It usually goes without saying that a Marvel movie will feature an extra scene or two as the credits roll. Many fans expect a lot from Captain America: Brave New World, since the film is expected to set up the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As Sam Wilson and his allies fight to stop a conspiracy that threatens to launch World War III, the movie introduces the element Adamantium, an essential part of Wolverine’s origin story in Marvel Comics. On top of that, the film has revisited both the Celestial Tiamut, making it the source of the Adamantium, and the Avengers getting back together with Sam as their new leader.
All these building blocks have laid the foundation for things like the next two Avengers movies and even the X-Men’s debut in the MCU. With the next two Avengers movies just around the corner, Brave New World has built up Sam to lead Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in the fight to maintain peace as the new Captain America. All in all, there is a lot to look forward to after the events of Brave New World, and what the film reveals during the credits hints at a dark future for Sam and the Avengers.
Captain America’s post-credits scene, explained
Captain America: Brave New World features one scene after all the credits have rolled. This scene is relatively simple: Sam visits the villain Samuel Sterns, aka the Leader, at his prison cell in the Raft. The latter ended up there after turning himself into the authorities to reveal his plans for revenge against Ross and expose the President’s crimes against him.
Though Sam gloats at his adversary over his supposed victory, Sterns counters by arguing that while Sam fights to protect the world, they are both a part of it and that there is more than one world. Sterns then questions what Sam and his fellow heroes will do when they have to face “the others.” The film cuts to black before revealing a title card saying, “Captain America will return.”
What does it all mean?
While this may seem like a vague warning, considering Brave New World‘s place in the MCU’s Multiverse Saga, the “others” Sterns is referring to are likely the universes outside the Sacred Timeline. This implication says a lot about what’s in store for the MCU after Brave New World. Previous Marvel films, such as Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, have shown universes colliding with each other. All these cosmic encounters have been building up to another Multiversal War first teased in the Disney+ series, Loki. Given Sterns’ superhuman intellect and foresight, he seems to have predicted more multiversal conflicts soon.
Sterns’ warning implies Sam and the Avengers will be forced to fight warriors from other universes, possibly even some heroes, to defend their own from destruction. Whether Sam and the Avengers end up fighting Kang the Conqueror, Doctor Doom, other versions of the Avengers, or even the X-Men, Sam’s will and morals will surely be tested as he and his allies end up having to make hard decisions while clashing with other worlds. He may even be forced to seek the Leader’s help to stop the threat that is coming.
In the end, Captain America: Brave New World says much about the MCU’s future while showing very little. The franchise’s future may still be hazy to audiences after the film. However, Sterns made it clear that while Sam won the battle, he hadn’t won the war. Whatever it will be, it is clear that Sam will continue to fight when he returns to the big screen.