Empire February 2025

On your left! Somehow, it’s been five whole years already since Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers bowed out of the MCU in Avengers: Endgame, leaving his trusty vibranium shield to Anthony Mackie’s Sam ‘The Falcon’ Wilson. Now, three years after Disney+ streaming series The Falcon And The Winter Soldier ended with Sam suiting up as the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s new star-spangled man for the first time, Mackie is set to graduate from franchise wingman to blockbuster pilot in Julius Onah’s Captain America: Brave New World. And it looks like Cap is going to have his work cut out for him here — with old adversaries, new foes, governmental subterfuge that goes all the way to the top, and a certain Harrison Ford-faced Red Hulk to contend with, there’ll be no room for Wilson to wing it in his lead debut.

This month’s issue of Empire takes a world-exclusive deep-dive into the fourth Captain America movie, as we speak to stars Mackie and Ford about spearheading a brave new world — and a Brave New World — for the MCU. As well as the two headlining stars, we glean intel from co-stars Xosha Roquemore and Danny Ramirez, plus producer Nate Moore and director Julius Onah, on the unique challenges presented — and opportunities afforded — by making a grounded political thriller with a raging, red-faced President at its centre. What’s more, we also get the skinny on the return of Tim Blake Nelson’s The Leader from the man himself, who explains what it’s like bringing back a Marvel deep-cut and helping make a sort-of sequel to The Incredible Hulk. All that, and a whole host of never-before-seen images from Onah’s superhero sequel.

If you’re after more film-related goodies, then you should know — we can do this all day. This month’s issue also boasts a major 2024 retrospective, celebrating cinematic highlights from the past 12 months and featuring contributions from the likes of Denis Villeneuve, Coralie Fargeat and George Miller; Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx in conversation about their reunion via action film Back In Action; Brady Corbet on his monumental Oscar hopeful The Brutalist; a deep-dive into the making of classic baby/Bruce Willis comedy Look Who’s Talking; a career-spanning chat with living legend Willem Dafoe; the first word on Wicked Part Two from director Jon M. Chu; and much, much more.