The Real Reason Marvel Is Hiding Captain America 4"s Main Villain Makes Him Even More Dangerous According To Phase 5 Theory
Despite what Captain America: Brave New World suggests, Tim Blake Nelson"s Samuel Sterns may not be the Leader, but a more sinister Marvel villain. Captain America: Brave New World"s promotional material hints at Samuel Sterns" role in President Ross" transformation into the Red Hulk and a worldwide political destabilization. Sterns is hidden in the shadows in the Captain America: Brave New World trailers, teasing Captain America with clues about his villainous plan. In the movie, Sam Wilson will eventually come face to face with Samuel Sterns and discover what he has been up to since the events of The Incredible Hulk.
Samuel Sterns started to transform into a Gamma mutate in The Incredible Hulk"s third act, right after the Abomination knocked him against vials of the Hulk"s blood. In the comics, Samuel Sterns becomes the Leader — one of Hulk"s archnemesis, whose Gamma powers are based on his enhanced intellect rather than his strength. Sterns hasn"t made any MCU appearance since The Incredible Hulk, but it"s easy to assume that he has been concocting a conspiracy as the Leader while Hulk and the rest of the Avengers were busy fighting other threats.
Captain America: Brave New World’s Main Villain Could Be The Red Leader Samuel Sterns Could Absorb The Same Kind Of Gamma Energy He Uses To Create The Red Hulk![]()
In Marvel Comics" Earth-616 timeline, Samuel Sterns fights Hulk and other heroes several times as the Leader before he gets murdered by the Punisher. Shortly after, Thaddeus Ross (in his Red Hulk form) injects Sterns" body with red Gamma radiation and brings him back to life, this time with red Gamma energy flowing through his body. The Red Leader then joins Red Hulk"s Thunderbolts team alongside other red-themed anti-heroes. Samuel Sterns seems to be even more cunning and treacherous as the Red Leader, though he soon lost this form and regained his original green appearance.
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Related Every Villain In Captain America 4 Explained Marvel has confirmed several villains set to appear in Captain America: Brave New World, Sam Wilson"s theatrical debut as the new Captain America.
Posts According to Marvel Comics" Samuel Sterns, red Gamma radiation is the regular kind of Gamma energy combined with cosmic radiation. This deadly mix is what differentiates Red Hulk"s abilities from Hulk"s, as Thaddeus Ross is able to absorb energy and transform it into heat as the Red Hulk, whereas Bruce Banner"s Hulk alter ego grows stronger the angrier he gets. Red Gamma radiation"s artificial nature also explains why red Gamma mutates are so rare in the Marvel multiverse.
Why Introducing The Red Leader Would Be A Fitting Twist For The MCU Movie Samuel Sterns' Late MCU Return Fits With The Villains' Red Gamma Transformation Close Seventeen years and three movie appearances after his MCU introduction in The Incredible Hulk, Thaddeus Ross finally becomes the Red Hulk in Captain America: Brave New World. According to Captain America: Brave New World"s trailers, Samuel Sterns is the one who gives Ross this ability in order to destabilize the US government and instigate political conflict between countries. But while it may seem like Samuel Sterns will unveil himself as the Leader, Captain America: Brave New World could deliver an unexpected twist and reveal that Sterns has transformed into the Red Leader.
As the Red Leader, Samuel Sterns could have similar energy-absorption powers to Red Hulk
Samuel Sterns found a way to give President Ross the ability to transform into the Red Hulk, so he"s pretty likely to have tested the same experiment on himself. Otherwise, Sterns would have simply tried to recreate Bruce Banner"s traditional Hulk transformation, which Sterns, Ross, and Emil Blonsky were all obsessed with in The Incredible Hulk. As the Red Leader, Samuel Sterns could have similar energy-absorption powers to Red Hulk, but also similar weaknesses Captain America could exploit to defeat both red Gamma mutates in Captain America: Brave New World.
Red Leader’s Introduction Would Make Another Key Marvel Figure More Likely To Appear Liv Tyler's Captain America: Brave New World Cameo May Turn Her Into Red She-Hulk![]()
If Tim Blake Nelson"s Samuel Stern reveals his Red Leader transformation in Captain America: Brave New World, that would mean he has enough control over red Gamma radiation to create more red Gamma mutates. In the comics, Samuel Sterns" villain team "the Intelligencia" transforms several of Hulk"s allies into Gamma mutates, including Betty Ross, who becomes Red She-Hulk. Given that Liv Tyler"s Betty Ross will return in Captain America: Brave New World, there"s a high chance Samuel Sterns will transform her into Red She-Hulk in the MCU as well.
She-Hulk: Attorney At Law adapted the Intelligencia as an online group of radicalized She-Hulk haters
Samuel Sterns" transformation into the Red Leader would also fit perfectly with the Thunderbolts" MCU introduction. In the comics, Red Hulk"s villainous team "Code Red", which marked Red She-Hulk"s first appearance, eventually evolved into a new iteration of the Thunderbolts. Thaddeus Ross" "Red Thunderbolts" team includes Red Hulk, Red Leader, the Punisher, Elektra, Deadpool, Ghost Rider, and Agent Venom. In the MCU, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine"s Thunderbolts team could be replaced with Red Hulk"s "Red Thunderbolts" line-up, and Red She-Hulk could replace Agent Venom after the events of Captain America: Brave New World.
