Summary

• Captain America: Brave New World’s
  returning villain could be connected to Intelligencia from
  She-Hulk: Attorney at Law
  , according to a new theory.
• The Leader’s involvement with the Intelligencia makes more sense of
  She-Hulk: Attorney at Law’s
  controversial blood-focused storyline.
• The Leader could transform President Ross into the Red Hulk in
  Captain America: Brave New World
  , perhaps introducing another tease of the MCU’s potential
  World War Hulk
  adaptation.

One Phase 4 series becomes very important to Captain America: Brave New World in a far-reaching MCU theory that could hint at huge storylines for the franchise’s future. While Captain America: Brave New World, releasing in February 2025, will put Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson front-and-center as the new Star-Spangled Man-with-a-Plan, the movie is also set to expand the universe of another iconic Avenger: Bruce Banner’s Hulk. Captain America: Brave New World’s cast features several returning characters from The Incredible Hulk, teasing that the gamma-irradiated hero could have a part to play.

Samuel Sterns, Betty Ross, and Thaddeus Ross, now played by Harrison Ford, will all be making their returns in Captain America: Brave New World. Tim Blake Nelson’s return as Sterns, who is now operating as the superpowered Leader, is very intriguing, especially since he hasn’t been seen since 2008’s The Incredible Hulk. However, the Leader won’t be the only villain in Captain America: Brave New World, and a new theory posed by Reddit user Sarang_616 explains how the Leader can be important to the emergence of new enemies in the MCU’s Phase 5.

Theory: Captain America 4’s Leader Is Running The MCU’s Intelligencia

The Leader Is A Member Of Intelligencia In Marvel Comics

Intelligencia was first seen in 2022’s She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, and was introduced as an online community of embittered individuals, mainly men, who resented the emergence of so many new female superheroes, specifically Jennifer Walters’ She-Hulk. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law revealed that Jon Bass’ Todd Phelps, a.k.a. HulkKing, had founded the site as a place for himself and like-minded people to vent their frustrations. However, this new Reddit theory suggests that Samuel Sterns’ Leader is the true creator of the MCU’s Intelligencia.

In Marvel Comics, the Intelligencia is a group comprising the most intelligent villains in the Marvel Universe, of which the Leader is a prominent member. Changing the Intelligencia made sense for She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, particularly since the series wasn’t shy about exploring feminist themes and detailing the world’s attitude toward powerful women. However, Captain America: Brave New World could better cement the Intelligencia as a real threat in the MCU by revealing the Leader to be the man-behind-the-curtain, bringing the group closer to its Marvel Comics counterpart.

Notable Intelligencia members in Marvel Comics have included the Leader, MODOK, Mad Thinker, Wizard, and Klaw, who debuted in
Avengers: Age of Ultron
as Ulysses Klaue, played by Andy Serkis.

She-Hulk’s Blood Storyline Makes More Sense If The Leader Is Behind The Intelligencia

She-Hulk: Attorney At Law Made A Joke About Its Unoriginal Blood-Focused Storyline

Throughout She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, the Intelligencia presented problems for Jennifer Walters, as several agents of the group attempted to get close to Jen in an effort to acquire some of her gamma-irradiated blood to transform Phelps into HulkKing. This unoriginal storyline was joked about by Tatiana Maslany’s fourth wall-breaking hero in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law’s brilliant finale, and was even revised during her conversation with KEVIN, but this storyline makes much more sense if the Leader is behind the Intelligencia’s actions. Most notably, the Leader also had an obsession with Bruce Banner’s blood.

Back in The Incredible Hulk, Samuel Sterns, under the pseudonym Mr. Blue, was helping Bruce Banner try and find a cure for the gamma radiation in his blood. This involved replicating and concentrating gallons of Banner’s blood, which allowed him to enhance Emil Blonsky into the Abomination, and led to his own transformation. Sterns’ obsession with the Hulk’s blood means he would likely be fascinated with She-Hulk’s, given the fact that she had more immediate control over her abilities, so She-Hulk: Attorney at Law’s annoying blood-focused storyline actually has meaning, according to this theory.

Captain America 4 Is The Best Place To Continue She-Hulk’s Themes With No Sign Of Season 2

She-Hulk’s Story Can Continue In The Same Way As Bruce Banner’s Hulk In The MCU

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law introduced some incredibly important narrative elements to the MCU, and ended with several unanswered questions and burning mysteries. However, the prospect of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law season 2 seems very unlikely, meaning Marvel Studios is running the risk of never addressing these loose ends. Even so, just as Bruce Banner’s MCU story has been explored without any sequels to his one solo movie, Jennifer Walters’ story can do the same, and the Leader’s return in Captain America: Brave New World creates the perfect opportunity for this to happen.

Connecting the Leader to the Intelligencia is a very likely possibility.

At first glance, connecting Sam Wilson’s Captain America and the MCU’s Hulk-related characters is an unusual choice. However, since so much of the Hulk’s backstory is connected to the more grounded and political sides of the MCU, particularly through his relationship with Thaddeus Ross, this is actually a great fit. By developing Hulk-centric storylines in the MCU, Captain America: Brave New World can also continue She-Hulk: Attorney at Law’s themes, which means connecting the Leader to the Intelligencia is a very likely possibility.

Intelligencia In Captain America 4 Explains President Ross’ Red Hulk Transformation

Harrison Ford’s Thaddeus Ross Will Become The Red Hulk In Captain America: Brave New World

Of course, making the Leader the founder of the MCU’s Intelligencia still doesn’t exactly explain why he’s being included in Captain America: Brave New World, as neither he nor the Intelligencia have anything to do with Sam Wilson’s Captain America. However, Samuel Sterns’ return in Brave New World can be explained by the return of Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, who will now be operating as the President of the United States. Captain America: Brave New World’s first teaser trailer has revealed that Ross will become the Red Hulk, and theories suggest the Leader is behind this transformation.

Samuel Sterns has had an obsession with the Hulk since The Incredible Hulk, so it makes sense that this would continue in the MCU’s Phase 5. He may have seen the emergence of new Hulks over the years, including the Abomination, She-Hulk, HulkKing, and Skaar, and may want to create his own Hulk-like villain. In Marvel Comics, Thaddeus Ross is transformed into the Red Hulk by the Intelligencia, so it’s very possible that the same will happen in Captain America: Brave New World, explaining the Leader’s return, and further strengthening his involvement with group.

Captain America 4 Could Be The Next Step In The MCU’s World War Hulk Set-Up

Marvel Studios Hasn’t Yet Confirmed A World War Hulk Adaptation For The MCU

Ever since Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk found himself on Sakaar in 2017’s Thor: Ragnarok, there has been speculation that Marvel Studios may be setting up a possible adaptation of Marvel Comics’ World War Hulk event. This was perhaps the biggest storyline featuring the Hulk in Marvel Comics, as he returned to Earth from Sakaar after his wife’s death to kill the members of the Illuminati who exiled him there. Several story elements of World War Hulk have been teased in the MCU, but there are still issues with the Hulk’s film rights, perhaps making this difficult.

Captain America: Brave New World
could bring the MCU one step closer to
World War Hulk
​​​​​​​.

Little is known about the Hulk’s time on Sakaar, but She-Hulk: Attorney at Law revealed that he had a son there, Skaar. Skaar first appeared in Marvel Comics’ World War Hulk event. Additionally, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness introduced an alternate version of the Illuminati, while characters such as She-Hulk and the Red Hulk also play a prominent role in the comic storyline. By introducing the Red Hulk, and developing the Hulk’s own journey, Captain America: Brave New World could bring the MCU one step closer to World War Hulk​​​​​​​.