We’re mere weeks away from the premiere of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which was officially designated as the end of MCU’s Phase 4. Phase 5 will begin in February next year with the release of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and include two more releases, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and The Marvels, in 2023. The phase will continue in 2024, with the release of Captain America: New World Order and Thunderbolts, only to conclude with the reboot of Blade.
While all of these are equally important for the overarching narrative of the Multiverse Saga that leads to Kang being the next Big Bad, the 2024 releases are really making an impact by teaming up all the previously known characters, including the members of the Thunderbolts and Isaiah Bradley — a long-lost and rediscovered Black Captain America. But where is the connection between the two, and how does Thunderbolts set the perfect stage for the return of Isaiah Bradley?
Before we continue, we’d like to point out that Isaiah Bradley’s slated appearance in the upcoming Captain America: New World Order has been confirmed by the powers at Marvel and Disney. So, everything said here should be treated as speculation and contingent upon Isaiah Bradley’s part in the upcoming Captain America film, which will also feature Sam Wilson’s version of the character for the first time on the silver screen — so far, he was only shown on streaming television medium.
The story of Isaiah Bradley, the second and unknown Captain America, is as much a cautionary tale as a real-world comparison to so many hidden figures that helped shape history. Following Steve Rodgers’ apparent death during WWII, the US Army tried recreating the Super Soldier Serum in order to create more super soldiers. One would argue that they succeeded, at least partially, because the US Armed Forces had produced several different versions of the serum during the Cold War.
The serum was tested on African American soldiers under the pretext of tetanus shorts. Unfortunately, these versions of the serum were imperfect, and soldier Isaiah Bradley was the only one to receive a stable enough variant of the serum. Needless to say, all versions of the serum produced super soldiers, which the US sent on nigh-impossible combat missions, including those performed during the Korean War.
In 1951 the military learned of an enemy soldier that managed to kill anyone sent after him, so they deployed Bradley, their super soldier, to eliminate the threat. As we later found out in Falcon and the Winter Soldier, where we first meet Isaiah, this enemy soldier was none other than the Winter Soldier. Back then, Isaiah wasn’t able to kill the Winter Soldier, but he tore his arm off before the Winter Soldier escaped, earning Bradly a reputation as one of HYDRA’s most feared enemies.
Soon after, the recipients of imperfect Super Soldier Serum variants started becoming unstable and dying. They were quickly captured by the enemy and placed in POW camps, which the US Armed Forces wanted to destroy with an air strike and thus swat two flies with one stone: kill the enemy and cover up unethical experiments on African American men. Bradley learned of this and single-handedly infiltrated and liberated the camp, including his fellow super soldiers.
Unfortunately, all the super soldiers he saved later succumb to the side effects of the imperfect Super Soldier Serum administered to them. Bradly was punished for his actions and imprisoned despite his service to the United States in the Korean War. He spent 30 years in prison, during which time he was experimented on by the CIA and HYDRA, both of which were trying to replicate the Super Soldier Serum. Eventually, one of the nurses at the facility helped him fake his death and escape.
He relocated to Baltimore, where he lived with his grandson Eli. His residence was discovered by reformed Bucky Barnes, who decided to keep his existence a secret until 2024 when he and Sam Wilson decided to pay a visit. Needless to say, a couple of episodes later, Isaiah Bradley didn’t get any recompense for the injustice done to him, but the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum updated the Captain America exhibit with a statue and plaque dedicated to Bradley.
It’s important to note that the origin story of the MCU’s incarnation of Isaiah Bradley differs from the one told in comics. The story elements are basically the same, but there are subtle differences. With that said, Isaiah Bradly is considered to be the Black Captain America and is depicted as an underground legend among the African American community within the MCU. He even attended Storm and T’Challa’s wedding, where Luke Cage described him as “the first me.”
