I was initially worried, but the Captain America vs. Red Hulk fight in Captain America: Brave New World just got a lot more exciting following comments made by the MCU movie"s director. I knew I wasn"t alone in worrying about how Sam Wilson would fare against one of the most powerful creatures on planet Earth in a straight one-on-one fight after Captain America: Brave New World"s two trailers revealed that the showdown would occur. While it runs the risk of Sam Wilson getting obliterated, it is obviously unlikely that the movie would end with his death.
Perhaps more pertinently, then, it runs the risk of Wilson being afforded a disappointing level of plot armor. One of the biggest conversations circling Captain America"s next movie concerns the fact that he ostensibly carries the mantle without a drop of super soldier serum - the first Captain America to do so. This puts him in a particularly vulnerable position, though it seems the implications haven"t escaped the filmmakers.
Captain America: Brave New World Director's Recent Comments Explained Julius Onah Revealed That Sam Has Some Tricks Up His Sleeve Close The press tour for Captain America: Brave New World is ramping up as its February 14 release date draws closer, affording MCU fans the opportunity to pose the most pressing questions about the movie to those involved. Thankfully, Julius Onah has finally addressed the obvious gulf in power between Captain America and his newest enemy in an interview with Empire Magazine. While he understandably stops short of going into detail, Onah kind of confirms what I had thought was the case already, stating:
[indent] "These guys are incredible fighters, and Sam has been there and back. He"s got some tricks up his sleeve, and over the course of the film there are things he comes to learn that become other tools in his arsenal, when he"s facing even the most impossible of threats."
[/indent]In a nutshell, it seems that Sam Wilson is poised to wield his wits to overpower Red Hulk. If the MCU"s Red Hulk is anything like Hulk, this is probably his only recourse, exploiting Red Hulk"s unbridled rage to gain the upper hand through tactical superiority. It is worth noting, however, that Red Hulk is traditionally more lucid than his green-skinned counterpart, so it isn"t as if this approach is entirely fool-proof. Fortunately, it seems as though this has been considered as well if Anthony Mackie"s own contribution to the discussion is anything to go by.
Anthony Mackie Explained Captain America's Major Suit Upgrade Captain America Is Seen Wearing A Powerful New Suit Anthony Mackie recently appeared at the Disney APAC Content Showcase, where he talked about his upcoming appearance in the MCU"s next movie. Mackie confirmed here that Sam Wilson"s Captain America does not receive the Super Soldier Serum boasted by his two predecessors, but explained that he will still receive a power boost nonetheless in the form of his flashy new suit gifted by the Wakandans. His full statement about the suit via Deadline is as follows:
[indent] "It’s a high-tech suit. I went to Wakanda, met with everybody in Wakanda, we had dinner. It was a great time. They threw me a welcome party. It was dope. But when I was leaving, they gave me a suit, right? I put it on. I can kick harder, I can fly faster, and it gives me the ability to be more agile in my skills, so it’s taking all my skills to a completely different level."
[/indent]A Wakandan-made suit is nothing to sniff at. It was confirmed that the Wakandan suit gifted to Cap at the end of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier boasted vibranium wings (which is validated by the Brave New World trailer), but it stands to reason that the entire suit might boast the same vibranium weave as Black Panther"s suit. This would explain how Sam could survive a landing from supersonic speeds before relying on a sonic boom to take out a throng of enemies in the trailers.
Related Every MCU Character Who Used Vibranium Vibranium is one of the most important resources in the MCU, and as such, many characters have used the metal for various purposes over the years.
Mackie"s comments further suggest, however, that the suit boasts more than vibranium enhancements. The ability to kick harder, fly faster and become generally more agile suggests that further augmentations have been afforded to Wilson, and even hints that the suit might boast the same abilities as Black Panther"s. Needless to say, if this is the case, then combined with Sam Wilson"s general skill set, I think he"s actually going to become a force to be reckoned with.
How Sam Wilson's Captain America Can Match Up With Red Hulk Sam's Enhancements Should Allow Him To Pose A Significant Challenge To Red Hulk Sam Wilson may not be blessed with the enhancements of the Super Soldier Serum, but I"m not sure that this matters given these revelations. It"s no secret that while Cap"s enhancements in all physical areas are certainly valuable boons throughout Steve Rogers" MCU career, his true power lies in his indomitable will and mental virtues. Bequeathing the shield to Sam Wilson was symbolic of how Rogers" superhuman abilities were secondary to what really counted when carrying the mantle of Captain America. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, of course, doubled down on this message.
