Marvel Studios has announced significant delays to their 2024 feature films, including “Captain America: Brave New World” and “Thunderbolts.” The Walt Disney Company confirmed these changes, revealing that both films will now be released in 2025. “Captain America: Brave New World” has been pushed from its original July 26, 2024 release date to Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2025. Meanwhile, “Thunderbolts” has been moved from December 20, 2024, to July 25, 2025.
These delays come in the wake of the recently concluded Actors’ Strike, which has allowed for the resumption of reshoots for “Captain America: Brave New World” and the commencement of filming for “Thunderbolts.” Production on “Captain America 4” wrapped up just before the SAG-AFTRA strike took effect, continuing amid the Writers’ Strike. However, “Thunderbolts” had not even started filming before either strike began.
One of the significant challenges facing “Thunderbolts” is the scheduling conflicts of its stars, particularly David Harbour, who is set to reprise his role as Red Guardian. Harbour is also committed to filming the fifth and final season of “Stranger Things,” which may take precedence over his role in “Thunderbolts.” This new delay for “Thunderbolts” might have been planned with Harbour’s availability in mind.
Jake Schreier is attached to direct “Thunderbolts,” which will feature a star-studded cast including Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes, Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost, Wyatt Russell as John Walker, Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, and Olga Kurylenko as Taskmaster.
“Captain America: Brave New World” will see Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson leading his own movie for the first time, having inherited the shield and title of Captain America after “Avengers: Endgame” and the TV series “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.” Joining him will be Danny Ramirez as Joaquin Torres, Harrison Ford as Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, and Shira Haas as Sabra. Tim Blake Nelson will reprise his role as Samuel Sterns, appearing alongside Liv Tyler as Betsy Ross, both of whom haven’t appeared in a Marvel Studios film since 2008’s “The Incredible Hulk.”
“Captain America: Brave New World” is directed by Julius Onah from a script by Malcolm Spellman, Dalan Musson, and Matthew Orton. The film stars Anthony Mackie, Danny Ramirez, Shira Haas, Xosha Roquemore, Carl Lumbly, Giancarlo Esposito, Liv Tyler, Tim Blake Nelson, and Harrison Ford. It is the fourth installment in the Captain America film series and a continuation of the TV miniseries “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.” The film is scheduled for release on February 14, 2025, as part of Phase Five of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
The premise of “Captain America: Brave New World” centers on Sam Wilson finding himself at the heart of an international incident and working to stop the true mastermind behind it. Anthony Mackie describes his portrayal of Wilson as a non-judgmental Captain America with a different understanding of what it means to be a good or bad guy. Danny Ramirez’s Joaquin Torres will take on Wilson’s former mantle of Falcon, and their relationship is described as an equal friendship.
Shira Haas will play Ruth Bat-Seraph, an Israeli former Black Widow and high-ranking U.S. government official. Carl Lumbly returns as Isaiah Bradley, an African-American Korean War veteran and super soldier. Tim Blake Nelson’s Samuel Sterns, also known as the Leader, will be a significant adversary, operating from intellect rather than physical prowess. Harrison Ford’s Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, now the newly-elected president of the United States, will have a complex dynamic with Wilson.
The film’s production faced several challenges, including the need for extensive reshoots and the integration of new characters. The subtitle was changed from “New World Order” to “Brave New World” during filming, a decision praised for its more optimistic perspective. The film’s release date was initially set for May 3, 2024, but was later delayed to July 26, 2024, and then to February 14, 2025.
The inclusion of the character Sabra, an Israeli superheroine, led to criticisms and calls for a boycott due to concerns about negative stereotypical portrayals of Palestinians and Arabs. Marvel Studios responded by stating that the film would take a new approach to the character, re-imagining her for modern audiences.
Harrison Ford’s casting as Thaddeus Ross, replacing the late William Hurt, was a significant addition to the film. Pre-production work began in November 2022, with principal photography starting in March 2023 at Trilith Studios in Atlanta, Georgia. Filming wrapped up in June 2023, and post-production work is ongoing.
“Captain America: Brave New World” is expected to be a grounded action thriller, more similar in tone to “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” than recent MCU films. The film aims to establish new themes and antagonists for the MCU moving forward, serving as a reset for the universe.
Source: Marvel Studios, The Walt Disney Company
