Captain America: Brave New World Easter eggs – Secret Wars, X-Men & more

Captain America: Brave New World is finally here, and it’s been met with a collective “eh” from critics. 

Yeah, sadly, the latest Marvel movie hasn’t received the best reviews. Our own Cameron Frew wrote in his three-star Brave New World review that it is a “profoundly mid, muddled actioner that’s just entertaining enough.” 

Hardly glowing stuff, but I’ve seen it, and I’m going to be honest. While it’s not the best MCU movie I’ve seen, it’s hardly the worst (that’s Quantumania), and I had a lot of fun spotting all the winks, nods, and references to the wider MCU and Marvel comics.

So join me on another adventure as I bring you what I’m now no longer legally allowed (I missed too many references in my Deadpool and Wolverine Easter egg piece) to call the definitive list of Captain America: Brave New World Easter eggs. 

Post Blip world

Marvel Studios

During the newly elected President Ross’s big speech, he makes a quick mention of half the world literally disappearing. You don’t have to be the most dedicated Marvel scholar to know this is a quick nod to the Blip and the events of Avengers: Infinity War.

Celestial island

Marvel Studios

As part of the backdrop to the action, President Ross is trying to sign a treaty with India, Japan, and France, allowing each nation to mine Celestial Island’s adamantium (more on this new wonder metal later).

Now, Celestial will be very familiar to those who’ve seen the Eternals, as the island is Tiamut – the newborn cosmic god whose birth Cersei and her friends prevented during that film’s climax. Celestial Island is probably a reference to Celestial Mountain from the comics, a dead Celestial who the Avengers convert into their new Headquarters after abandoning their tower. 

Hulk Hunter 

Marvel Studios

In the opening, we briefly mention Ross’s nickname, “The Hulk Hunter.” If you’ve seen The Incredible Hulk, you’ll know where that name comes from, but it’s also a nod to the earliest comics where Ross quite literally hunted the Hulk across the US, unaware that the beast he was tracking down was his daughter’s beloved. Oh, and we get a nice clip of the Edward Norton Hulk in this segment… which was fun.

Mustache 

Marvel Studios

Speaking of Ross, Harrison Ford has taken over the role following William Hurt’s passing. We’re told Ross had to lose the mustache or lose the election, but we do get a quick clip of Ford sporting the five-star general’s trademark facial hair. Also, we’re not sure, but it’s possible the decision to shave Ross was made as a wink to the comics, where his transformation into Red Hulk causes his mustache to disappear. Yeah, we’re not sure why either.

New duds

Disney

Did you like Cap’s fancy new wings? We’re told Sam got them from the Wakandans (We actually learned this in Falcon and the Winter Soldier, but Marvel’s clearly worried you forgot that show, and we can’t blame them there; it was a snore-fest), and it gives the new Cap some nifty powers. 

Specifically, his wings, like the Black Panther suit, can absorb kinetic energy and release it while fighting his enemies. Also, both Cap’s wings and the Panther’s suit have the same purple glow when they release energy, which I thought was a cute detail.

Red Wing 

Marvel Comics

Sam’s wings are the only bit of his kit to get an upgrade. He’s also got a new Red Wing drone complete with a laser and other crime-fighting tools. Fun fact: though Red Wing is actually from the comics, it’s an actual bird who (and get this) Sam has a telepathic connection to.

You see, in the pages of Marvel comics, Sam has psychic powers that allow him to communicate with his feathered friend, and if he concentrates, he can apparently bond with other birds as well. I don’t know why the MCU version doesn’t have this power. Oh, wait, yes, I do… because it’s very silly. 

Serpent Society 

Marvel Comics

We were promised the Serpent Society back in Marvel Phase 3 when Steve Rogers was the star-spangled man with a plan however, a small thing called Civil War derailed those plans. Finally, two phases later, the Serpent Society is here… and they’re a bunch of forgettable mercenaries. This is a shame because, in the comics, they’re a much more colorful group of snake-themed villains (complete with silly snake costumes) who’ve been a thorn in Cap and Falon’s side for years. 

