Unlocking Captain America: Brave New World’s Hidden Easter Eggs You Missed!

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The long-awaited movie, Captain America: Brave New World, has arrived, but it seems to have received a lukewarm response from the critics, with many expressing a noncommittal “meh.

Indeed, it’s unfortunate to note that the recently released Marvel film has not been highly praised by critics. In a three-star review for Brave New World, our very own Cameron Frew described it as an “average, jumbled action movie that manages to be entertaining.

Although it’s not top-tier Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) entertainment, I’ve witnessed it firsthand, and I want to be straightforward. Compared to other MCU films, this one isn’t the cream of the crop, but it definitely doesn’t take the cake for being the worst (that honor goes to Quantumania). However, I enjoyed picking up all the subtle nods, winks, and references to the broader MCU and Marvel comics.

Let’s embark on a fresh journey together, as instead of the absolute list that I was previously unable to label as such due to legal reasons (owing to missed references in my Deadpool and Wolverine Easter egg article), we’ll explore an abundance of Captain America: Brave New World Easter eggs.

Post Blip world

During the grand address by the newly inaugurated President Ross, he casually references a significant part of the globe vanishing. Even for those who aren’t avid fans of Marvel comics, it’s clear that this is a subtle acknowledgment of the Blip and the occurrences in Avengers: Infinity War.

Celestial island

In the broader scene unfolding, President Ross is attempting to finalize a treaty with India, Japan, and France. This agreement would grant these countries permission to extract the rare metal, adamantium, found on Celestial Island – further details about this extraordinary metal will be provided soon.

In the movie Eternals, viewers will recognize Celestial as Tiamut, the freshly-born cosmic deity whose birth was thwarted by Cersei and her companions during the film’s climax. The Celestial Island may be a nod to the Celestial Mountain from the comics, a deceased Celestial that the Avengers repurposed as their new headquarters after leaving their tower behind.

Hulk Hunter 

At the beginning, we casually refer to Ross as “The Hulk Pursuer,” a name you might recognize if you’ve watched The Incredible Hulk. This nickname not only echoes his pursuit of the Hulk across America in the earliest comics, but also hints at an intriguing twist – the Hulk he was chasing was actually his daughter’s friend. Additionally, this part includes a delightful clip featuring the Hulk portrayed by Edward Norton, making it an enjoyable watch.

Mustache 

Regarding Ross, Harrison Ford assumed the role previously held by William Hurt upon his passing. It’s said that in order for Ross to win the election, he had to shave off his mustache. Despite this, there’s a brief scene showing Ford sporting the iconic five-star general’s mustache. It’s speculated that the decision to make Ross clean-shaven might be a nod to the comics, as Ross’ transformation into Red Hulk results in his mustache disappearing. Frankly, we’re just as puzzled about this detail.

New duds

It seems Sam acquired Captain America’s impressive new wings from Wakanda. This tidbit was mentioned in Falcon and the Winter Soldier, although Marvel might think you missed that show given its rather sleepy nature. The upgraded Captain America now has some cool abilities thanks to these wings.

To elaborate, the wings he possesses function similarly to the Black Panther’s suit, as they can soak up kinetic energy during combat and then discharge it. Additionally, I found it charming that both his wings and the Panther’s suit exhibit a purple radiance when energy is released.

Red Wing 

Among Sam’s gear, only his wings are receiving an upgrade. He’s also been equipped with a brand-new drone named Red Wing, equipped with a laser and various tools for crime-fighting. An interesting tidbit: while Red Wing is indeed a character from the comics, it’s remarkable that Sam has a psychic bond with this bird, yes, you heard it right – a real bird!

In Marvel comics, Sam possesses psychic abilities that enable him to converse with a bird friend and potentially connect with other avian creatures when he focuses. However, the MCU version of this character doesn’t seem to have this ability. That’s probably because it appears rather absurd or silly.

Serpent Society 

Initially, during Marvel’s Phase 3, we were led to believe that the Serpent Society would make an appearance, with Captain America as the central figure. However, an incident called Civil War disrupted those plans. After two more phases, the Serpent Society has finally arrived… but they are merely forgettable mercenaries, which is disappointing because in the comics, they are a vibrant gang of snake-themed villains, known for causing trouble for Captain America and Falcon over many years, even wearing ridiculous snake costumes.

