Rumor Roundup: Red Skull's Daughter To Debut In 'Captain America: Brave New World'

With the main cast of Captain America: Brave New World now unveiled, fan theories about the next star-spangled adventure are coming out of the woodwork. Merchandise for the movie revealed that Thunderbolt Ross (Harrison Ford) will become some form of the Red Hulk, then, paired with the information that Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) receives directions to reform the Avengers, Ross may unwittingly become the team's hulking member. Mind you, early looks at the poster art for Red Hulk appear slightly underwhelming—almost as if Ross' advanced age makes his alter-ego less formidable overall.

It's worth mentioning that the heroes aren't the only ones making their presence known in Brave New World. The movie's villains, in particular, are set to shake up the status quo and then some because, apparently, the Red Skull's daughter, Sin, has a part to play. The promotional material mentioned above also included a graphic for a female character brandishing the Red Skull title. And since only a few characters have taken on the moniker, Sinthea Schmidt is likely the central antagonist.

Having Sin become the new Red Skull makes the most sense with what Phase 5 is working toward. For one, Thunderbolts will bring Cold War programming back to the forefront, so it's plausible that Red Skull's legacy will resurface alongside sleeper agents. They need someone to be in charge, after all. Secondly, the first glimpses at Brave New World reveal that an attack from inside is once again a prevalent danger to the American people. Sam Wilson tries to prevent a coup in the White House, fending off some unexpected foes—individuals who might force Wilson to pull his punches. Rumors purport that Elijah Bradley supposedly has his Cold War conditioning turned back on, which presents the first opportunity for two black Captain Americas to duke it out if that is the case. Lastly, the recurring theme of legacy characters taking over for their predecessors points to Sin assuming her father's mantle—the same way Sam Wilson accepted Steve Rogers' offer to become the new Cap. Said theory correlates with the rest of Brave New World since the movie serves as a callback to The First Avenger, with many parallels between the two.

Assuming the new Red Skull takes action, there's a good possibility she'll have a long feud with Sam Wilson beginning in Brave New World. They've never interacted in the past, although plenty of opportunities for their paths to collide are present in the current-day MCU. For one, the pair might clash inside the White House once sleeper agents wake up. A confrontation alone won't stir up bad feelings, but if Wilson were to uncover that Sin had something to do with Rogers' supposedly natural death, that would create a reason for revenge. Or, perhaps Sin targets Joaquin Torres to lure Sam Wilson out. Attacking the new Falcon would suffice in sending a message to Torres' predecessor, establishing the basis for a grudge. Of course, the likeliest scenario is that Red Skull factors into how Bucky Barnes' Cold War conditioning gets reactivated because that would motivate Wilson to pursue her.

Since Wilson and Barnes formed a deep partnership during their solo Disney+ adventure, anyone shoving a wedge between these two heroes will have Captain America's wrath to contend with. Sin probably has no idea how close they are, so if she were to revive the Winter Soldier, she'd have a target on her back. Glimpses of Wilson alongside Torres rather than Barnes in Brave New World lend credence to the claims that Barnes gets turned. Such a scenario would explain why Barnes isn't around despite becoming Wilson's partner at the end of Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

The Red Skull's Return Explained

One thing to keep in mind is that while Red Skull's daughter could make an impression on Marvel fans in the upcoming Brave New World, there's a possibility that the movie only teases her MCU future. Sin may solely appear in a cameo, mid-credits sequence, or a handful of scenes in anticipation of her grand arrival to better focus on her role in The Thunderbolts. Another appearance isn't confirmed at this point, except it seems foolhardy to introduce another Red Skull and then axe them prematurely, identically to how Hugo Weaving departed the role after The First Avenger.

There's also the question of which actor will play the titular villain in Brave New World. Cast lists thus far are limited, only presenting a few possible candidates. One could be Rosa Salazar, but having seen her decked out in a Serpent Society costume—and with their faction cut from the movie—the chances of Salazar portraying the Lady Skull are slim to none.

Another guess is Shira Haas has the role, although such a theory conflicts with her current casting as Sabra. And Sabra couldn't be any more different from Sinthea Schmidt. Sabra is classically known as a Jewish-Israeli hero, while Sin is of German descent, which makes Haas having dual roles seem unlikely. However, masquerading as a Jewish soldier fits the Red Skull's motif. The first Skull hid his true face in plain sight, so it would only make sense that Schmidt's daughter use a similar tactic in anticipation of her grand debut.

Regardless of who is in the role, Lady Skull should make for an intriguing addition to the villains of Phase 5. Audiences have seen a few lackluster antagonists come and go, but someone with Red Skull's gravitas could turn things around, potentially having a role in the coming Secret Wars. Ross Marquand could return to reprise his role as Red Skull after Avengers: Endgame since the present-day version of Skull is free of his charge as the Soul Stone's protector. Although, the most plausible scenario sees Johann return in a moment of quantum entanglement long enough to induct Sin into his hierarchy. That way, audiences understand the history and acknowledge that Sin is the next step in Red Skull's lineage.

Captain America: Brave New World is set to premiere on February 14, 2025.