Captain America: Shocking Plot Points in Comic's Latest

Captain America: Brave New World leaves viewers with several lingering questions. This latest MCU installment, while introducing Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson as the new Captain America, falls short in several key areas, leaving many plot points unresolved and characters underdeveloped.

The Missing Hulk: The film directly builds upon The Incredible Hulk, yet Bruce Banner's absence is glaring. His reaction to the events unfolding, particularly the gamma-irradiated Samuel Sterns' actions and the Red Hulk's emergence, would have been crucial. His established role in monitoring global threats further emphasizes this omission.

The Leader's Limited Scope: While presented as a super-intelligent mastermind, The Leader's actions lack strategic depth. His overlooking of Captain America's intervention and his self-surrender during the climax seem illogical for a character of his supposed caliber. His motivations appear simplistic, focusing solely on personal revenge against President Ross rather than exhibiting the world-threatening ambitions typical of the comic book version.

Red Hulk's Inconsistency: The MCU's Red Hulk deviates significantly from his comic counterpart. Unlike the intelligent and tactically proficient Red Hulk of the comics, the film's version is portrayed as a mindless rage monster, mirroring the Hulk's earlier, less controlled iterations.

Weapon Inconsistencies: Red Hulk's apparent invulnerability to bullets is contradicted by his susceptibility to Captain America's vibranium blades. While vibranium's superior cutting power likely explains this, it raises questions about the consistency of the character's powers.

Bucky's Unexpected Career Change: Bucky Barnes' sudden emergence as a political candidate feels jarring and lacks prior foreshadowing in his previous appearances. His history as a manipulated assassin seems incongruous with his political aspirations.

Sidewinder's Unexplained Grudge: Sidewinder's intense personal vendetta against Captain America remains unexplained, leaving a significant plot hole. While his motivations might have been explored in earlier drafts, the reshoots and subsequent alterations to the script leave this aspect unresolved.

Sabra's Unclear Purpose: Ruth Bat-Seraph, the MCU adaptation of Sabra, feels underutilized. Her role as a minor obstacle turned ally lacks depth, raising questions about the necessity of adapting the character, especially given the significant deviations from her comic book origins.

Adamantium's Significance: The introduction of adamantium serves primarily as a plot device, driving conflict between global powers. Its long-term implications and impact on the MCU remain unclear beyond its connection to the eventual arrival of Wolverine.

The Absent Avengers: The film's failure to meaningfully progress towards the reformation of the Avengers team is disappointing. Despite hinting at the need for a new team, the movie provides little groundwork for a future Avengers reunion, leaving the team's formation seemingly delayed until Avengers: Doomsday.

These unresolved questions and underdeveloped aspects leave Captain America: Brave New World feeling less cohesive and impactful than it could have been. The film's focus on Sam Wilson's journey is commendable, but the missed opportunities to integrate other established characters and fully explore the introduced elements detract from the overall experience.