Captain America: Brave New World’s Original Title Could Have Been Very Controversial

The fourth Captain America movie, Brave New World, was originally unveiled as Captain America: New World Order. So, why did Marvel Studios change Captain America: Brave New World‘s title?

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Captain America 4’s Title Change, Explained

Nobody knows the official reason why Marvel Studios changed Captain America: Brave New World‘s title – at least, for now. The production company hasn’t publically commented on the switcheroo since it was announced. They’re keeping just as quiet internally too. Apparently, even leading man Anthony Mackie is in the dark about Marvel Studios’ decision to axe the “New World Order” subtitle. “I have no idea [why Marvel Studios changed Captain America 4‘s title],” Mackie told Inverse in June 2023. “They were like, ‘We’re changing the title.’ I was like, ‘All right, let’s do it.’ So that was it.”

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That said, the most likely reason why “New World Order” gave way to “Brave New World” is that the latter is the name for a bunch of real-world conspiracy theories. These theories contend that an elite cabal secretly rules (or is poised to rule) the world. Unsurprisingly, New World Order beliefs are controversial – especially those that tie in with anti-Semitic stereotypes. Presumably, Marvel Studios wanted the paranoid vibes of the “New World Order” moniker without its other baggage, prompting their pivot to “Brave New World” for Captain America‘s revised subtitle.

What Does Captain America: Brave New World’s Title Mean?

Ostensibly, it’s a Shakespeare reference. Prospero’s daughter Miranda famously utters the phrase, “O brave new world, that has such people in’t,” in The Tempest. However, it’s more likely that Aldous Huxley’s 1932 novel, Brave New World (which takes its name from Miranda’s line in The Tempest) inspired Captain America 4‘s new title.

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A seminal work of dystopian fiction, Brave New World depicts a futuristic society in which science has created a rigid hierarchical system. This fits with Captain America: Brave New World‘s choice of villain, Samuel Sterns/The Leader. Like in the MCU’s comic book source material, Sterns is a deranged cellular biologist – so, he’s presumably keen to replicate Huxley’s ideas for real.

Captain America: Brave New World arrives in cinemas on February 14, 2025.