about his role in Brave New World just yet, it sure seems like he’s going to be a massive headache to Sam, Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez), and the rest of their allies. Look, if Esposito is involved, there’s already a 99% chance he’s playing a villain. But in the trailer, his black aviators, trench coat, and the sheer amount of exploding cars that seem to follow him wherever he goes really seal the deal.

The rumor mill has been churning out dozens of theories about Esposito’s MCU character, with a popular belief being that he’s playing SHIELD Agent G.W. Bridge. But in my opinion, this guy doesn’t really scream “U.S. government official,” no?

Red Hulk

Okay, it’s difficult to paint General Thaddeus’ monstrous alter-ego, the Red Hulk, as just a villain if you know anything about his Marvel comics origins. Still, the U.S. President being a living, breathing superweapon like, probably isn’t great for Captain America and Co. In the teaser, Ross appears to be friendly with Sam, even wanting to make Cap an official part of the US Military as his predecessor was during World War II. But are his intentions in the right place? Highly doubtful.

After surviving an assassination attempt by Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly), the same Super Soldier we met in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, it becomes clear that Ross’ “inner circle has been compromised,” leading Sam and Joaquin on a wild goose chase for answers. At the very end of the clip, we also get an incredible (ha) look at the commander-in-chief’s Hulk transformation as he smashes the Cap shield into the ground in full, CG glory. So clearly, Red Hulk is going to be something of an issue here, even if President Ross ultimately gets a grip on his human side by the end. Thus, Thunderbolts.

Samuel Stern, a.k.a. The Leader

Is there an evil mastermind behind everything going on in Brave New World? Well, if there is, then all signs are pointing to The Leader, a shadowy supervillain—and the archnemesis of The Hulk—plucked straight from the Marvel comics. In the trailer, it seems like Samuel Stern could be using his mind-controlling abilities to manipulate world leaders (and maybe Isaiah?) against the President for some undisclosed scheme. If so, The Leader could easily be the most menacing villain we’ve seen in years, which adds up considering the lengths the trailer is seemingly going to conceal his identity.

Tim Blake Nelson, who played The Leader in 2008’s Incredible Hulk, has long been confirmed to reprise his role for the upcoming Captain America flick, though we have yet to receive a good look at his new costume or powers. His part in the whole story remains foggy, but hopefully, we’ll learn more about this infamous big bad during Marvel Studios’ Hall H presentation at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con.

Thankfully, we won’t have to wait too much longer to see Cap back in action, as Brave New World arrives in theaters on February 14, 2025.