While the appearance of Carl Lumbly’s Isaiah Bradley is announced in the upcomingCaptain America: New World Order, the appearance of Sebastian Stan’s Winter Soldier wasn’t confirmed. However, he is set to appear in the upcoming Thunderbolts — pretty much the MCU’s version of the Suicide Squad — which features numerous anti-heroes from the previous phases as wannabe good guys/gals. And while Isaiah Bradley’s appearance wasn’t confirmed for the film, he could still play an important role.
If he were to appear in the upcoming Thunderbolts, Isaiah’s role would be short — having a hero with too much screen time in an anti-hero film makes no sense — but still important. Anti-hero narratives are filled with redemptive story elements, which usually take the form of a pivotal moment in which an anti-hero decides to forgo personal interests and make sacrifices for the greater good.
No one knows with absolute certainty the narrative elements of the upcoming Thunderbolts, but the filmmakers can use Bradley, especially considering his connection to the Winter Soldier, to push the team of anti-heroes through their pivotal personal moments. While this won’t make him a premier team member, nor should it, it would set the future stage for his appearances in the MCU, regardless of how major or minute those might be.
It would be fun to see him face-to-face with Rodgers, on a mission, perhaps. Unfortunately, Rodgers went back through time at the end of Endgame, so they’re both retirees in the current MCU continuum — one faked his own death, and the other retired and left the shield in the capable hands of Sam Wilson, a hero that made sure that the memory and legacy of the second Captain America didn’t fall into oblivion.
We’re mere weeks away from the premiere of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which was officially designated as the end of MCU’s Phase 4. Phase 5 will begin in February next year with the release of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and include two more releases, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and The Marvels, in 2023. The phase will continue in 2024, with the release of Captain America: New World Order and Thunderbolts, only to conclude with the reboot of Blade.
While all of these are equally important for the overarching narrative of the Multiverse Saga that leads to Kang being the next Big Bad, the 2024 releases are really making an impact by teaming up all the previously known characters, including the members of the Thunderbolts and Isaiah Bradley — a long-lost and rediscovered Black Captain America. But where is the connection between the two, and how does Thunderbolts set the perfect stage for the return of Isaiah Bradley?
Before we continue, we’d like to point out that Isaiah Bradley’s slated appearance in the upcoming Captain America: New World Order has been confirmed by the powers at Marvel and Disney. So, everything said here should be treated as speculation and contingent upon Isaiah Bradley’s part in the upcoming Captain America film, which will also feature Sam Wilson’s version of the character for the first time on the silver screen — so far, he was only shown on streaming television medium.
The story of Isaiah Bradley, the second and unknown Captain America, is as much a cautionary tale as a real-world comparison to so many hidden figures that helped shape history. Following Steve Rodgers’ apparent death during WWII, the US Army tried recreating the Super Soldier Serum in order to create more super soldiers. One would argue that they succeeded, at least partially, because the US Armed Forces had produced several different versions of the serum during the Cold War.
The serum was tested on African American soldiers under the pretext of tetanus shorts. Unfortunately, these versions of the serum were imperfect, and soldier Isaiah Bradley was the only one to receive a stable enough variant of the serum. Needless to say, all versions of the serum produced super soldiers, which the US sent on nigh-impossible combat missions, including those performed during the Korean War.
In 1951 the military learned of an enemy soldier that managed to kill anyone sent after him, so they deployed Bradley, their super soldier, to eliminate the threat. As we later found out in Falcon and the Winter Soldier, where we first meet Isaiah, this enemy soldier was none other than the Winter Soldier. Back then, Isaiah wasn’t able to kill the Winter Soldier, but he tore his arm off before the Winter Soldier escaped, earning Bradly a reputation as one of HYDRA’s most feared enemies.
Soon after, the recipients of imperfect Super Soldier Serum variants started becoming unstable and dying. They were quickly captured by the enemy and placed in POW camps, which the US Armed Forces wanted to destroy with an air strike and thus swat two flies with one stone: kill the enemy and cover up unethical experiments on African American men. Bradley learned of this and single-handedly infiltrated and liberated the camp, including his fellow super soldiers.