John Walker carried the Captain America mantle in Sam Wilson"s place but demonstrated how the Super Soldier Serum was not what the role required after killing someone with his shield in a fit of rage.
Nevertheless, the enhancements to Sam"s attire are still integral to withstand the full force of a Hulk. Vibranium"s ability to absorb kinetic energy will be a significant boon, something which the promotional images for Captain America: Brave New World and the trailers have already illustrated. Furthermore, Sam"s proven skills in hand-to-hand combat cannot be overstated. These have been honed throughout Sam Wilson"s MCU career, and he"ll be at the top of his game in the fight to come. Then there are the "tricks up his sleeve" that Onah mentioned.
Still, Sam"s valiance, fortitude, and strategic prowess will be integral to subduing Red Hulk in their showdown. To intensify the stakes, I think the movie will show that Red Hulk is far more powerful than Sam - but Sam"s victory will come as a result of his determination and quick thinking. After all, many are baffled by the mere notion that Sam Wilson - one of the MCU"s least powerful heroes - could ever stand up to Red Hulk - but I think that this is exactly what makes their showdown so exciting.
Captain America: Brave New World's Red Hulk Fight Has Me Super Excited The Two Will Apparently Be Quite Evenly Matched Close As I stated, I find it highly unlikely that Sam and Red Hulk"s final showdown will result in Red Hulk"s victory. It will be tooth-and-nail, but Sam Wilson should emerge the clear winner and justify his role as the potential new leader of the Avengers. The power imbalance is what makes the fight so exciting to begin with, but I don"t think Marvel is about to give Wilson a cheesy win lest it appears contrived and cheap. Similarly, I"m doubtful that the movie will nerf Red Hulk - at least beyond what the MCU has already done to Banner"s Hulk.
Related 10 Marvel Characters Who Are Way Weaker In The MCU Than In The Comics While most of these MCU characters are still powerful, their Marvel Comic counterparts" powers make them look pretty weak by comparison.
By ensuring Wilson is now kitted out with the finest Wakandan tech and some as-yet-unspecified tricks, Marvel may have leveled the playing field just enough to make the win feel earned. This tech now brings Captain America closer to other tech-wielding MCU heroes like Iron Man and Ant-Man. While I was frustrated by Iron Man"s fight with Hulk being a prime example of how the latter has been nerfed in the MCU, there is no denying that this was one of the movie"s most epic scenes and a testament to Iron Man"s brilliance.
Ultimately, Captain America: Brave New World constitutes a chance for Sam Wilson to prove himself as the next Captain America.
Ultimately, Captain America: Brave New World constitutes a chance for Sam Wilson to prove himself as the next Captain America. Pitting him against a being as powerful as a Hulk is the perfect theater to do this, at least when it comes to showcasing how he can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the MCU"s most powerful heroes. With all that in mind, I can"t wait to see how the fight plays out and to have them be relatively evenly matched only promises an even greater spectacle.
Captain America: Brave New World Captain America: Brave New World (formerly titled New World Order) marks Sam Wilson's first MCU big-screen appearance as Steve Rogers' successor after receiving the suit and shield in Phase 4's The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Anthony Mackie returns as the titular Avenger alongside Danny Ramirez as Joaquin Torres, Carl Lumby as Isaiah Bradley, and Tim Blake Nelson as The Incredible Hulk's former ally Samuel Sterns. Harrison Ford makes his MCU debut replacing the late William Hurt as Thaddeus Ross.
Director Julius Onah Release Date February 14, 2025 Studio(s) Marvel Studios Distributor(s) Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Writers Dalan Musson , Malcolm Spellman Cast Harrison Ford , Liv Tyler , Giancarlo Esposito , Rosa Salazar , Takehiro Hira , Anthony Mackie , Tim Blake Nelson , Shira Haas , Carl Lumbly , Danny Ramirez , Rachael Markarian , Jacqueline Loucks , Tony Mareno , Zo'Anne Mckinstry , Phuong Kubacki , Colby Lopez , Xosha Roquemore Franchise(s) Captain America , Marvel Cinematic Universe Expand Upcoming MCU Movies Captain America: Brave New World
Release Date February 14, 2025 Thunderbolts*
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Release Date May 7, 2027 Sources: Empire Magazine & Deadline

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