Editor's note: The following contains spoilers for 'Captain America: Brave New World'
Captain America: Brave New World may not be soaring high with critics (as shown by our own review of the film), but it's still likely going to be another moneymaker for Marvel Studios and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Being one of the franchise's veteran figures at this point, Captain America (Anthony Mackie) successfully flies through another cataclysmic disaster, putting a stop to the plans of The Leader (Tim Blake Nelson) and helping a hulked-out Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross (Harrison Ford) see the error of his ways. As the credits roll, Sam Wilson proves beyond a reasonable doubt that Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) made the right choice by choosing him as his successor.
That being said, this is a Marvel movie after all, so you had better believe that there's something special waiting at the very end of the credits. It's a scene that directly seems to set up the events of the next Avengers film, which, believe it or not, is just a year away. For a full explanation of what the scene is and what it implies, read below to find out.
Samuel Sterns Predicts a Multiversal War in the End-Credits Scene
As infamously brilliant as the villain supposedly is, not even Samuel Sterns (AKA The Leader) is able to outwit Captain America, as the criminal mastermind and political terrorist has no choice but to turn himself in. Now a prisoner of The Raft, it's only fitting that Sam visits his rival to see how he's holding up, but it's likely not going to be as constructive and wholesome as his talk with Thaddeus Ross. That being said, it's hard to imagine Sam would be able to predict what the sinister foe would tell him next.
Even though his plan to start a war between America and Japan as well as his backup plan to have Red Hulk destroy Washington D.C. may have failed, The Leader doesn't seem to be upset about his failures. Evidently, that seems to be because something much worse is coming, that being the potential of other universes and dimensions colliding in a manner that will change and destroy just about everything about the MCU as we know it. How exactly Stern is able to predict a cataclysmic event like this isn't entirely clear, but the man's brilliant intellect and knack for predictions certainly cannot be understated. Plus, Sterns even implies that multiple worlds are at play here, meaning that Doctor Doom (Robert Downey Jr.) may not be the only unique enemy facing The Avengers in the future.
What Does 'Captain America: Brave New World's End-Credits Scene Reveal About the MCU's Future?
We've known for a little while that Sam Wilson's Captain America would play a major part in the next two Avengers films — Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. As Thaddeus Ross himself even explains earlier in Captain America: Brave New World, Sam is the only person who can truly lead a new team of Avengers to combat whatever threats may be on the horizon. While it's difficult to say which heroes will be a part of the new Avengers roster led by Sam, it's hard to imagine they'll even be enough to combat the likes of their biggest enemy yet.
Following the firing of Jonathan Majors and a hard pivot away from Kang the Conqueror as an overarching antagonist, Marvel is now making a hard pivot to making the main villain Doctor Doom, played by none other than former Iron Man, Robert Downey Jr. It's hard to imagine that Doom won't have some sort of presence in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. After all, Doctor Doom is typically considered the main enemy of the Four, First Steps is the film directly preceding Avengers: Doomsday, and the four main cast members of the film are already confirmed to appear in the next two films.
Avengers: Doomsday is just the start though, as the Multiverse Saga will officially end with an adaptation of one of Marvel's first crossover events, Secret Wars. It's an ambitious proposal where just about anything is possible. Any character from any film from any continuity could potentially appear here, so it has the potential to be the most star-studded comic book movie ever conceived. Whether that rings true or not, Sam Wilson will have to use every single thing he's learned to lead Earth's Mightiest Heroes to victory.
Captain America: Brave New World is now in theaters.
Image via Marvel Studios
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