The recently released trailer for Captain America 4: Brave New World teased the appearances of a lot of villains including Red Hulk and Tim Blake Nelson’s The Leader. However, the trailer also contained brief shots or hints of the film’s other villains, most notably Giancarlo Esposito‘s mystery character. Thus, fans want to know who will serve as the upcoming MCU movie’s villains.
Here is a breakdown of all the villains fans can expect to see in Captain America: Brave New World.
List of all villains in Captain America 4: Brave New World
Here are all the characters who will serve as villains or antagonists in Captain America 4: Brave New World.
The Leader
Tim Blake Nelson’s Samuel Sterns first appeared in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk. His transformation as Leader was teased towards the end of the film. The character now finally makes his MCU return in Captain America: Brave New World. Nelson’s Leader is teased in the film’s trailer to be the one pulling the strings and the one behind the disastrous events of the film. This is supported by his ominous line “global power is shifting”.
Red Hulk
The newly released trailer for Captain America: Brave New World finally confirms Red Hulk’s presence in the trailer’s ending shot. However, rumors about Red Hulk’s presence have long persisted following Thunderbolt Ross’ recasting with Harrison Ford, following William Hurt’s demise.
Red Hulk’s role in the movie is largely unknown but he will likely be a significant antagonist for Sam Wilson’s Captain America as he may have his own motivations differing from Sam and also because the ending shot and official poster teased their conflict. Additionally, the trailer also teased some tension between Sam and Ross, who angrily tells Sam that he may be Captain America but he is not Steve Rogers.
Giancarlo Esposito’s mystery character
Following Esposito’s confirmation of his MCU casting, the Brave New World trailer gave viewers a brief look at his character. As of this writing, it is still unclear as to who he is playing. However, reputed industry insider MyTimetoShineHello claimed via X (formerly Twitter) that he was playing George Washington Bridge.
Isaiah Bradley
The Brave New World trailer hinted at Isaiah Bradley being an antagonist for Sam Wilson in some capacity. The trailer showed Bradley attempting to kill Thunderbolt Ross and make a quick escape when he failed.
However, it is likely that Bradley, a former Super-Soldier, may not be a villain in the traditional sense but instead a person being mind-controlled by another person, likely The Leader, who may have found access to his old Super-Soldier programming. This is akin to Bucky Barnes’ characterization in Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Civil War, where he was controlled by HYDRA and Baron Zemo, respectively.