Sidewinder

One similarity between the comic book group, Serpent Society, and its Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) counterpart is that they’re both headed by Sidewinder. However, the comic book version of Sidewinder is significantly more intriguing. To begin with, he dons a costume resembling someone attempting to dress as a snake for Halloween yet lacking knowledge about what a snake actually looks like, resulting in a dinosaur-like outfit instead. In addition, he possesses teleportation abilities. As for the MCU’s Sidewinder, portrayed by Giancarlo Esposito, it’s fantastic… but beyond that, he’s merely an individual armed with guns and knives, which are efficient yet uninteresting compared to the comic book version’s unique qualities.

Copperhead

Did you recall the individual who was bantering with Sam inside the church? It turns out, that was Copperhead, another antagonist who has been disarmed (a little wit there) by the Marvel Cinematic Universe. To be precise, they stripped him of his gadgets and comical costume. I suppose this was due to Kevin Feige and the MCU team suffering from Post MODOK Derangement Syndrome, a concern about more comically-looking villains.

Ant-Man 

In Brave New World, there are frequent mentions of Ant-Man. This isn’t random; remember that Sam and Scott have a history. When they first met, Scott humiliated Sam. To make matters worse, as shown in Quantumania, Scott has since gained immense fame as one of Earth’s superheroes. It’s likely this success irritates Sam.

Isaiah Bradley

In the movie, one key figure is Isaiah Bradley, whom Sam looks up to and trains under. Isaiah, portrayed as the overlooked Captain America in “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” was initially the forgotten recipient of a serum that granted him abilities akin to Steve Rogers’. During the Korean War, he and his team were deployed on missions so dangerous they seemed unimaginable, and after their valor, they were imprisoned instead of being celebrated. For the subsequent 30 years, Isaiah was subjected to experiments by Hydra, who sought to understand the Super Soldier Serum’s mysteries.

When Isaiah came out of prison, it appeared that his marriage had ended and his life had fallen apart. It’s also worth mentioning that Isaiah doesn’t have much fondness for the U.S. government, although he does support Sam becoming Captain America.

As a passionate fan, I’d like to share that, in the comics, my hero, Isaiah’s tale bears some resemblance yet carries unique twists. In the Truth: Red, White & Black storyline, we discover that Isaiah acquired his powers during World War II as part of an inhumane project to breed super soldiers. This initiative was marked by gruesome tests on approximately 300 African American men, which unfortunately resulted in the demise of most of these brave souls. Isaiah managed to break free and fought valiantly in World War II, even crossing paths with Hitler at one point before he was apprehended and incarcerated by the U.S. government.

The narrative of Isaiah can be likened to a disturbing true event known as the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment. In this experiment, African American participants were deceptively exposed to syphilis in order to study the disease’s long-term progression. Over 100 men unfortunately lost their lives during this test, and many more were affected by its consequences.

Counseling 

Over the past decade, since the occurrences of The Winter Soldier and the debut of Sam Wilson, it’s possible that some details have slipped your mind. Among them, you might not recall that Sam was a therapist who specifically worked with soldiers. This is why people often tease him about his “counseling nonsense.

Avengers Assemble

After the events of Endgame, it appears that the Avengers team disbanded, which seems a bit puzzling considering the circumstances. However, Nick Fury (Ross) wants Sam to revive the Avengers, but the Sokovia Accords, which were previously blamed for their fallout, have been repealed according to She-Hulk Episode 8. This is confusing because we’ve also seen heroes socializing together in various instances, such as the ending of Shang-Chi. It leaves us wondering if Fury wants a new team he can control or if a fresh group has emerged following Thanos’s invasion.

Ozaki

In Brave New World, the Prime Minister of Japan played an important part in the storyline, and he was referred to as Ozaki. Interestingly enough, there’s a Marvel character sharing the same name; however, this Ozaki only made a brief appearance in Avengers #101 before meeting his end. Whether or not it’s a reference to the Marvel character in the context of Brave New World remains uncertain. At this stage, I’m unsure if it’s intentional or merely coincidental.

Adamantium

In this film, while no X-Men have appeared in the Sacred timeline as of yet, it does present the concept of adamantium – the indestructible metal that lines Wolverine’s bones. Interestingly, in Captain America’s latest adventure, there appears to be a Japanese faction eager to acquire this substance. This might seem puzzling unless you are acquainted with Lord Dark Wind, a character from the comics who initially proposed the idea of bonding adamantium with a human skeleton.

