The star of Captain America: Brave New World has given a disappointing update regarding his future in the Marvel franchise.Credit: Marvel StudiosCaptain America: Brave New World Introduced New CharactersMarvel Studios officially launched Captain America: Brave New World, the fourth film in the Captain America series and the 35th installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, five months ago in February 2025. The box office numbers stumbled, and Marvel Studios found itself continuing to judder onwards.Released on February 14, 2025, Brave New World marks Anthony Mackie’s first big-screen outing as Captain America following his Disney+ debut in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Directed by Julius Onah, the film explores themes of heroism and legacy, as Sam Wilson steps firmly into the role once held by Steve Rogers (Chris Evans).Credit: Marvel StudiosJoining Mackie is Harrison Ford, making his Marvel debut as President Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, AKA Red Hulk. The movie faced multiple setbacks in production, including casting controversies, online backlash, and rounds of reshoots. Despite those hurdles, Brave New World managed to rake in a healthy $198 million in its opening weekend—split between $100 million domestic and $98 million from international markets, but ended its theatrical run with a lukewarm $415 million.Critically, the film didn’t find much favor. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film sits at 46% with critics, although audiences were more receptive, giving it a 76% score.Credit: Marvel StudiosHarrison Ford May Never Return to the MCUEven playing a large villainous role like the Red Hulk, there is a high chance that Harrison Ford’s Red Hulk will never be seen again. Despite featuring in the final scenes of Brave New World, where Betty Ross (Liv Tyler) confronts her father, the imprisoned Thaddeus Ross, Ford responded bluntly when asked about his future in the MCU.In a talk with Variety, Ford simply said “nope” when asked if Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige had reached out and “convinced” him to return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This is not unusual, considering the MCU is nearing a “reset,” with Feige confirming recently that not all characters audiences have met in the last few years have plans to return in the future.As for Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson, he will return and lead a new wave of Avengers.Credit: Marvel StudiosThe Avengers Are Not ActiveThough Brave New World operates mostly as a self-contained story centered on global fallout, the narrative drops major hints about where the MCU is headed. One of the key developments is President Ross approaching Sam Wilson with a task: rebuild the Avengers.Since the climactic events of Avengers: Endgame (2019), the legendary team hasn’t reunited. While individual heroes have continued to show up in their own franchises, the Avengers as a unit have been absent from the MCU’s ongoing storyline.That’s expected to change with the release of Avengers: Doomsday next year. Previously titled Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, the film will be directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, the same duo behind Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Endgame. The Russos will also return to helm Avengers: Secret Wars, slated for 2027.Credit: Marvel StudiosBut unlike the Infinity Saga, which was built on interconnected ensemble stories, the Multiverse Saga has largely featured standalone narratives—films like Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023), and Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) have all taken different paths. Now, there’s a clear reason for that.In Feige’s own words ahead of Brave New World‘s release, the Avengers are “not currently active.”“In Captain America: Brave New World, Sam Wilson is Captain America, and he has made the decision to unabashedly become Captain America,” a press release read. “But what does it mean to be Captain America when you’re not a super soldier, which we definitively know Sam Wilson is not, and in a world where the Avengers are not currently active?”Credit: Marvel StudiosRoss asking Sam to revive the Avengers—something that Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez) seemed especially excited about—might have been the first step toward reuniting Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. And based on how the film frames it, Sam is expected to lead the new lineup.Producer Nate Moore emphasized that Captain America’s role within the team remains essential: “…there’s never been an Avengers movie where there’s not a Captain America at the center of it,” Moore told The Movie Report.Credit: Marvel StudiosThe answer came in Marvel’s final Phase Five movie. The studio wrapped up Phase Five with Thunderbolts*, a darker, edgier ensemble movie that brought together a team of antiheroes and misfits. Characters like Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) and Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) returned.In the final moments of Thunderbolts*, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) announced the new squad, which also features characters like Lewis Pullman’s Bob/Sentry, as the New Avengers. In the post-credits scene, the team can be seen mulling over their new identities while confirming that Sam Wilson has also rebuilt his own Avengers team.Credit: Marvel StudiosThe Fantastic Four May Replace the Avengers Before X-Men DebutThe Fantastic Four: First Steps is the latest MCU movie to debut. The inaugural Phase Six movie introduced Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards (Mister Fantastic), Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm (Invisible Woman), Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm (Thing), and Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm (Human Torch). The film, directed by Matt Shakman, marked the official arrival of Marvel’s First Family into the cinematic universe.The Fantastic Four are confirmed to be returning in Avengers: Doomsday (2026), which will also see the return of MCU legend Robert Downey Jr. as Victor Von Doom/Doctor Doom.Credit: Marvel StudiosMarvel Studios has reclaimed momentum at the box office with a resounding success. The Fantastic Four: First Steps debuted to an impressive $218 million worldwide, marking the studio’s most substantial showing in 2025. The launch includes $118 million from North American theaters and an additional $100 million from 52 overseas markets—delivering a key victory for Disney and Marvel’s summer strategy.Pre-release projections placed the film’s global debut between $190 million and $210 million, but the return of Marvel’s “First Family” managed to surpass those expectations. Starring Julia Garner as Shalla-Bal and Ralph Ineson as Galactus, the reboot landed firmly in the upper tier of forecasts, reinforcing its status as a cornerstone in Marvel’s renewed lineup.Credit: Marvel StudiosWhether the film’s early numbers will translate into sustained box office strength is still up in the air, but with positive early reactions, strong fan enthusiasm online, and a strategic global rollout, The Fantastic Four: First Steps is poised to drive the next wave of Marvel momentum.Marvel Studios may have opted out of this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, but studio president Kevin Feige didn’t stay silent. With select press outlets, Feige addressed the current state and future direction of the sprawling Marvel Cinematic Universe.Topics ranged from the studio’s evolving approach to streaming to shifting focus from Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors) to a new central figure in Doctor Doom. Most notably, Feige weighed in on how Marvel is reshaping its cinematic landscape.Credit: Marvel StudiosThough cautious about using definitive labels, Feige hinted at what’s to come. “Reboot is a scary word,” he said, via Variety. “Reboot can mean a lot of things to a lot of people. Reset, singular timeline—we’re thinking along those lines […] X-Men is where that will happen next.”Feige’s comments align with earlier remarks from Joe and Anthony Russo, who directed Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame. They previously described the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars (2027) as a fresh starting point for the MCU, in contrast to the culmination-driven tone of their earlier films.Credit: Marvel StudiosAnd with a new cosmic player in the form of Franklin Richards, Marvel’s next era looks poised to chart new territory. But before Avengers: Doomsday reshapes the timeline, Tom Holland is set to return in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, swinging into theaters in July 2026.How do you feel about all the changes the MCU is going through as it nears its reset? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!The post ‘Captain America 4’ Star Likely Never Returning to MCU After Recent Comments appeared first on Inside the Magic.