Sidewinder

Marvel

One thing the comic Serpent Society and the MCU version have in common is that they’re both led by Sidewinder. However, the comic version is so much cooler. First of all, he dresses like a man who wants to go as a snake for Halloween but has no idea what a snake looks like, so he dresses like a dinosaur instead. Also, he can teleport. Sidewinder in the MCU, meanwhile, is played by Giancarlo Esposito, which is great… but other than that, he’s just a guy with guns and knives, which are effective but boring.

Copperhead

Marvel Studios

Remember that guy who was trash-talking with Sam in the church? Believe it or not, that was Copperhead, another villain who’s been de-fanged (hah, snake pun) by the MCU. Specifically, they robbed him of his gadgets and silly costume? Why? I’m guessing Kevin Feige and the MCU crew have PMDS, Post MODOK Derangement Syndrome, and are worried about goofier-looking villains. 

Ant-Man 

Throughout Brave New World, we get constant references to Ant-Man. Why? Well, let’s not forget that Sam and Scott have history. Specifically, Scott humiliates Sam when they first meet. To add insult to injury, since then, as we saw in Quantumania, Scott has become one of Earth’s most famous heroes, which we imagine rubs Sam up the wrong way. 

Isaiah Bradley

Marvel Studios

One of the film’s most important characters, Isaiah Bradley, is Sam’s role model and personal trainer. He was introduced in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier as the forgotten Captain America. Isaiah was given powers similar to Steve Rogers’s when the US government finally replicated the Super Soldier Serum. Isaiah and his platoon were sent on the deadliest missions imaginable during the Korean War and then, as a reward for their heroism, locked up in prison. Over the next 30 years, Isaiah was experimented on by Hydra, who wanted to learn the secrets of the Super Soldier Serum. 

By the time Isaiah was released, his wife had moved on, and his life was in ruins. Needless to say, Isaiah isn’t a big fan of the US government, even if he does approve of Sam taking on the mantle of Captain America. 

In the comics, Isaiah’s story is similar but a little different. During the Truth: Red, White & Black story, we learn that Isaiah got his powers during World War 2 as part of an attempt to create more super soldiers. This involved horrific experiments on 300 African American men and led to most of these men dying. Isaiah would later escape and fight in World War 2, encountering Hitler himself at one point before he was arrested and imprisoned by the US government. 

Isaiah’s story is actually based on a horrific real-world experiment called the Tuskegee Syphilis Study. This terrible experiment saw African American citizens deliberately infected with syphilis to see what the long-term effects of the disease were. More than 100 of these men died, and further people were impacted by the test. 

Counseling 

Marvel Studios

It’s been nearly 10 years since the events of Winter Soldier and the introduction of Sam Wilson, so you might have forgotten he was actually a counselor who specialized in helping soldiers. That’s why everyone keeps calling Sam out on his “counseling b*sllshit.”

Avengers Assemble

Marvel Studios

What happened to the Avengers after Endgame? Well, it seems like they disbanded… which is a bit confusing, to be honest. Ross wants Sam to rebuild the Avengers, who apparently fell apart because of the Sokovia Accords, but She-Hulk Episode 8 told us the Accords had been repealed, and we’ve seen heroes hanging out together (the ending of Shang-Chi, for example), so I don’t know if Ross wanted some New Avengers he could control or if a new group has formed after Thanos’s invasion.

Ozaki

Marvel Comics

The Japanese Prime Minister played a significant role in the events of Brave New World, and while we didn’t learn a lot about him, we did know he was called Ozaki. Believe it or not, there is actually a Marvel character with the same name… who appears in one issue (Avengers #101, for those who want to know) before dying. Is this a reference or just a coincidence? At this point, I don’t know anymore. 

Adamantium

Marvel Studios

Well, we might not have any X-Men in the Sacred timeline yet, but this film introduces adamantium, better known as the unbreakable metal that coats Wolverine’s bones. In Cap’s latest movie, it seems like the Japanese are determined to get their hands on it, which might seem strange unless you are familiar with the character, Lord Dark Wind. In the comic, Dark Wind was a Japanese scientist who first proposed the idea of fusing adamantium with a human skeleton. 

