Marvel Producer Explains Why A Falcon And The Winter Soldier Character Was Cut From Captain America: Brave New World And Its Potential Role In The MCU’s Young Avengers

As the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) prepares for the emergence of the Young Avengers, a notable absence has been confirmed for the upcoming film Captain America: Brave New World. Marvel Studios executive Nate Moore elaborated on the reasons behind the exclusion of a key character, Eli Bradley. While the plot details of Captain America: Brave New World remain under wraps, speculation surrounds Sam Wilson’s role in revitalizing the Avengers prior to their upcoming face-off in Avengers: Doomsday. Notably, this initiative appears parallel to Kamala Khan’s endeavors to assemble the Young Avengers, a mission she initiated at the conclusion of The Marvels, starting with her cohort, Kate Bishop.

Eli Bradley, who is regarded as a potential member of this youthful ensemble, was introduced in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier as the grandson of Isaiah Bradley. During an exclusive conversation with ScreenRant’s Liam Crowley, Moore clarified why Eli’s character will not be featured in the new Captain America film. Despite the close narrative ties established in previous series, Moore emphasized that including Eli would not be productive unless there was a clear purpose for his role within the story. His complete quote illustrates this reasoning:

Liam Crowley: We get to explore a lot more of Isaiah in this film, which I love. He was one of the most rich characters we had introduced in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. He was always paired in that show with Eli Bradley, his grandson. Why this time around just go with Isaiah solo and no Eli?

Nate Moore: There are early drafts of the script where Eli was in it, but we started to feel like there were too many characters to track and we want to make sure if a character is in the film, they have something to do. And so we had to make the tough decision to just explore Isaiah and to see how Isaiah being pulled into Sam’s world maybe affects him. We also wanted Sam and Isaiah. We wanted room to build up their relationship without a third party kind of commenting on it. And so this film is very much about establishing that Isaiah has become not only a mentor to Sam, but a training partner. He is a super soldier. I think it allows Sam to expand on his physical skills, but that relationship might not be the best thing for Isaiah in the long run.

Implications of Nate Moore’s Remarks on Eli Bradley

Eli Bradley’s Role in Future Missions

It appears that Nate Moore is keen on avoiding an overloaded narrative in Captain America: Brave New World. Given the film’s already substantial cast—featuring at least three villains—each character needs their moment to shine alongside Captain America. By excluding Eli Bradley, Moore aims to prevent the character from being relegated to a minor role that diminishes his importance. This strategic choice suggests that Eli’s powers, should he possess any, may not significantly contribute to Sam’s confrontation with formidable adversaries like Red Hulk.

Moreover, the focus on the relationship between Isaiah and Sam is crucial. In the trailer for Captain America: Brave New World, we see Sam attempting to assist Isaiah, who appears to have been subjected to a brainwashing-induced attack. Given these intense, personal dynamics, it’s challenging to envision how Eli could effectively fit into these critical one-on-one interactions.

Analyzing Nate Moore’s Insights on Eli Bradley

Maintaining Focus on Sam Wilson

Avoiding an overcrowded cast can significantly impact a film’s success—as seen in examples such as Spider-Man 3. Therefore, I support the decision to exclude Eli if he won’t play a pivotal role in the storyline.Captain America: Brave New World appears dedicated to solidifying Sam Wilson’s journey as Captain America, and it’s essential to keep the spotlight on him at this juncture. Nevertheless, there will undoubtedly be opportunities to reintroduce Eli Bradley as a Young Avenger in future MCU endeavors, potentially in upcoming projects like Vision’s solo series or Avengers: Doomsday.