The following contains spoilers from the Marvel Studios film Captain America: Brave New World, now in theaters. The Winter Soldier’s career has taken quite a turn since the events of TV’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

Brave New World and why it felt so strange to me. It was meant to be an espionage thriller (spoilers follow) in the vein of The Winter Soldier, and yet there was no real conspiracy (no traitors, just a guy randomly mind-controlling people) and a twist that was given away in the first trailer (Ross turning into Red Hulk in the Rose Garden).

While stopping a conflict between the United States and Japan at Celestial Island, Sam Wilson/Captain America (Anthony Mackie) watches his protege, Joaquin Torres/Falcon (Danny Ramirez), get shot out of the air. He lands in the Indian Ocean, and luckily, a search team finds him.

This article contains major spoilers for the ending of “Captain America: Brave New World,” now playing in theaters. Captain America is back — and so are several characters from “The Incredible Hulk,” “Eternals” and more corners of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Brave New World perfectly set up Sam Wilson to lead the new Avengers team, and he could choose these clear candidates for the roster.

That being said, I completely understand where the new superhero movie’s toughest critics (including our own Eric Eisenberg in CinemaBlend’s Captain America: Brave New World r