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Captain America: Brave New World
Director Julius Onah Writers Dalan Musson , Malcolm Spellman Cast Harrison Ford , Liv Tyler , Giancarlo Esposito , Rosa Salazar , Takehiro Hira , Anthony Mackie , Tim Blake Nelson , Shira Haas , Carl Lumbly , Danny Ramirez , Rachael Markarian , Jacqueline Loucks , Tony Mareno , Zo'Anne Mckinstry , Phuong Kubacki , Colby Lopez , Xosha Roquemore Release Date February 14, 2025 Franchise(s) Captain America , Marvel Cinematic Universe Studio(s) Marvel Studios Expand Upcoming MCU Movies![]()
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Samuel Sterns started to transform into a Gamma mutate in The Incredible Hulk"s third act, right after the Abomination knocked him against vials of the Hulk"s blood. In the comics, Samuel Sterns becomes the Leader — one of Hulk"s archnemesis, whose Gamma powers are based on his enhanced intellect rather than his strength. Sterns hasn"t made any MCU appearance since The Incredible Hulk, but it"s easy to assume that he has been concocting a conspiracy as the Leader while Hulk and the rest of the Avengers were busy fighting other threats.
Captain America: Brave New World’s Main Villain Could Be The Red Leader Samuel Sterns Could Absorb The Same Kind Of Gamma Energy He Uses To Create The Red Hulk
In Marvel Comics" Earth-616 timeline, Samuel Sterns fights Hulk and other heroes several times as the Leader before he gets murdered by the Punisher. Shortly after, Thaddeus Ross (in his Red Hulk form) injects Sterns" body with red Gamma radiation and brings him back to life, this time with red Gamma energy flowing through his body. The Red Leader then joins Red Hulk"s Thunderbolts team alongside other red-themed anti-heroes. Samuel Sterns seems to be even more cunning and treacherous as the Red Leader, though he soon lost this form and regained his original green appearance.
Related Every Villain In Captain America 4 Explained Marvel has confirmed several villains set to appear in Captain America: Brave New World, Sam Wilson"s theatrical debut as the new Captain America.Posts According to Marvel Comics" Samuel Sterns, red Gamma radiation is the regular kind of Gamma energy combined with cosmic radiation. This deadly mix is what differentiates Red Hulk"s abilities from Hulk"s, as Thaddeus Ross is able to absorb energy and transform it into heat as the Red Hulk, whereas Bruce Banner"s Hulk alter ego grows stronger the angrier he gets. Red Gamma radiation"s artificial nature also explains why red Gamma mutates are so rare in the Marvel multiverse.
Why Introducing The Red Leader Would Be A Fitting Twist For The MCU Movie Samuel Sterns' Late MCU Return Fits With The Villains' Red Gamma Transformation Close Seventeen years and three movie appearances after his MCU introduction in The Incredible Hulk, Thaddeus Ross finally becomes the Red Hulk in Captain America: Brave New World. According to Captain America: Brave New World"s trailers, Samuel Sterns is the one who gives Ross this ability in order to destabilize the US government and instigate political conflict between countries. But while it may seem like Samuel Sterns will unveil himself as the Leader, Captain America: Brave New World could deliver an unexpected twist and reveal that Sterns has transformed into the Red Leader.
As the Red Leader, Samuel Sterns could have similar energy-absorption powers to Red Hulk
Samuel Sterns found a way to give President Ross the ability to transform into the Red Hulk, so he"s pretty likely to have tested the same experiment on himself. Otherwise, Sterns would have simply tried to recreate Bruce Banner"s traditional Hulk transformation, which Sterns, Ross, and Emil Blonsky were all obsessed with in The Incredible Hulk. As the Red Leader, Samuel Sterns could have similar energy-absorption powers to Red Hulk, but also similar weaknesses Captain America could exploit to defeat both red Gamma mutates in Captain America: Brave New World.
Red Leader’s Introduction Would Make Another Key Marvel Figure More Likely To Appear Liv Tyler's Captain America: Brave New World Cameo May Turn Her Into Red She-Hulk
If Tim Blake Nelson"s Samuel Stern reveals his Red Leader transformation in Captain America: Brave New World, that would mean he has enough control over red Gamma radiation to create more red Gamma mutates. In the comics, Samuel Sterns" villain team "the Intelligencia" transforms several of Hulk"s allies into Gamma mutates, including Betty Ross, who becomes Red She-Hulk. Given that Liv Tyler"s Betty Ross will return in Captain America: Brave New World, there"s a high chance Samuel Sterns will transform her into Red She-Hulk in the MCU as well.She-Hulk: Attorney At Law adapted the Intelligencia as an online group of radicalized She-Hulk haters
Samuel Sterns" transformation into the Red Leader would also fit perfectly with the Thunderbolts" MCU introduction. In the comics, Red Hulk"s villainous team "Code Red", which marked Red She-Hulk"s first appearance, eventually evolved into a new iteration of the Thunderbolts. Thaddeus Ross" "Red Thunderbolts" team includes Red Hulk, Red Leader, the Punisher, Elektra, Deadpool, Ghost Rider, and Agent Venom. In the MCU, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine"s Thunderbolts team could be replaced with Red Hulk"s "Red Thunderbolts" line-up, and Red She-Hulk could replace Agent Venom after the events of Captain America: Brave New World.
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Captain America: Brave New World
Director Julius Onah Writers Dalan Musson , Malcolm Spellman Cast Harrison Ford , Liv Tyler , Giancarlo Esposito , Rosa Salazar , Takehiro Hira , Anthony Mackie , Tim Blake Nelson , Shira Haas , Carl Lumbly , Danny Ramirez , Rachael Markarian , Jacqueline Loucks , Tony Mareno , Zo'Anne Mckinstry , Phuong Kubacki , Colby Lopez , Xosha Roquemore Release Date February 14, 2025 Franchise(s) Captain America , Marvel Cinematic Universe Studio(s) Marvel Studios Expand Upcoming MCU Movies
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Thunderbolts*
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The Fantastic Four: First Steps
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Avengers: Doomsday (2026)
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