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It's time to do your Marvel homework. Whether you're a lapsed fan of the MCU jumping back on board for Captain America: Brave New World or want to catch up on all things Sam Wilson as he continues to make the shield his own, there's a collection of movies and shows to consider before even making your way into the cinema for the fourth Captain America instalment.
While we anticipate Brave New World to very much stand on its own two feet as a standalone politically-charged thriller, there are several plot details and characters tucked away in other projects that will provide some much-needed context moving forward – especially as several characters from one of the MCU's most forgotten movies return.
The 7 Marvel movies and shows to watch before Captain America: Brave New World
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
Alongside The Incredible Hulk (more on that below), The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is the essential MCU project to binge before Captain America: Brave New World.
The second Disney Plus Marvel series, which aired in 2021, sees Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson struggling to come to terms with the harsh realities of being a superhero and the newfound responsibility of handling Captain America's iconic shield.
Soon, Sam enters the orbit of Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan). The pair set about dismantling The Flag Smashers, a radical group that wants the world to return to how it was during The Blip – a feeling further intensified by the commodified launch of a 'new' Captain America, John Walker (Wyatt Russell).
To understand how Sam made Captain America his own and transitioned away from the Falcon moniker (along with the introduction of his replacement, Joaquin Torres, who will also appear in Brave New World), then this should be your first port of call.
The Incredible Hulk
It's now time to head back to 2008 and smash your way through one of the MCU's most divisive entries.
Previously, its place in Marvel Studios canon was as part of an odd limbo: the events of the Phase 1 movie all happened in-universe, but were rarely, if ever brought up again. That's largely due to the departure of Bruce Banner actor Edward Norton, who was ultimately replaced in the gamma-radiating role by Mark Ruffalo.
Now, it's more important than ever. That's down to Brave New World incorporating several elements and characters from The Incredible Hulk. That includes Harrison Ford's Thaddeus Ross (previously portrayed by the late William Hurt), Tim Blake Nelson's The Leader, and Liv Tyler's Betty Ross. It's not quite The Incredible Hulk 1.5, but Brave New World feels more of a stealth crossover than expected – so it's worth catching up on the story so far to understand how much of a threat several of Bruce Banner's supporting cast were (and are).
The Captain America movies (The First Avenger, The Winter Soldier, Civil War)
Brave New World may be the fourth Captain America movie, but it's not exactly a direct sequel to the first three Captain America movies. Still, we'd recommend the first three Captain America movies as they not only introduce Sam Wilson into the MCU, they also help chart Steve Rogers' character arc. Tonally, it also integrates more of a spy thriller vibe into Marvel proceedings in The Winter Soldier. That's sure to be something matched in Brave New World. Thaddeus Ross, too, had a big part to play in the shadows before he steps center stage as the leader of the Free World in the new Captain America film.
Avengers: Endgame
Avengers: Endgame was a jumping-off point for many but, tucked away in the finality of it all as Thanos' army and Earth's Mightiest Heroes do battle, is an iconic passing of the torch moment as Sam Wilson received Captain America's shield from Chris Evans' Steve Rogers.
For that reason alone, it's worth watching again – though it doesn't hurt that it's filled with a conveyor belt of quotable moments and goosebump-inducing scenes that would quickly be etched into pop culture history.
Take note, too, of the first response you hear in Endgame's iconic 'portals' scene. Sam's 'On your left' isn't just a clever callback to his Winter Soldier debut, it's arguably positioning him as one of Marvel's major faces moving forward. A Brave New World, indeed.
Eternals
You can stop raising those eyebrows. Eternals may not be integral to Captain America's history, but one event in the 2021 movie is actually a major catalyst to the events of Brave New World.
For those catching up: The Eternals are, essentially, an alien race of superpowered humanoids created by cosmic beings known as the Celestials. But they're not the important part here. It's actually one of their creators that we're focusing on.
One of those Celestials, Tiamut, was embedded in the Earth and – through its birth – would have brought about the destruction of the planet through an event called the Emergence. It was originally postponed, ironically, due to The Blip. But the return of an overflowing population necessitated its arrival.
Ultimately, the Eternals stopped the cataclysmic event, with Tiamut being turned to stone by Sersi. His body, though, now appears as a major landmark in the Indian Ocean – and has long been a running joke by Marvel fans thanks to subsequent MCU projects' failure to address the major change to the planet.
Yet, Brave New World is about to answer those calls. In a recently-released TV spot, it's revealed that Tiamut is home to adamantium, the "world's most versatile element." X-Men fans will also instantly recognize it as the alloy used in Wolverine's claws and skeletons. While that's a story for (seemingly) another day, it appears that the discovery of adamantium has kickstarted an arms race, one at which President Ross and Captain America are at the centre of by the time Brave New World rolls around.
For more from Marvel, check the upcoming Marvel movies headed your way very soon. If you're still in need of a catch-up, you'll want to dive into the Marvel timeline and our guide on how to watch the Marvel movies in order.
