Captain America: Brave New World Launches Next Avengers Era

Nearly six years after the Avengers disbanded following Thanos' defeat and Tony Stark's death, the world again demands its greatest heroes. With new Avengers films slated for 2026 and 2027, the MCU must swiftly rebuild its iconic team. Captain America: Brave New World marks the first step in forming this new generation of heroes.

“Fans have been eager for the Avengers’ return, and so have we,” says Nate Moore, a seasoned Marvel Studios producer and key figure behind the fourth Captain America film. “But rushing back post-Endgame would’ve dulled the anticipation.”

Moore emphasizes that Marvel’s most iconic Avengers teams have always centered on Captain America. After Steve Rogers passed his shield to Sam Wilson in Avengers: Endgame, the MCU focused on establishing Wilson as a leader. This journey, explored in the Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, showed Wilson grappling with the Captain America mantle. By Brave New World, he embraces the role with confidence. Yet, just as he masters being Captain America, a greater challenge emerges: leading a new Avengers team.

A pre-release clip reveals Brave New World’s opening, where President Ross (Harrison Ford, succeeding the late William Hurt) tasks Wilson with reviving the Avengers initiative. This request surprises longtime fans, as Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross once championed the Sokovia Accords, sparking a superhero civil war. Why would he now push for their reunion?

“Ross carried a legacy shaped by conflict,” says director Julius Onah. “Now, he’s an elder statesman, a diplomat seeking redemption, recognizing past mistakes and aiming to harness the Avengers for global good.”

Of course, President Ross envisions a restructured Avengers, not a replica of the past. As seen in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Captain America is now a U.S. government position, with Wilson working closely with the President. This suggests a Captain America-led Avengers could operate under the U.S. defense department.

“Ross, who enforced the Sokovia Accords, knows unchecked power can be risky,” Moore explains. “He sees strategic value in controlling that power before others seize it.”

Ross’s sudden push for a superhero team likely stems from a groundbreaking discovery. At San Diego Comic Con 2024, it was revealed that scientists in the MCU found Adamantium—a rare, powerful metal from the petrified Celestial in Eternals—as a rival to Wakanda’s Vibranium. With nations vying for this resource, an Adamantium arms race looms, making superheroes a strategic asset.

“Any nation with an Avengers team gains a clear advantage,” Moore notes. “As a general, Ross understands tactical superiority.”

How Sam Wilson/Falcon Became Captain America in the Comics

Any hidden motives behind this new Avengers team could strain the partnership between President Ross and Sam Wilson. Steve Rogers opposed government control, and Wilson has strived to honor that legacy.

“I focused on Sam’s emotional arc,” Onah says. “Pairing him with Ross, who once divided the Avengers, creates tension. Ross’s Sokovia Accords led to Sam’s imprisonment, so their interactions carry undeniable weight.”

Sam Wilson may not be Ross’s ideal leader for this government-aligned team. If not him, who? The answer might lie in 2025’s Thunderbolts, releasing soon after Brave New World. Thunderbolts features anti-heroes like John Walker, who briefly held the Captain America title in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier before tarnishing it. Could Walker and his crew become Ross’s Avengers? After all, Ross’s nickname is Thunderbolt.

If so, Wilson could form his own independent superhero team, just in time to face Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom in 2026’s Avengers: Doomsday. Regardless, Brave New World sets Wilson on the path to Avengers leadership, a journey that began when he took up the shield. Onah relished preparing Wilson for this role.

“Captain America has historically led the Avengers, and Sam Wilson is undeniably worthy,” Onah says. “This story showcases why he’s the right choice.”

Wilson’s empathy, described by Onah as his true superpower, defines his leadership. Though equipped with a shield and wings, his ability to understand allies and foes alike makes him effective. “That’s what makes him today’s Captain America,” Onah says.

“Sam needed to fully embrace being Captain America before leading the Avengers,” Moore adds. “Our goal was to guide him through doubt, ensuring he and the audience see him as the only choice to lead.”

Time is tight. With only Thunderbolts and Fantastic Four: First Steps before Avengers: Doomsday, Wilson will likely appear in both, recruiting his team. Unlike the five films leading to 2012’s The Avengers, this timeline is compressed. Heroes like Spider-Man, Thor, and Bruce Banner may be ready to join. Whatever happens, Avengers 2.0 starts here.