Captain America Brave New World Ending Explained & Post-Credits Breakdown

Captain America Brave New World is now showing in Malaysian cinemas and it’s the first Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movie in 2025.

If you’re looking for a spoiler-free review of the movie, head on over here instead.

I’ll be discussing major spoilers from the movie (including the movie’s post-credits scenes), so here are some spoiler warnings:

Captain America Brave New World Breakdown & Ending Explained

The plot and narrative of Captain America Brave New World is essentially this; Samuel Sterns AKA The Leader (Tim Blake Nelson) wants revenge against Thaddeus ‘Thunderbolt’ Ross for causing him to be Gamma-irradiated to the point of disfiguring his head and imprisoning him for decades. Ross also forced Sterns to use his Gamma-improved superior mind to build weapons and get elected as President. Ross promised to let him go after he became President but he didn’t fulfill his promise.

In the present day, Samuel Sterns’ plan is to destroy Ross’ legacy and reputation by disrupting the President’s plan of accomplishing a treaty for all countries in the world to equally share and distribute Adamantium, the new metal resource discovered from the corpse of the Celestial Tiamut (which is now referred to as Celestial Island). Adamantium is a metal that’s even stronger than Vibranium, which is why all countries in the world are fighting for it.

Part of Sterns’ plan is to let conflict between the US and Japan escalate into war, as well as goading Ross into turning into Red Hulk, while implication others in the assassination attempt of Ross to make him look weak (former Captain America and Super Soldier Isaiah Bradley, Carl Lumbly, is one of them). All this time, Ross suffered from a heart problem and required Sterns’ help. Sterns gave him medication that staved off Ross’ heart problems but gradually gave him Gamma radiation, which eventually turned him into the Red Hulk.

Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) eventually defeats Samuel Sterns and Ross’ Red Hulk, as well as frees and exonerates Isaiah Bradley.

The movie ends with Sam Wilson wanting to build a new team of Avengers (because the world needs it), starting with him and Joaquin Torres AKA the Falcon (Danny Ramirez).

Cameo By Bucky Barnes AKA The Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan)

In Captain America Brave New World, Bucky appears in a cameo to help cheer up and inspire Sam Wilson after Joaquin Torres AKA the Falcon gets badly injured.

Bucky tells Sam that while Steve Rogers made people believe in him, Sam Wilson made people aspire to be him.

The scene also reveals that Bucky is now a US Congressman.

Cameo By Betty Ross (Liv Tyler)

At the end of Captain America Brave New World, Ross ends up imprisoned in the Raft and Betty Ross visits him.

Celestial Island Treaty Ozaki-Ross Accords Gets Ratified

At the end of Captain America Brave New World, the Ozaki-Ross Accords get ratified, which means that all the countries in the world will share and distribute Adamantium equally.

This also means that moving forward, Adamantium will be a more common metal in the MCU, paving the way for characters such as Wolverine of the X-Men and others.

Captain America Brave New World Post-Credits Scene

There is only one post-credits scene once the credits finish rolling. It shows Sam Wilson meeting Samuel Sterns, who is now imprisoned at The Raft.

Sterns warns Sam of “other worlds” and “others” that are coming. This might indicate several possibilities, including threats from variant Earths (which could be hinting at Avengers Secret Wars)…

… or the coming of the Fantastic Four (in the upcoming The Fantastic Four First Steps, which will premiere in July 2025).