Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for Captain America: Brave New World.
With the release of Captain America: Brave New World came the confirmation that certain rumors about the movie were actually entirely wrong. Captain America: Brave New World marks an important point in the MCU’s movie timeline, serving as the first solo movie for Sam Wilson’s Captain America, the debut of Red Hulk, and definitively setting up the franchise’s new team of Avengers. Such a potentially pivotal point in the MCU brought the movie considerable attention, especially ahead of its release.
All through the movie’s production, details about Captain America: Brave New World’s story and cast were endlessly speculated on, with many rumors swirling. A number of rumors and scoops proved particularly popular, earning widespread attention with those eagerly awaiting Brave New World’s release. However, despite some proving to be surprisingly accurate, others turned out to be entirely wide of the mark. With that in mind, here is every Captain America 4 scoop, rumor, and lie that turned out to be wrong.
10
Giancarlo Esposito Playing GW Bridge
Esposito’s Rumored Role Seemed An Interesting Prospect
Once it was announced that Giancarlo Esposito had been added to the Captain America: Brave New World cast in an undisclosed role, speculation regarding who he might be playing spread. One of the most widely believed theories was that Esposito would be playing George Washington Bridge, a mercenary with ties to SHIELD, the X-Force, and Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. This was largely fueled by the release of a trailer, in which Esposito’s then-unnamed character was shown heavily armed and engaging in a firefight.
GW Bridge co-creator, Rob Liefeld, shared the clip online voicing his support, seemingly confirming that Esposito would play the character. However, it turned out not to be true at all, as Esposito actually played Sidewinder, the leader of the Serpent Society, another more villainous mercenary character. Even so, the GW Bridge rumor seemed all too convincing, and marked one of the most interesting disproven theories about Brave New World’s cast.
9
Frank Simpson Would Appear
Nuke’s Inclusion Seemed Organic To Brave New World’s Story
Another scoop regarding the cast of Brave New World came when it was revealed that the movie would introduce Frank Simpson, A.K.A Nuke, to the movies of the MCU. A revised take on the character had previously been adapted into live-action in Jessica Jones, though it was reported that a reworked version of Nuke would make his formal debut in Brave New World. Ultimately, this turned out not to be true at all.
Considering Nuke’s characterization in the comics, it didn’t seem at all unreasonable that he might play a role in Brave New World. Nuke is essentially an ultra-patriotic super soldier with a serious anger problem brought on by his abuse of power-granting medication. This seemed to fit nicely with Brave New World’s announced narrative regarding Thaddeus Ross’s presidency and the race to control the world’s adamantium. In the end, Nuke was absent from the movie, and the scoop turned out to have been false.
8
Moon Knight Would Team Up With Captain America
Moon Knight’s Proposed Return Seemed An Unlikely Prospect
An early rumor regarding other heroes appearing in Brave New World ᴀsserted that Moon Knight would appear to offer support to Captain America. The hero has yet to reappear since the ending of Moon Knight, and his supposed role in Brave New World seemed an interesting prospect. With the movie’s release, the rumor turned out to be entirely untrue.
Weighed up against some of the other rumors regarding Brave New World, Moon Knight’s role never seemed entirely likely. There was no substantial evidence that Moon Knight would appear in the movie, and no noteworthy comic book arcs to draw from to warrant his inclusion. Though it was a prominent rumor early in the movie’s production, Moon Knight being absent from the movie upon release was not a surprising turn of events, as it never seemed especially likely to be true.
7
Amadeus Cho Would Appear
The Supporting Hulk Hero’s Debut Would Have Made Sense
Another prominent rumor that was widely circulated ahead of Brave New World’s release was that the movie would introduce Amadeus Cho to the MCU. The revelation came as part of a scoop that revealed the entire plot of the movie, with Cho’s inclusion being the only significant error in the rumored story. Considering the Hulk-centric nature of Brave New World’s plot, the rumor made perfect sense in the context of the pre-release buzz surrounding the movie.
Though almost every other detail revealed in the scoop proved accurate, Amadeus Cho was not present in Brave New World upon release. This fact alone has many convinced that Cho was once featured in the movie, though there is little by way of concrete evidence to support the theory. Regardless, it’s yet another prominent rumor about Brave New World that turned out to be untrue.
6
Red Hulk Was Created By Ross On Purpose
A Major Red Hulk Plot Rumor Was Not True
Another supposed scoop during the production of Captain America: Brave New World revealed many plot points about the movie. One of these narrative developments involved President Ross deliberately choosing to become Red Hulk, willingly ingesting gamma radiation before transforming. There was initially very little to disprove the rumor, as it had already been revealed that Ross would return and Red Hulk would make his MCU debut.
