Captain America: Brave New World ending explained: does Sam Wilson beat Red Hulk, is there a post-credits scene, and more big questions answered

Major spoilers ahead!. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. Full spoilers follow for Captain America: Brave New World. Captain America: Brave New World has spread its wings in theaters worldwide. The first Marvel movie of 2025 isn't all it's cracked up to be – my Captain America: Brave New World review explains why – but it lays the groundwork for what's to come as the Marvel Multiverse Saga barrels towards its inevitable conclusion.

If you haven't watched the Marvel Phase 5 film yet, I'd suggest bookmarking this page and reading its contents once you have because major spoilers follow for the Anthony Mackie-starring flick. For non spoiler-based coverage, read my review above, or get the lowdown on Sam Wilson's first big-screen outing as Cap 2.0 by way of my Captain America: Brave New World hub. With the power of words! Alright, I'm being facetious, but that's how Sam Wilson manages to a) stop Red Hulk – the gamma-irradiated alter-ego of US President Thaddeus 'Thunderbolt' Ross – from rampaging across Washington, DC and b) turning Cap 2.0 into pulp.

Wilson is no super-soldier so, despite his best efforts (and with a Wakanda-made, nanotech-infused super-suit and various gadgets at his disposal), he's no match for Ross' raging superpowered alias. That much is clear with how easily Red Hulk destroys Wilson's Redwing drones, his ability to withstand hits from Cap's vibranium shield, and the effortlessness with which he tears Wilson's costume apart.

But, as Brave New World's director Julius Onah told me ahead of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film's launch, Wilson's superpower is "his empathy and his heart". He was formerly an army veteran counselor, so he knows how to speak to people and engage with them in a caring, considerate manner. That's exactly what he does in this movie's action-packed finale. Knowing he can't beat Red Hulk in a fist-fight, Wilson talks his foe down by appealing to Ross' parental side and saying he can still have a relationship with estranged daughter Betty if he surrenders. It's... a bit weird that Wilson's first mention of Betty doesn't work before their high-octane battle, but hey, second time's a charm.

Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Anyway, Ross listens to Wilson, calms down, and reverts back to his human form. After being checked out of hospital, Ross is transferred to The Raft, a high-security underwater prison for superpowered individuals that was first introduced in the MCU in 2016's Captain America: Civil War. No. Despite Ross' initial request for Wilson to help him rebuild The Avengers, events that transpire in Captain America 4 means it doesn't happen.

Well, not yet. In the movie's final scene, Wilson tells Joaquin Torres, who's still in hospital recovering the severe injuries he sustained during the US-Japan conflict around Celestial Island, that he plans on reforming Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Whether he'll has by the time the next Avengers film rolls around (more on this later), though, is unclear. There aren't many cameos in Brave New World. In fact, there's only one really big character appearance in the entire film: James Buchanan 'Bucky' Barnes, aka the Winter Soldier. I didn't expect to see him because, well, he's set to star in Thunderbolts*, the final MCU Phase 5 flick that'll release worldwide on May 2.

I was convinced, then, that he'd be too busy dealing with matters in that movie to show up in Captain America 4. Yet, here he is, lending his support to Wilson as Torres undergoes surgery on his aforementioned life-threatening injuries. So, how does Bucky's appearance set up what's to come in Thunderbolts*? The first and most obvious revelation is that Barnes is jetting off to attend a charity fundraiser after his brief catch-up with Wilson. The first trailer for Thunderbolts* revealed he's on the guestlist for an expensive bash hosted by Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, so his presence at said event is a foregone conclusion.

The other tease is something I didn't expect to learn. As Barnes leaves, Ross' security advisor Ruth Bat-Seraph arrives with a coffee for Wilson. As she passes Barnes, she does a double-take before asking Wilson if she just saw "future Congressman" James Barnes. Marvel's newest trailer for Thunderbolts* shows a dapper-looking Bucky sitting in on a US Senate hearing, but there's been no confirmation (until now, anyway) that he's become a government official following events in Falcon and the Winter Soldier (FATWS). Regardless, other public footage of Thunderbolts* confirms he won't spend the entire film engaging in congressional debates – indeed, he'll be getting his hands dirty again as he leads a ragtag band of anti-heroes against another potentially world-ending threat.