Winter Soldier 

Marvel Studios

While investigating Isaiah’s attack on the President, Sam mentions a friend who could be triggered using control words. This is an obvious allusion to Bucky Barnes, aka the Winter Soldier, who was used as a weapon during the superhero Civil War. Of course, Bucky later turns up to give Sam some words of advice, and we learn he’s running for Congress. I don’t know how this aligns with his action in Thunderbolts, but if the president can be a Hulk, then a congressman can be a Thunderbolt, as far as I’m concerned. 

Red Rooms

Marvel Studios

We’re told during New World Order that Ruth Bat-Seraph is from the Red Rooms and has Black Widow training, just like our own Natasha and Yelena Romanov. While she doesn’t get much room to show off her deadly combat skills, it’s clear she’s a powerful fighter… although her comic book counterpart couldn’t be more different. 

In the pages of Marvel comics, she’s actually a mutant with the power to share her strength and speed with others. She’s also a member of the Israeli Secret Service Mossad and, if rumor is to be believed, the film initially used that backstory but it was changed during reshoots after the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip in 2023. 

The Leader

Marvel Studios

It’s ultimately revealed that the mastermind behind the events of the film is none other than Samuel Strerns, who we last saw in The Incredible Hulk. Since then, he’s undergone a horrific gamma mutation (we actually see this begin in the Hulk movie), which has made him as smart as the Hulk is strong. 

While he doesn’t use the name in the film, Samuel Sterns is actually the Hulk villain known as The Leader. In the comics, he was a man of average intelligence who fell into nuclear waste and was blessed with super intelligence… and cursed with a head the size of a small wind turbine. Like his cinematic counterpart, The Leader played a role in turning Ross into the Red, although he had help from MODOK – a character who thankfully doesn’t appear in New World Order.

Mr Blue 

‘Mr Blue’ by The Fleetwoods is the song Sterns uses to mind-control people. This might seem a bit random at first, but the lyrics actually have a connection to the events of the film. Specifically, the line, “I won’t tell you while you paint the town (oh Mr. Blue) a bright red to turn it upside down.” And what happens at the end? Ross turns red and flips the town upside down. Well, he smashes the White House, but I think it counts. 

Top Gun

Paramount Pictures

The best moment in Brave New World is undoubtedly the aerial battle over Celestial Island, and it might be because I’ve seen exactly three movies about air combat (two of which were Top Gun). However, did anyone else get Top Gun vibes? It felt like someone at Marvel watched Top Gun and  Maverick back to back and thought, “Oh, we could do this!” You’ve even got the sidekick character being seriously injured in the fight, although thankfully, Joaquin survived… unlike poor Goose. 

On Your Left 

Marvel

Speaking of Joaquin during the battle, there’s a moment where Sam and Joaquin both go after two missiles heading for the Japanese fleet. As they approach them, Sam tells his partner to take the one on the right, meaning… he’s on his friend’s left again… just like in Endgame, in case that wasn’t clear. (I know it’s been a while). 

Red Hulk smash

Disney

At the film’s climax, Thunderbolt Ross finally becomes the Red Hulk (Rulk from now on) and tears apart the White House. While this is an impressive feat of sorts, it pales in comparison to his comic book counterpart’s initial actions. When the Rulk was introduced in Hulk #1 (January 2008), he beat Hulk, Thor, and even the Silver Surfer; fans at the time actually hated the character because he was so overpowered. MCU Rulk, meanwhile, was defeated by a nice speech from Sam… yeah they’re not on the same level. 

Betty Ross

Marvel Studios

After Rulk becomes Ross again and is arrested, we do get some closure on his arc. Betty Ross (played by a returning Liv Tyler) finally reappears after a 17-year absence from the MCU. Could she become the Red She-Hulk like her comic book counterpart? I guess it depends on how many zeroes Disney put on that cheque. 

Secret Wars is coming 

Marvel Comics

Do you enjoy adverts for movies coming out in two years? Then you’ll love the end of Captain America 4, where The Leader ominously hints at other Earths and other heroes. My colleague Cameron Frew has broken the New World Order Post Credit sequence down here, but needless to say, it’s an intriguing tease for those familiar with the 2015 Secret Wars comic. 

If that’s not enough MCU fun we have a guide all the upcoming Marvel movies including the next superhero movies, Thunderbolts. If Looking for hot takes, though, then check out our list of the best movies ever made or our guide to the greatest Netflix thrillers. If you’re really into TV & Movies though you need to check out our We >