The release of Captain America: Brave New World disproved the scoop, however. In the movie, President Ross had not chosen to become the Red Hulk, but instead transformed as a result of the manipulations of the Leader. Instead of choosing to give himself Hulk abilities, Ross was tricked into it as a means of tarnishing his legacy, ultimately proving that the scoop regarding his motivations in the movie had been wrong.
5
She-Hulk Will Show Up
She-Hulk’s Appearance Alongside Other Hulks Seemed Plausible
One of the most convincing rumors surrounding Brave New World’s cast was that it would feature multiple Hulk characters, with various heroes and villains being cited as potentially appearing at various points in its production. Among these was She-Hulk, who was widely speculated to be a major part of Brave New World’s cast. Despite having been featured in what was considered one of the worst MCU TV shows, She-Hulk’s supposed reappearance was met with considerable anticipation.
The rumor was proven untrue upon Brave New World’s release, however. Not only was She-Hulk absent from the movie, but so too were the majority of the Hulk characters who had been tipped to appear. Though it seemed at one time to be a perfectly plausible development, those who went into Captain America: Brave New World hoping to see She-Hulk were ultimately disappointed.
4
The Serpent Society’s Major Role
The Serpent Society Were Reportedly Set To Play A Larger Role
Perhaps the most logical disproven rumor surrounding Brave New World’s story involved the movie’s use of the Serpent Society. In the comics, the Serpent Society is a team of snake-themed villains who are primarily antagonists of Captain America stories. The announcement of various castings in undisclosed roles led to rumors that the Serpent Society would play a major role in the movie.
Ahead of release, some of these characters were cut from the film. Though the rumor appears to have been true at some point during production, the decision was made to simply include Sidewinder and Copperhead in supporting roles, with the Serpent Society’s part seemingly being diminished as a result. The rumor itself always contained a kernel of truth, though exactly how prevalent the Serpent Society originally were in Brave New World’s story remains to be fully revealed.
3
Brave New World Will Pick Up Secret Invasion’s Plot Threads
Secret Invasion’s Story Could Easily Have Led To Brave New World
Secret Invasion may well have been one of the most disappointing MCU releases in the history of the franchise, but it did set up a number of interesting plot points. The show ended with President Ritson declaring war on alien refugees, and as soon as it was announced that Brave New World would feature Thaddeus Ross becoming President, rumors began to swirl. The main rumor involved Brave New World picking up Secret Invasion’s loose plot threads, explaining how Ritson’s presidency ended and alluding to his declaration of war.
Whether the rumor was ever true is unclear, but Brave New World certainly did not explore any of Secret Invasion’s plot points. Ross winning the presidency at the start of the movie did nothing to explain Ritson’s departure from office, nor did Brave New World make mention of Skrull refugees. Though distancing itself from Secret Invasion was almost certainly a wise move, Brave New World’s lack of consistency with the show disproved the rumor about their potential connection.
2
Isaiah Bradley Would Suit Up
Bradley’s Captain America Moment Never Came
After being introduced in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Isaiah Bradley’s announced return in Captain America: Brave New World prompted speculation about his role in the MCU. As it had already been established that Bradley was the forgotten super soldier, and that he still possessed much of his strength and speed, rumors about his role in Brave New World were circulated. On that basis, it was suggested that the movie would see Isaiah Bradley suit up as Captain America in some capacity.
Ultimately, Brave New World did not see Isaiah Bradley suit up – at least, not as a superhero. Though he played a major role in the movie, Bradley did not play one of the movie’s prominent heroes, instead being a victim of the Leader’s brainwashing. Considering his age and the nature of Brave New World’s story, it made far more sense to only include Bradley in a supporting capacity, and the rumor proved not to be true.
1
Old Steve Rogers Would Make A Cameo
Steve Rogers’ Return Was Rumored
One of the most prominent rumors about Captain America: Brave New World was that it would feature the return of Steve Rogers to the MCU. After his retirement in Avengers: Endgame, it was revealed that Steve Rogers had lived out the rest of his life in the past, existing in the MCU’s present as an old man. Though this didn’t obviously open the door to his return as Captain America, it didn’t stop speculation that Sam Wilson would interact with the elderly Steve Rogers in Brave New World.
The movie’s release proved that the rumor was simply wishful thinking, though. Steve Rogers was not present at all in its story, as Brave New World explored Sam Wilson’s role as the MCU’s new Captain America. Though fans of Steve Rogers were hopeful that they may have been afforded another glimpse of the retired hero, Captain America: Brave New World ultimately proved that the rumor of his return was not true.
Upcoming MCU Movies
-
Thunderbolts*
- Release Date
-
May 2, 2025
Powered by
-
The Fantastic Four: First Steps
- Release Date
-
July 25, 2025
Powered by
-
Avengers: Doomsday (2026)
Powered by
-
Spider-Man Homecoming 4
- Release Date
-
July 24, 2026
Powered by
-
Avengers: Secret Wars
- Release Date
-
May 7, 2027
Powered by
