Marvel’s movies don’t always tie directly into the series that came before them, but the new trailer for Captain America: Brave New World definitely makes it seem like something you’ll need to revisit The Falcon and The Winter Soldier for.
After years of providing air support to his predecessor, Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) is the Captain in Brave New World’s first trailer, which opens up at a time when Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford) has become president of the United States. It gives Sam pause to hear that Ross is keen on making Captain America part of the American government once again in response to new mysterious threats. But when Sam witnesses a seemingly mind-controlled Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly) — one of the first supersoldiers — attack the president, he has no choice but to reluctantly spring into action.
Though it’s tough getting a read on what Captain America will be fighting against this time around, it’s clear that the film is following in Captain America: The Winter Soldier’s footsteps by leaning into political intrigue. It’s also fairly obvious that a lot of Brave New World is going to feel like an expansion of the new normal established in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, which makes some sense given that this is Marvel’s first film with Wilson as a lead. But that could easily wind up being a bit much to ask audiences for when Captain America: Brave New World hits theaters on January 14th, 2025.