'Was That The Red Hulk?!' And Other Questions About The 'Captain America: Brave New World' Trailer

Almost everyone with an Internet connection has watched the new trailer for Captain America: Brave New World by now. There are likely some questions being asked, and theories being shared, about what to expect from the film when it drops in theaters next year. So this article here is an attempt to answer those questions, discuss those theories, and quite simply, be the geeks that we are when it comes to this stuff.

WAS THAT REALLY RED HULK WE SAW AT THE END OF THE TRAILER?: Yes, it was. For those who need additional confirmation that he’ll be appearing in this film, take a look at the teaser poster, which shows Captain America’s shield being held by Red Hulk.

I DIDN’T KNOW HULK COULD TURN RED LIKE THAT! DOES THAT MEAN WE’RE GONNA SEE MARK RUFFALO IN THE FILM AS BRUCE BANNER!: No. Or to be more accurate, if Ruffalo is going to make a cameo as Banner/Hulk, it remains a mystery, but Banner isn’t the one who will be transforming into Red Hulk.

SO…IF BANNER ISN’T THE RED HULK, THEN WHO IS IT?: This might be a spoiler for what will happen in Captain America: Brave New World, so you’ve been warned.

If the film is aiming to be accurate to the comics, then Red Hulk is none other than Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, who is now the President of the United States, and has replaced President Ritson (played by Dylan McDermott Dermot Mulroney) after the increasingly nonsensical events of Secret Invasion.

THUNDERBOLT ROSS IS RED HULK? HOW? WHAT? HOW?: According to the fine people over at Wikipedia:

The Red Hulk was created as part of a Super Soldier program by several persons, including Doc Samson and the criminal think tank, the Intelligencia, headed by MODOK. The 2009 “Code Red” story arc also made allusions to the Red Hulk’s real identity, and introduced a Red She-Hulk character, when Domino identifies the Red Hulk before his transformation.

In the 2010 storyline “Fall of the Hulks: Gamma”, the Red Hulk is related in flashback to have killed General Ross at the behest of Bruce Banner, with whom he has formed an alliance. However, the 2010 “World War Hulks” storyline reveals that the Red Hulk is Thunderbolt Ross himself, the Red She-Hulk [is] his daughter Betty, and the Ross who was “killed” was a Life Model Decoy used to convince the world that he had died. The Red Hulk then thwarts the Intelligencia’s plan to take over the United States with a Life Model Decoy of Glenn Talbot by destroying the Talbot LMD and attempts to take over the country himself. He is thwarted by a restored Hulk, who beats the Red Hulk mostly due to the Red Hulk’s exhaustion from overheating. The Hulk tells the Red Hulk that it was his idea to fake Ross’ death and that he can never again resume that identity. After imprisoning the Red Hulk in Gamma Base, Banner makes arrangements with Steve Rogers for the Red Hulk to join the Avengers.

If President Ross actually does become Red Hulk in this film, we shouldn’t be too surprised if the Super Soldier Serum is involved in that transformation. (Either that, or possibly She-Hulk’s stolen blood.) If not, and Red Hulk is someone else, it wouldn’t be the first time that Marvel Studios has switched things up for MCU-related purposes. (Tony Stark being the inventor of Ultron instead of Hank Pym, for example.)

HOW IS CAPTAIN AMERICA GOING TO WIN THIS FIGHT AGAINST RED HULK? IS HE GOING TO GET THE SUPER SOLDIER SERUM AS WELL, FINALLY?: I have no idea, though the appeal of Sam Wilson as Captain America (“I do what [Steve Rogers] does, only slower.”) is not just to see Captain America being represented by a Black man (even though there are some people on and off the Internet who aren’t very happy about that), but to see that a regular person can be Captain America even without superpowers. (Granted, Sam is a former Air Force Pararescue specialist with extensive military training and experience, but still.)

IF SAM WILSON ISN’T GOING TO USE THE SUPER SOLDIER SERUM, IS HE AT LEAST GOING TO GET A HELMET FOR HIS SUIT TO PROTECT HIMSELF WHILE FLYING AROUND SO MUCH?: According to some rumored promotional material for the film, Sam will get a helmet to go with his new Captain America suit.

HARRISON FORD IS PLAYING THUNDERBOLT ROSS NOW, CORRECT?: Yes. He’s now playing the role after the death of William Hurt in 2022. Hence the joke from Sam about him getting used to the new look (Ross’ lack of his trademark mustache), which wouldn’t be the first time an MCU film has joked about an actor being recast.

SO IF MARVEL AND DISNEY CAN RECAST THIS ROLE WITHOUT ANY ISSUES, HOW COME THEY WOULDN’T DO THE SAME WITH RECASTING T’CHALLA AFTER THE DEATH OF CHADWICK BOSEMAN?!: (deep, heavy, Negro spiritual sigh) I’ve already said my piece about the “Recast T’Challa” hashtag campaign. If you still want answers about that, you should go ask Kevin Feige.

IS BUCKY BARNES GOING TO BE IN THE FILM?: No. Sam won’t be working alongside Bucky like he did in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, but he will gain another partner in the form of Joaquin Torres (played by Danny Ramirez), who has inherited the role of “Falcon,” which was hinted at in the show’s season/series finale.

