The Captain America: Brave New World Trailer’s Big Reveal Crushed My Hopes for the Movie

Warning: This article on Captain America: Brave New World contains spoilers from the film’s trailer.

When the first teaser trailer for Captain America: Brave New World landed, I was pretty quick to see it (though not quick enough to get to cover it for Escapist). What I saw actually excited me — a new feeling for Marvel films, which I’ve found myself drifting away from in terms of anticipation much like the rest of the world. This one, however, looked like it could be different as something new with hints of a spy thriller mixed with superheroism. Then the Red Hulk teaser hit. It was just a glimpse of the villain’s hand and backside, but it instantly sucked all the excitement out of the trailer for me.

Despite my profession requiring me to cover the film industry and write news about it, I had, surprisingly, steered clear of any and all spoilers for Brave New World. So I wasn’t aware that Red Hulk is in the film, but the surprise of the character’s appearance isn’t the reason that I feel let down by the tease. Instead, it’s the fact that Marvel put the tease in at all, as if the studio’s confidence in the film isn’t enough with just Anthony Mackie’s Cap. It feels like Marvel desperately trying to hype up excitement with a “look who’s here” moment. Those can be exciting … but never in a trailer, even if Red Hulk is the movie’s villain. Nearly all the rest of the trailer feels like a political thriller, teasing what could be a truly interesting film, but the giant red hand at the end obliterates that instantly.

Red Hulk’s presence feels like Marvel once again throwing a character into the mix just to do it instead of delivering the film that the first part of the trailer teased. The kicker at the end of the teaser (not to mention the poster featuring Red Hulk’s hand grabbing Cap’s shield) instantly makes the movie feel more like another “franchise-builder” instead of a movie of its own. It takes all the wind out of the sails of a teaser that otherwise felt like Marvel might have been trying to do something that stands out. That’s a bit worrisome.

A lot of the time, I’m actually a defender of the MCU as I’ve found that, while similar, the franchise often dips its toe into different genres and styles. But this Brave New World tease feels like Marvel failing to have confidence in the film — like it needs Red Hulk to excite people.

I think another aspect of why the Red Hulk tease is disappointing is that it means the film will be both big superhero spectacle and spy/political drama, which the MCU has already failed at with Secret Wars, where what was supposed to be a down-and-dirty spy series ended up in a literal vomiting of superpowers flying across the screen. And, yes, this may be a bit hypocritical as I continue to be insanely excited for Deadpool & Wolverine, a film whose entire premise is “hey, you know these guys, and now they’re together, and look Sabertooth too!” but that’s just it. That is Deadpool & Wolverine‘s entire premise; it’s not Brave New World‘s. The latter’s tease of Red Hulk, no matter how big a role he plays in the film, feels disingenuous, not exciting.

There’s also the fact that Brave New World‘s Red Hulk tease falls flat because of an issue that plagues all films but especially over-hyped Marvel movies: Studios show everything off in the trailer. If Red Hulk is a major part of the film and teasing him is akin to not showing off the second main character of the movie, then one might argue that you should tease him. However, you don’t have to. You don’t have to show everything. There’s clearly enough going on in Brave New World to cut together an interesting trailer for the film without showing Red Hulk and still leave something as a surprise. Trailers do not have to show off entire films, Marvel.

There is a very real chance that I am just an old man yelling at a cloud, that this movie will land and be awesome. I am, after all, simply complaining about how a seconds-long clip at the end of the first teaser for a film ruined the teaser and hype for me, not the actual film. I’m still going to see Captain America: Brave New World; I’m just less excited about it thanks to a pair of red feet. But, man, do those red feet seem to say a lot.