Captain America: Brave New World marks Anthony Mackie’s first go as the titular hero on the big screen after his character, Sam Wilson, inherits the mantle from Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers in Avengers: Endgame.
As such, I stepped into my cinema hall on Thursday night (Feb 13) expecting to watch the fourth instalment of the Captain America franchise.
Imagine my surprise when I realised I was actually watching a sequel to 2008’s The Incredible Hulk — you know, the one with Edward Norton in the lead — instead.
Warning: Spoilers ahead.
If you’re someone who has only seen the Captain America and Avengers movies, you will definitely feel lost watching Captain America: Brave New World. The movie revisits major plot points from many past projects in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) — some of which either had nothing to do with Captain America or were released almost two decades ago.
For instance, The Incredible Hulk — which viewers will definitely need to watch in order to understand half of what’s going on — was released when George W Bush was still president of the United States.
So if you left Captain America: Brave New World feeling more confused than anything, here’s your guide to understanding the movie’s characters and plot points.