WHY IS ISAIAH BRADLEY SHOOTING AT PRESIDENT ROSS?: It’s possible that Isaiah (played by Carl Lumbly) is a sleeper agent who was exposed to some Winter Soldier-like brainwashing to make him perform criminal acts that he wouldn’t do otherwise. But that’s something else which will remain a mystery until next year.

IS LIV TYLER GOING TO BE IN THIS FILM?: Yes, she is. Tyler will be reprising her role as Betty Ross, cellular biology professor, former love interest of Bruce Banner, and estranged daughter of Thunderbolt Ross, who was last seen in the 2008 film The Incredible Hulk.

I SAW THE TRAILER, AND THE CAPTIONS IDENTIFIED ONE OF THE CHARACTERS AS “SAMUEL STERNS.” WHO IS THAT?: Samuel Sterns (played by Tim Blake Nelson) is another character who was last seen in The Incredible Hulk as a cellular biology professor who worked alongside Betty, and will be reappearing here. He was last seen being exposed to Banner’s blood through an open wound on his forehead, resulting in the beginning of his transformation into the Leader, one of Hulk’s smartest and deadliest opponents.

THE TRAILER SHOWED THE WHITE HOUSE UNDER ATTACK. DOES THIS MEAN THAT WE’LL SEE ANY OTHER AVENGERS SHOW UP TO HELP OUT?: Probably not, considering that this is a solo film for Captain America, and I’ve already explained in recaps for Hawkeye and Secret Invasion why such cameos are highly unlikely.

IS SABRA STILL GOING TO BE IN THIS FILM? BECAUSE IF SHE IS, I AM BOYCOTTING AND NOT GIVING MARVEL STUDIOS ANY OF MY MONEY:

(deep, heavy, Negro spiritual sigh)

For those of you who are confused, or completely unaware about this character and any accompanying controversy, Sabra (real name: Ruth Bat-Seraph) is an Israeli mutant who possesses superhuman abilities (enhanced strength, speed, agility, stamina, reflexes), a regenerative healing factor, and the ability to temporarily grant her superpowers to others. She also works as an agent for Mossad, Israel’s national intelligence agency.

OHHHH!: Yeah.

If you’ve been paying any attention to current events these last few months, if not years, when it comes to all things Israel and Palestine? You may understand why some fans have no interest whatsoever in seeing an Israeli superhero appear in a Captain America film, or any other comic book film, and why those same fans have stated that they will refuse to see Captain America: Brave New World if Sabra remains a character in the film.

WHAT DOES MARVEL STUDIOS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT ALL OF THIS?: According to this article from CNN.com:

A Marvel Studios spokesperson told CNN that “filmmakers are taking a new approach with the character Sabra who was first introduced in the comics over 40 years ago,” adding that characters in Marvel Cinematic Universe “are always freshly imagined for the screen and today’s audience.”

THAT’S IT?: That’s it. However, according to this page on Marvel.com about the film, here is a brief description of Sabra, and how the character is involved in the story.

New to the cast is Shira Haas, who joins as Ruth Bat-Seraph. A former Black Widow, Ruth is now a high-ranking U.S. government official who has the trust of President Ross.

It remains unknown whether the MCU version of Sabra will also be a mutant.

This controversy is also a possible reason why Marvel Studios changed the film’s original title from Captain America: New World Order to Captain America: Brave New World, as “new world order” is a term often used when discussing anti-Semitic conspiracy theories.

WELL…ON A LIGHTER NOTE, HOW ABOUT GIANCARLO ESPOSITO IN THAT TRAILER? ANY IDEA WHO HE’S PLAYING?: Esposito’s role in the film still remains undisclosed, and has only been described as villainous.

I GUESS THIS MEANS HE WON’T BE PLAYING PROFESSOR X?: Unless Marvel and Disney are against reusing the same actors in different roles (as they’ve done with Alfre Woodard in Captain America: Civil War, followed by Luke Cage), it seems highly unlikely that we’ll be getting Esposito as Professor X when we finally do get to see the X-Men in the MCU, as some fans have been hoping for. And not just because Esposito has only expressed interest in playing the character if he isn’t paralyzed, and doesn’t require the actor to be seated in a wheelchair for long periods of time.

WHY DID THIS TRAILER NEED TO INCLUDE “NO CHURCH IN THE WILD?” IT’S NOT EVEN A GOOD FIT FOR THIS MOVIE!: 1) You’re thinking of the wrong trailer. 2) If you really expect me to join you in complaining about “No Church in the Wild” being used in a trailer for a movie that shows someone riding a whole-ass rhino into gladiatorial combat (especially since this isn’t the first, second, or third time that rap and rock music has been used in advertising for historical action dramas), you are sorely mistaken.

Those are just some of the questions and theories being shared so far about the film. It is certainly guaranteed that there will be more of them as we get closer to the release date, and Marvel/Disney decides to drop additional trailers over the next few months.

Captain America: Brave New World opens in theaters February 14, 2025, followed by Thunderbolts*, which opens on May 5, 2025; The Fantastic Four, which opens on July 25, 2025; and Blade, which is *snickers* scheduled to open on November 7, 2025.