Marvel is famously secretive about their upcoming movies, especially when the release is still a year away. However, their partners don't always keep the same secret. This week, McDonald’s released a set of Happy Meal toys for the fourth Captain America film, titled 'Captain America: Brave New World', and inadvertently revealed details of the movie in the process.
Fans noticed that the Happy Meal boxes in stores displayed five characters from the movie: Captain America, a new Falcon, Diamondback, Ruth, and Red Hulk. The toys were likely released so early due to delays caused by the pandemic and industry strikes. The movie was originally set to premiere on May 3 of this year but has been postponed twice, and is now scheduled to open on Valentine’s Day 2025.
The information was initially shared on Instagram on April 17 by a Brazilian fast food fan account. The toys have since become available in McDonald’s Happy Meals in the United States.
As comic fans may know, Red Hulk is the alter ego of General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, who has a strong animosity towards Bruce Banner/Hulk and has spent a significant portion of his career pursuing his nemesis.
Similar to the Hulk, Red Hulk possesses superhuman strength. When he becomes enraged, his skin turns red and releases an intense heat from his eyes. Notably, Red Hulk does not revert to his human form.
Red Hulk was first introduced to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as portrayed by the late William Hurt in the character of General “Thunderbolt” Ross. Harrison Ford has taken on the role following Hurt’s passing in 2022 and is now anticipated to transform into the Red Hulk.
Other featured toys include the Captain America comic book villain Diamondback, anticipated to be a villain in the upcoming movie, as well as Ruth, also known to comic fans as Sabra, who is a member of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency. Moreover, there’s the new Falcon, who will take over from Sam Wilson’s Captain America as he progresses from his former role as a sidekick.
Marvel’s Joe Russo initially considered introducing Red Hulk in 'Captain America: Civil War.' He mentioned that, if they had been given 'the narrative space', Red Hulk might have fit in. However, including the Hulk in a movie like 'Captain America: Civil War' would have required treating him as a massive threat.
A trailer for the movie has not been released yet, although a sneak peek was shown to the press and theater exhibitors at the recent CinemaCon. 'Captain America: Brave New World' is slated for release on Feb. 14, 2025.
