Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Captain America: Brave New World

Captain America: Brave New World shares more than one parallel with 2014’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier. In the first solo Captain America movie set in the present, Steve Rogers was forced to grapple with the challenges facing the modern MCU world while uncovering a major conspiracy involving SHIELD, Hydra, and his best friend Bucky Barnes. Similarly, Sam Wilson’s Captain America finds himself echoing many of the same beats as his predecessor, exposing a political conspiracy of his own involving the President of the United States (and his monstrous new Red Hulk form).

It’s worth noting that Captain America: Brave New World is arguably a sequel to The Incredible Hulk, picking up several elements and returning characters that hadn’t been seen since the 2008 film. At the same time, it also mirrors the events and follows the formula of The Winter Soldier in several key areas. With that in mind, here are the biggest parallels between Captain America: Brave New World and Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

10

Both Movies Open With Captain America-Led Mission For Government

Batroc/SERPENT

In Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Steve Rogers is called in to lead a SHIELD strike team to lead an operation and rescue hostages aboard The Lemurian Star, which has been taken over by the mercenary known as Batroc. Joined by Natasha Romanov’s Black Widow, the mission is ultimately a success. However, the operation kickstarted a major conspiracy that eventually leads to the discovery that Hydra had been secretly embedded within SHIELD for decades.

Similarly, one of Brave New World’s first opening scenes features Sam Wilson’s Captain America also working with the government and leading a mission, going after the mercenary group known as SERPENT who were hired to steal a sample of adamantium from Japan. This too is the first move in a major ongoing conspiracy involving US President Ross and the skeletons in his closet. The mission also saw Sam Wilson being joined by Joaquin Torres, the new Falcon.

9

The Same Trio Of MCU Heroes

A Cap, A Falcon, and a Widow

In The Winter Soldier, Steve Rogers has few people he can trust thanks to Hydra’s infiltration. As a result, his primary two allies in the 2014 MCU movie are Natasha Romanov’s Black Widow and Sam Wilson’s Falcon. Now, Brave New World echoes that same trio of heroes with Sam Wilson as the new Captain America, Joaquin Torres as the new Falcon, and Ross’ head of security Ruth-Bat Seraph, an ex-Black Widow who was trained in the Red Room, just like Natasha and Yelena Belova.

8

Mind Control Triggers Play a Key Role In Both Captain America Movies

Hydra Brainwashing/Leader’s Manipulation Device

In The Winter Soldier, Bucky Barnes is revealed to still be alive, albeit having been experimented on and brainwashed by Hydra to become their living weapon as the Winter Soldier, using key trigger words to keep him under their control for decades. Thankfully, Bucky’s trigger words were broken thanks to help from the Wakandans between Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War. However, Samuel Sterns’ mind manipulation devices using a combination of flashing lights and audio triggers in Brave New World play a big role in the new MCU movie, and it even reminds Sam of Barnes’ past as Hydra’s mind-controlled puppet.

7

A Car Attack in Broad Daylight

The Winter Soldier/Sidewinder

During his investigation into how Isiah Bradley and others were manipulated into staging an ᴀssᴀssinating attempt on the President, Sam Wilson is attacked while driving his truck in broad daylight by Sidewinder (Giancarlo Esposito). Sidewinder is the head of SERPENT, having been paid by Samuel Sterns both to steal the adamantium sample from Japan and now to kill Wilson. Regardless, this attack does mirror when Bucky Barnes opens fire on Nick Fury on the street in The Winter Soldier, having been ordered by Hydra to take out the SHIELD director.

6

A Genius MCU Supervillain Hiding In A Secret Military Base

Zola/Sterns

During Steve Rogers and Natasha’s investigation, they find none other than the preserved and digitized mind of Hydra supergenius Armin Zola in a secret installation underneath Camp Lehigh, SHIELD’s first base of operations. Zola confirms the truth about SHIELD and Hydra’s infiltration, as well as the true goal of Project Insight. In the same vein, Sam Wilson and Joaquin Torres find Samuel Sterns and his gamma-enhanced intellect in the black site known as Camp Echo-1, having been Ross’ prisoner for 16 years (while also secretly working toward his revenge).

5

A Major Political Conspiracy Is Uncovered

Hydra Embedded Within SHIELD/Ross Holding Sterns Captive

One of the easiest comparisons to make between Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Brave New World is their major conspiracy plots. The Winter Soldier is all about Hydra secretly manipulating SHIELD for years with the intent of using Project Insight to kill all their enemies simultaneously. Comparatively, Brave New World is all about Samuel Sterns seeking revenge for all the years President Ross kept him prisoner, culminating with a multistep conspiracy to start WWIII. The blame would be placed on Ross, who would also transform into a rage-fueled Hulk for the whole world to bear witness.

4

A Large-Scale Battle With Warships

Helicarriers Over The Triskelion/Battleships At Celestial Island

In the third act of The Winter Soldier, Project Insight is ready to launch with three fully armed helicarriers under Hydra’s control. As such, Steve Rogers, Black Widow, Sam Wilson’s Falcon, Maria Hill, and Nick Fury work in tandem to redirect the helicarriers at each other. Meanwhile, those still loyal to SHIELD grapple with the countless Hydra moles inside the organization.

Likewise, battleships from the United States and Japan prepare for war near the Celestial Island and its valuable stories of adamantium. Meanwhile, Sterns tries to goad Ross into Hulking out. However, Sam Wilson’s Captain America and Joaquin Torress’ Falcon were able to de-escalate tensions by taking out the fighter jets and the US pilots who were under Sterns’ control to attack the Japanese.

3

A Final MCU Battle In Washington DC

Steve Rogers vs Winter Soldier/Sam Wilson vs Red Hulk

Despite the bigger threats having been dealt with, both Captain America movies have more focused 1v1 showdowns in their respective third acts. After the helicarriers are dealt with in The Winer Soldier, Steve Rogers faces the Winter Soldier directly. Similarly, Sam Wilson faces Ross after his monstrous transformation into the Red Hulk in front of the White House.

2

The Primary Antagonists Are Reasoned With

Bucky Barnes/President Ross

Rather than trying to kill Bucky, Steve refuses to keep fighting the Winter Soldier and tries to get through with the brainwashed ᴀssᴀssin who was once his friend. As such, Rogers does manage to get through to him enough that Bucky saves Rogers from drowning in the Potomac before going on the run as a fugitive. While Sam Wilson and Ross’ Red Hulk do fight at the end of Brave New World, their showdown similarly ends with Wilson taking Ross down, motivating him to become the better man he wants to be, rather than the one he was.

1

Both Post-Credits Scenes Set Up Bigger Avengers Movies

Avengers: Age of Ultron/Avengers: Doomsday

Both Captain America movies also feature exciting post-credits that set up imminent Avengers movies. The Winter Soldier’s post-credits scene reveals that pockets of Hydra still remain and have created enhanced individuals using Loki’s scepter, such as the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver, setting up Avengers: Age of Ultron. Likewise, Sterns’ warning to Sam Wilson about other worlds and foes in Brave New World’s post-credits set up Avengers: Doomsday and likely Avengers: Secret Wars, both of which are expected to focus on the threat of multiversal incursions and multiple realities, the final act of the MCU’s overarching Multiverse Saga.

Captain America: Brave New World is now playing in theaters from Marvel Studios.

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