What You Need To Know (And Watch) Before Seeing 'Captain America: Brave New World'!

With 35 movies and 12 TV shows to its name so far, the Marvel Cinematic Universe may seem completely impenetrable to the new viewer. Really, who has that kind of time? So, even if a viewer is interested in the newly released Captain America: Brave New World, they might skip out on it because they don’t have any background knowledge.

We would like to encourage that viewer with the information that Captain America is actually the easiest piece of the Marvel puzzle to put together. This is a list of the 5 movies and 1 television series (all streamable on Disney+) that you need to see to understand Captain America: Brave New World. Here is your obligatory spoiler warning!

1. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

The origin story of origin stories, Captain America: The First Avenger gives you a complete look at who Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) is and what he stands for. This is important because his unwavering convictions totally inform who the super soldier Captain America is, and what he will stand for for the next decade of films. This movie also introduces Steve’s best friend, James Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes (Sebastian Stan), who continues to play a major role in the franchise.

2. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

After Steve Rogers wakes up from his 70-year underwater power nap, he’s struggling to find his place in the modern world. This film introduces Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), an army veteran who works as a therapist, and the two become fast friends. It’s revealed that Wilson was part of a secret weapons development team that landed him the gear to become The Falcon. He says during the film, “I do what [Steve] does, just slower.” This quote informs the trajectory of their friendship for the rest of the franchise. This film is also when we discover that Bucky, who was presumed dead in the first Captain America movie, is in fact alive. He had been kidnapped and brainwashed by HYDRA, the remains of the Nazi party, and is forced to work as a mercenary under the moniker Winter Soldier. By the end of the film, it’s unclear if he remembers who Steve is, but the defeat of HYDRA means that Bucky is on the run.

3. Captain America: Civil War (2016)

Civil War is probably the least important on this list. While it’s massively consequential for The Avengers and the interpersonal relationships of Steve and Sam with the rest of the crew, not many elements of the film inform Brave New World. What you need to know is that the recipe for super soldier serum is available to militaries around the world, so threats much stronger than expected could be lurking around every corner. Remember those unwavering convictions from First Avenger? Rogers’s resolve means that, at the end of the film, he, Bucky, and Sam are all fugitives on the run together.

4. Avengers: Infinity War (2018) / Avengers: Endgame (2019)

The two-part finale to the OG Avengers series is the final hurrah for Steve Rogers. Captain America once again stays at the heart of the MCU, rallying his allies again and again in defense of the universe until he’s the last man standing. And, in the final battle, Sam and Bucky are there at his side, fighting the same fight they’ve always believed in. During the final sequence of Endgame, Steve reveals that he’s done with the Captain America mantle. Still, it’s important that the world have a Captain America, and there’s nobody better suited for it than Sam Wilson. Steve passes on the torch -- or the shield -- and Wilson takes up the challenge, with Bucky supporting him proudly.

5. "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" (2021)

Now that you know how we got here, there’s only one more piece of homework to do. The 6-episode Disney+ show is the Sam Wilson-as-Captain America origin story. Wilson is struggling to believe that he is worthy of the title of Captain America, and the government is trying to strip him of it altogether. We meet two more characters important to the story – Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez) and Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly). Torres is a young member of the military with an admiration for Sam’s work as the Falcon. On a much darker note, Isaiah Bradley is revealed to be another super soldier. He was kidnapped by the American government and experimented on before being imprisoned for 30 years. His name has been erased from history, even though he should have been lauded as a war hero.

Brave New World focuses on Wilson, Torres, and Bradley, and made the 3 of them our new favorite team in this phase of the franchise. The film is self-contained enough that you don’t have to worry about the Multiverse of Madness or the variants of Loki. It tells a full, beautiful story about following in the footsteps of those before you while carving out your own path. We would recommend Captain America: Brave New World to anyone who needs a little hope.