[Editor’s note: The following article contains spoilers for both “Captain America: Brave New World” and its post-credits scene.]
A certain amount of confusion is expected with any and all Marvel Cinematic Universe post-credits scenes, at least at this point in the film– and television-spanning saga. After all, with the release of Julius Onah’s “Captain America: Brave New World,” we’re now on the 35th (!!) film of the franchise, so even the most dedicated Marvel fans are likely stretching the limits of their comic book knowledge to get whatever is being thrown down after a whole other story has wrapped.
And yet.
While the last Marvel film to hit theaters, Shawn Levy’s “Deadpool & Wolverine,” came complete with but a single post-credits scene, one that didn’t require deep-dive knowledge to understand and enjoy, Onah’s film takes that concept to other, head-scratching ends. Mostly, it’s the first MCU post-credits scene we can remember in a long time that seems to rely on confusion to land at all.
Marvel has long struggled with its multiverse-centric storylines — despite dedicating three “phases” and 17 films (12 released so far) to it — but with the ending of Onah’s film, that struggle reaches bizarre ends. Take the film’s single post-credit scene on its face, and it’s asking something truly wacky: for its audience (and star!) to forget everything that’s come before to sell what’s next.
[One more warning: The following article contains spoilers for both “Captain America: Brave New World” and its post-credits scene.]
Onah’s film features a single post-credits scene (James Gunn’s fun and frisky running time-busting multiple offerings, we really miss you), and while audiences will likely expect it to set up what’s next for our new Captain America (Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson), the way the scene actually functions forces far more questions than answer.
Quick, necessary table-setting: The film sees Sam and newly installed sidekick Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez as Falcon) fighting a vast, far-reaching conspiracy that ultimately involves bringing down newly elected U.S. President Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross (Harrison Ford). Over the course of the film, we see Ross try to sew up a much-needed treaty to oversee the so-called “Celestial Island” left behind after the conclusion of “Eternals,” even while he’s at the mercy of seemingly terroristic attacks.
Sam and Joaquin eventually discover who (and what) is really to blame: Tim Blake Nelson as The Leader (aka Samuel Sterns), who was infected with Bruce Banner’s Hulk-y blood in “The Incredible Hulk” (oddly, the film with the most links to this, the fourth “Captain America” film) and has since been held in prison by Ross himself. For years, we learn, Ross has dangled the possibility of release over Sterns’ head, which would be upsetting enough, generally, but is made all the worse by the state of said head (read: deformed, massive, super-gross).
Turns out, Bruce’s blood hasn’t made Sterns bigger in body, but in brains, and Ross has long viewed the guy as his own personal think tank, using his bulked-up brain to run through the possibilities and probabilities of just about everything. That probably helped him win the election, but manipulating a super-genius for nefarious ends is ultimately a bad idea, so it’s little surprise Sterns has set out to use his noggin to also take out Ross. (This is, of course, a very simple explanation of an oddly convoluted film.)
The film ends with Ross going full Red Hulk in the White House Rose Garden (oops), nearly ruining his legacy (Sterns’ real prize) and ultimately forcing him to admit his wrongdoing, give up his office, and head to The Raft to serve an undetermined amount of time in the floating prison. As the film wraps, we see Sam visit him with Ross’ daughter Betty (cue surprise Liv Tyler appearance) in tow.
And while “Brave New World” wraps with the Ross clan enjoying some quality time, the film’s sole post-credits scene imagines what happens after Sam leaves the family reunion and … wanders to another cell to visit Samuel Sterns?
Keeping both Red Hulk Ross and Sterns’ The Leader in one prison is, on its own, a hell of a stupid choice, but what follows is somehow even more dumb. Worse than that, it’s actively insulting to Sam and the MCU audience.
Remember: Sterns is all about running the probabilities, so that he’d use this little visit with Sam to tease what’s to come — something bad, duh! — isn’t a shock, but it’s the material of his message that really surprises. To wit, Sterns tells Sam (a superhero, a former member of the Avengers, and a very smart guy) of his next big vision, and it’s of … other heroes and other worlds? Again, this is the 12th film in the “Multiverse Saga,” and yet here we are, with our most recent big bad taunting our hero with the following claims:
“Do you think you’re the only ones? Do you think this is the only world? We’ll see what happens when you have to protect this place from the others.”
Sir, no one in their right mind, least of all a superhero like Sam Wilson, who was part of the events of a film like “Avengers: Endgame” and whose entire career has been helped by a pair of dudes literally from out of time, thinks this is the only world. Not even the most casual of MCU fans thinks that either, and to pretend like this is some massive, compelling reveal is perhaps the most embarrassing switcheroo Marvel brass have attempted to pull yet.
Did you know there’s a multiverse? Please.
Yes, of course, this is all trying to ramp us up for what we can only pray is the end of the Multiverse Saga, namely care of the 2026 release “Avengers: Doomsday” and the 2027 release “Avengers: Secret Wars,” but that “hey, there are other heroes and other worlds” is meant to be the messaging behind that? Insane. What exactly have we been watching all these years, if not that? And why exactly should we bother to keep watching at all?
A Walt Disney Pictures release, “Captain America: Brave New World” is now in theaters.