Winter Soldier 

During the examination of Isaiah’s assault on the President, Sam brings up a friend who might react violently to certain triggers. This is clearly a reference to Bucky Barnes, also known as the Winter Soldier, who was employed as a weapon during the superhero conflict known as Civil War. Interestingly, Bucky eventually offers Sam some guidance, and it’s revealed that he’s planning to run for Congress. It’s unclear how this fits with his role in Thunderbolts, but if the President can be the Hulk, then a Congressman could potentially be a Thunderbolt, as far as I see it.

Red Rooms

In the context of the New World Order, it’s mentioned that Ruth Bat-Seraph hails from the Red Rooms and has undergone Black Widow-like training, similar to our own Natasha and Yelena Romanov. Despite limited opportunities to display her formidable fighting abilities on screen, her power as a fighter is evident… although her comic book persona couldn’t be more contrasting.

In Marvel comics, she’s portrayed as a mutant who can transfer her physical abilities to others. She is also said to be associated with the Israeli secret agency, Mossad. If gossip is true, the movie originally intended to use this background, but it was adjusted during re-filming following Israel’s invasion of Gaza in 2023.

The Leader

In the end, it’s unveiled that Samuel Strerns, previously seen in The Incredible Hulk, is the main orchestrator of the film’s events. Since then, he’s experienced a gruesome gamma mutation (this process starts in the Hulk movie), which has given him intelligence equivalent to the Hulk’s strength.

In the movie, Samuel Sterns might not directly bear the title, but he’s indeed the antagonist known as The Leader. In the comics, he was an ordinary man with below-average intelligence who got exposed to nuclear waste, which granted him extraordinary intellect… and a colossal head resembling a mini wind turbine. Similar to his on-screen version, The Leader played a part in transforming Ross into the Red character, though he had assistance from MODOK – a figure fortunately absent from New World Order.

Mr Blue 

In a somewhat unusual connection, the song ‘Mr. Blue’ by The Fleetwoods is subtly employed by Sterns for mind-control purposes in the movie. Initially, this might appear unrelated, but upon closer examination, the lyrics align with the film’s events. For instance, the line “I won’t tell you while you paint the town (oh Mr. Blue) a bright red to turn it upside down” mirrors what happens at the end when Ross transforms into a giant, turning red and flipping the town upside-down, even though he destroys the White House instead. While not an exact match, it’s certainly close enough for us to see the connection!

Top Gun

The most memorable scene in Brave New World is arguably the aerial battle above Celestial Island, which may be due to my limited exposure to air combat films (I’ve watched only three). But it seemed reminiscent of Top Gun, as if the creator of this scene had been inspired by watching Top Gun and Maverick sequentially. Interestingly, they even included a sidekick character who got injured during the fight, though fortunately, Joaquin made it through… unlike poor Goose from Top Gun.

On Your Left 

Regarding Joaquin during the battle, there’s an instance where Sam and Joaquin chase after two missiles threatening the Japanese fleet. When they draw near, Sam instructs his companion to grab the one on the right, implying that once more he will be positioned on Joaquin’s left – much like in Endgame, for those who may have forgotten. (A bit of nostalgia there.)

Red Hulk smash

At the peak of the movie’s action, Thunderbolt Ross transforms into the Red Hulk (Rulk for short) and demolishes the White House. Though this is a notable display of power, it falls short in comparison to the exploits of his comic book counterpart during its debut. The Rulk first appeared in Hulk #1 (January 2008), where he defeated not only the Hulk but also Thor and the Silver Surfer; back then, viewers actually disliked the character due to its overwhelming power. Contrastingly, MCU’s Rulk was vanquished by a touching speech from Sam… they are clearly not equals in terms of strength.

Betty Ross

After Rulk transforms back into Ross and is apprehended, we do find some resolution for his storyline. Betty Ross (portrayed by Liv Tyler’s return) emerges after a 17-year hiatus in the MCU. Could she take on the role of Red She-Hulk, as her comic book persona suggests? Well, that seems to hinge on how many zeros Disney decides to include in their check.

Secret Wars is coming 

Are you excited about trailers for movies releasing in two years’ time? If so, you’ll find the closing scenes of Captain America 4 thrilling. In these scenes, The Leader subtly suggests the existence of other worlds and additional heroes. My colleague Cameron Frew has analyzed the post-credits sequence of New World Order here, but let me tell you, it’s an intriguing hint for those who are well-versed in the 2015 Secret Wars comic series.

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2025-02-14 14:31