Anthony Mackie promises ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ gives Marvel new building blocks

Cap is back!

After bringing down the house in Hall H at Comic-Con 2024, the cast of Captain America: Brave New World stopped by Entertainment Weekly’s studio to tease more of the secrets of the forthcoming MCU title.

“Brave New World is a great title for this film,” teased star Anthony Mackie. “It’s a new beginning, and it’s a foundation on which Marvel will build the universe on now. Not only this character but all the characters that surround him are new building blocks for us to utilize to move on through the universe and into to the future.”

Mackie, who will officially take up Captain America’s shield as Sam Wilson, led the group, accompanied by Harrison Ford, who will take over for the late William Hurt as Thaddeus Ross, Danny Ramirez, Tim Blake Nelson, and Giancarlo Esposito.

The big reveal of the panel, in addition to the first footage of Ford transforming into Red Hulk, was the identity of Esposito’s character. “I can finally unleash it,” Esposito proclaimed during the panel. “I am the King of the Serpent Society. I am Sidewinder!”

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In the Marvel Comics, three different versions of Sidewinder have appeared. In all instances, Sidewinder is a villain and a perpetual thorn in Captain America’s side. While visiting the EW studio, Esposito further confirmed that he will be playing the Seth Voelker iteration of the classic comic character.

“He’s a complicated guy who didn’t start in a nefarious way,” teased Esposito. “He came to this in a different way, which hopefully will unfold. And I like it because you’ve seen me play certain villainous characters who use their brains, who are great at dictating what to do and how to do it. I like Sidewinder because he’s a very physical guy, and he’s got to go toe-to-toe with his physicality, and he knows how to use the tools of his trade. So he’s someone who plays against some of the things in the comic that you think could be true.”

Esposito isn’t the only familiar comic character coming to the MCU. Nelson is returning to reprise his role as Samuel Stearns, who he first played in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk. “I had only one request, which was that we realize the character practically,” Nelson said. “I really wanted to have the weight and feel of the character and have the deformation of the character and have the other actors experience that. It was 16 years later and the character has a lot of pathos and rage, and I needed to grow up a little bit to meet those challenges as an actor.”

Nelson is returning to Stearn’s transformation into the Leader, a villain who develops superpowers after being exposed to Gamma radiation.

As for screen legend Harrison Ford, he was in rare form after hulking out on the Hall H stage. He clarified that his confusion over “Red Hulk” in a previous interview was deliberate to throw people off the scent. “I did know, and I thought it was a spectacular secret to keep,” he said. “Unfortunately, the secret’s out of the bag.”

“I had seen other actors in the Marvel universe — well respected, really good actors — have a really good time,” he continued. “And I said, ‘I want me some of that. And I got some.'”

But as for whether Thaddeus Ross or Indiana Jones is better at dealing with snakes (Sidewinder is, after all, King of the Serpent Society), well, Ford responded with his characteristic curmudgeonly sense of humor. “I’ve always treated these questions with the utmost respect and somehow, at the same time, complete disdain,” he quipped. “I will not answer that stupid question. But thank you for the opportunity.”

No, Mr. Ford, thank you.

Captain America: Brave New World is currently slated to hit theaters on Feb. 14, 2025.