Captain America 4"s 3 Villain Setup Creates A Huge MCU Movie Challenge For The Phase 5 Release

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Captain America: Brave New World will feature three villains for Sam Wilson to fight, creating a challenge that previous comic book films have struggled to overcome. Steve Rogers has had to fight many of the most vicious villains in the MCU. He defeated Hydra multiple times, fighting Red Skull and the Winter Soldier as he sought to destroy the sinister organization. He also had to fight his teammates after Baron Zemo divided them, as well as saving the world alongside the Avengers, fighting Loki, Ultron, and Thanos.
Steve has earned a relaxing retirement and Sam Wilson is worthy of carrying his mantle. However, Sam has a difficult first assignment in Captain America 4, as he is set to face three villains: Red Hulk, The Leader, and Sidewinder. The latest Captain America 4 trailer teased each villain, though while still hiding Tim Blake Nelson"s The Leader behind his hat and coat. The movie itself may have to overcome a more difficult task than Sam, as three villains can be kryptonite for a comic book film, and will thus require an impressive balancing act to make the film work.
Captain America: Brave New World May Have Too Many Villains Sam Wilson has an overwhelming fight ahead of him. Close The latest trailer for Captain America 4 featured more of the film"s upcoming antagonists, especially in terms of giving a new look at MCU"s Red Hulk. Red Hulk is the hulked-out version of President Thunderbolt Ross, played by Harrison Ford, who replaces the late William Hurt. It"s a full-circle moment, as Ross spent much of his military career hunting down Bruce Banner.
Another villain making his MCU debut is Giancarlo Esposito"s Seth Voelker a.k.a. Sidewinder, the leader of the Serpent Society. The criminal organization has been teased by Marvel before, and it"ll be interesting to see how it is pulling the strings behind the scenes.

Related Marvel's New Captain America Is Hiding Its Real Villain (But We've Already Seen Him) Captain America: Brave New World"s main villain is hidden in plain sight, but the character has a history that stretches back to the start of the MCU.
1 The one villain Marvel remains secretive about is Samuel Sterns a.k.a. The Leader. He is seen briefly in the trailer with his back turned to the camera, speaking on the phone. Marvel likely doesn"t want viewers to know what he looks like quite yet, based on the character"s ending in 2008"s The Incredible Hulk. Sterns had been exposed to some of Banner"s blood, and was last shown with his head starting to mutate. He could be the film"s central antagonist, as the character is a recurring villain in Marvel Comics, and he is smart enough to lead the whole operation.
Three Or More Villains Is Usually A Poor Recipe For A Comic Book Film Marvel films have been plagued by too many villains before. Close Marvel films usually have one central antagonist, but some have tried to work multiple villains into the story. While it can be exciting to see more of the hero"s villain catalog, it can also derail the narrative. Two infamous examples of what can go wrong with too many villains are Spider-Man 3 and The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Spider-Man 3 featured Venom, Sandman, and Harry Osborn"s New Goblin. Venom is almost unnecessary to the film"s plot, and the film struggles to juggle Peter"s vengeance towards Flint Marko and his budding rivalry with Harry.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 also suffers from having too many threads in its narrative. While Electro is the central villain, Harry"s transformation into Green Goblin and Rhino"s climactic tease make the film a mess and only serve to tease future films that never happened. These films prove that multiple villains can overcrowd a film, ruining a film"s narrative by sticking in too many side stories. They can also be unnecessary, as the studio or filmmakers include them just to get a reaction from the audience.
Why Multiple Villains Could Work For Captain America 4 Captain America 4's script needs to be tight.

While too many villains can be tricky, several films have made it work. Spider-Man: No Way Home had five villains, but it felt focused because each character was involved in the central storyline. The Batman featured several of the Caped Crusader"s villains, like Penguin, The Riddler, and Carmine Falcone, but they were all involved in the main mystery, so the film never went off track. Captain America 4 can still work as long as all the villains are a part of the film"s main narrative.
Based on the trailers, that looks like it could be the case. Red Hulk"s creation may well be a part of the main antagonist"s plan, and Sidewinder could be working for The Leader, if he"s in charge. The Serpent Society are criminals for hire in Marvel Comics, so someone will likely pay them for their dirty work. Captain America: Brave New World has undergone several reshoots, which suggests it will have utilized every opportunity to ensure its story is as cohesive and engrossing as is possible.

Captain America: Brave New World
Director Julius Onah Release Date February 14, 2025 Studio(s) Marvel Studios Cast Harrison Ford , Liv Tyler , Giancarlo Esposito , Rosa Salazar , Takehiro Hira , Anthony Mackie , Tim Blake Nelson , Shira Haas , Carl Lumbly , Danny Ramirez , Rachael Markarian , Jacqueline Loucks , Tony Mareno , Zo'Anne Mckinstry , Phuong Kubacki , Colby Lopez , Xosha Roquemore Expand Upcoming MCU Movies

Captain America: Brave New World
Release Date February 14, 2025