Unfortunately, all the super soldiers he saved later succumb to the side effects of the imperfect Super Soldier Serum administered to them. Bradly was punished for his actions and imprisoned despite his service to the United States in the Korean War. He spent 30 years in prison, during which time he was experimented on by the CIA and HYDRA, both of which were trying to replicate the Super Soldier Serum. Eventually, one of the nurses at the facility helped him fake his death and escape.
He relocated to Baltimore, where he lived with his grandson Eli. His residence was discovered by reformed Bucky Barnes, who decided to keep his existence a secret until 2024 when he and Sam Wilson decided to pay a visit. Needless to say, a couple of episodes later, Isaiah Bradley didn’t get any recompense for the injustice done to him, but the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum updated the Captain America exhibit with a statue and plaque dedicated to Bradley.
It’s important to note that the origin story of the MCU’s incarnation of Isaiah Bradley differs from the one told in comics. The story elements are basically the same, but there are subtle differences. With that said, Isaiah Bradly is considered to be the Black Captain America and is depicted as an underground legend among the African American community within the MCU. He even attended Storm and T’Challa’s wedding, where Luke Cage described him as “the first me.”
While the appearance of Carl Lumbly’s Isaiah Bradley is announced in the upcomingCaptain America: New World Order, the appearance of Sebastian Stan’s Winter Soldier wasn’t confirmed. However, he is set to appear in the upcoming Thunderbolts — pretty much the MCU’s version of the Suicide Squad — which features numerous anti-heroes from the previous phases as wannabe good guys/gals. And while Isaiah Bradley’s appearance wasn’t confirmed for the film, he could still play an important role.
If he were to appear in the upcoming Thunderbolts, Isaiah’s role would be short — having a hero with too much screen time in an anti-hero film makes no sense — but still important. Anti-hero narratives are filled with redemptive story elements, which usually take the form of a pivotal moment in which an anti-hero decides to forgo personal interests and make sacrifices for the greater good.
No one knows with absolute certainty the narrative elements of the upcoming Thunderbolts, but the filmmakers can use Bradley, especially considering his connection to the Winter Soldier, to push the team of anti-heroes through their pivotal personal moments. While this won’t make him a premier team member, nor should it, it would set the future stage for his appearances in the MCU, regardless of how major or minute those might be.
It would be fun to see him face-to-face with Rodgers, on a mission, perhaps. Unfortunately, Rodgers went back through time at the end of Endgame, so they’re both retirees in the current MCU continuum — one faked his own death, and the other retired and left the shield in the capable hands of Sam Wilson, a hero that made sure that the memory and legacy of the second Captain America didn’t fall into oblivion.
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Disney and Deadpool are an interesting match. And many people have been eagerly following Deadpool 3 news to better understand how the Disney-owned Marvel Studios and the previously Fox Entertainment Group’s Deadpool might come together. In previous, Kevin Feige promised that Deadpool 3 would be an MCU movie and that it would remain R-rated, a first for the franchise. And now, we get our first look at this odd-couple pairing. But it comes with an even odder, more exciting couple. Welcome, Deadpool, to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And in the same breath welcome, Wolverine, to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And surprise, welcome Hugh Jackman as Wolverine to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Deadpool 3.
If you’re wondering what this means for Logan and Wolverine’s big screen continuity, though, don’t worry, they have answers. Sort of.
Yep, that’s right. What starts as just a casual video from Ryan Reynolds becomes so much more. Because we are getting our MCU Wolverine, baby. And that MCU Wolverine is going to be Hugh Jackman in Deadpool 3. For so long, everyone has been asking, who will play the MCU’s Wolverine? So, of course, the MCU had to answer with the most obvious answer that no one expected to hear. We don’t know if Jackman intends to continue to be the MCU’s Wolverine, but we’ll get him for at least for one more movie. Everyone’s heads are exploding right now in a way that will surely please Deadpool.
Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman Address the Logan/Deadpool 3 Question
Twentieth Century Studios
We thought we saw the end of Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine in Logan. (As did director James Mangold.) But this is a comic book character we’re talking about, after all, which means a surprise return is not only possible, it’s expected.
We still have questions, though, about what the Greatest Adamantium Showman’s return in Deadpool 3 means for the “end” of his story. Fortunately, Reynolds and Jackman are here to help address them…in exactly the way you’d expect.
Ah, yes, that clears everything up. Logan takes place years after Deadpool 3, and they both really like Wham! (Who doesn’t!) As for questions about the multiverse, the existence of mutants in Earth-616, and the million other queries we have, we’ll just have to wait.
R-Rated Deadpool and Wolverine in the MCU
In previous, Feige noted he felt excited to bring a “very different type of character [to] the MCU.” And Deadpool certainly is that, but also, he isn’t. In many ways, Wade Wilson and Ryan Reynolds both make a lot of sense in the world of the MCU. The franchise has already been pushing the envelope with entries such as Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. This is the logical next step. There are, after all, plenty of kid-friendly options to choose from among the MCU’s many, many movies. And with High Jackman and Wolverine in the mix for Deadpool 3, we can’t wait for what’s certainly in store for us. This will no doubt also be a Wolverine like we’ve never seen him before.
Ryan Reynolds
Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine has appeared in an R-rated movie before. But we have a feeling Jackman’s Wolverine rendition in Logan and Deadpool 3 may feel a little different. Recently, Jackman shared more about what we could expect from the new MCU Wolverine. Will we see an angrier Logan or a gentler version of the character? Jackman responded with the obvious, saying:
“He’s definitely angrier, acerbic, grumpy, and he’s gonna take a lot of free shots at Ryan Reynolds, let me tell you… Physically, that is.” It definitely sounds like we’ll see a Wolverine that’s totally new. And that Deadpool better watch out.
Jackman has said in previous that he won’t play Wolverine again and was retired from the role. But we guess the siren song of Ryan Reynolds, Deadpool, and the MCU called him back. He notes to Variety that he actually thought about it for a long time, but it took him longer to get onboard. In fact, Reynolds asked Jackman to come back as Wolverine for Deadpool 3 “on the daily” for approximately three years. And had nearly given up when Jackman finally agreed to return to the character.
As for Deadpool himself, we still don’t yet know if Deadpool will hail from a different multiverse in Deadpool 3 or if the move will explain he’s been kicking around the MCU all along, just out of sight. Either way, we are very happy to have him. And with Ryan Reynolds overseeing his long-time character, we’re confident he’s going to turn out just right. Not to mention, we can’t wait to see which of our MCU favs he (and now maybe Wolverine) eventually interact get to meet.
Deadpool 3 and Phase 6 of the MCU
Deadpool 3‘s R-rated nature really does open the door to many new possibilities in the MCU. We wonder if Deadpool will remain a stand-alone R-rated arm, or whether other heroes will get to fight a little dirtier. We guess we’ll just have to wait and see. Deadpool 3, now with more Hugh Jackman Wolverine-fun, was slated to release on September 6, 2024. But now it will release on November 8, 2024. Although the MCU hasn’t said for sure, it could be that Deadpool 3 will kick off Phase 6 of the MCU, which begins with a “Fall 2024” release.
Originally published on September 27, 2022.
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In the film, which officially kicks off phase 5 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Super-Hero partners Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) and Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) return to continue their adventures as Ant-Man and the Wasp. Together, with Hope’s parents Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer), the family finds themselves exploring the Quantum Realm, interacting with strange new creatures and embarking on an adventure that will push them beyond the limits of what they thought was possible. Jonathan Majors joins the adventure as Kang. Director Peyton Reed returns to direct the film; Kevin Feige and Stephen Broussard produce.
