Isaiah Bradley's (Carl Lumbly) attack against U.S. President Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross (Harrison Ford) in Captain America: Brave New World raised many questions about his state of mind. Bradley made his MCU debut in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier on Disney+ as an African-American soldier who secretly took the Super Soldier serum during the Korean War.
While Steve Rogers received high praise as Captain America, Bradley's story was different and tragic. His act of rescuing other black super soldiers during the war and defeating the Winter Soldier led to his capture by the U.S. government, mainly because they wanted to erase the truth about his brave stand.
Thankfully, Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) helped fix his legacy by creating a memorial dedicated to Isaiah Bradley's efforts for the country. However, Bradley still doesn't trust the U.S. government, which is understandable given what he has been through in the past.
Why Did Isaiah Bradley Shoot at the President?
Captain America: Brave New World brought back Isaiah Bradley as Sam Wilson's personal trainer and close friend, helping him navigate Wilson's new life as Captain America. As part of Wilson's inner circle, Bradley was invited to the White House to attend an event where U.S. President Thaddeus Ross forged a new treaty centered around the existence of Adamantium.
However, things took a turn when a seemingly brainwashed Bradley suddenly took a gun and shot at President Ross, surprising everyone in attendance. Other members of the audience also entered a trance state to cause mayhem inside the facility.
After Bradley's failed assassination attempt, he fled outside to try to escape, but Wilson talked him down. Bradley, though, was unaware of what happened, further cementing that he was mind-controlled by an outside force.
Bradley's act of shooting Ross was revealed to be part of Samuel Sterns' (aka The Leader) revenge plot against him for not fulfilling his promise of letting him go after he successfully helped him land the U.S. presidency. Sterns wanted to expose who Ross really is by manipulating events behind the scenes to kickstart his transformation into the Red Hulk. It was revealed that Ross had enslaved Sterns for 16 years as a way to help him find solutions to some of the country's problems. In return, he promised to free Sterns but was later ignored after Ross became president.
Sterns wanted all of this to happen so that the country's citizens (including Ross' daughter, Betty) would despise him even more.
Why Isaiah Bradley Was In Jail In Captain America: Brave New World
Isaiah Bradley's unlawful act of trying to assassinate the U.S. President ultimately led to his arrest, and his fate was up in the air because the government was contemplating whether or not he would receive the death penalty. During Sam Wilson's visit while in solitary confinement, Bradley insisted that he was innocent while warning Captain America that there may be powerful outside forces in play.
As a result, Wilson was determined to prove his friend's innocence. By digging deeper into his investigation, Captain America managed to unpack Thaddeus Ross' connections to Samuel Sterns, leading him to unravel the truth about Sterns' villainous turn as The Leader. Wilson then discovered that Sterns used the song "Mr. Blue" by The Fleetwoods as a mind-control technique to bend others to his will.
Although Ross knew that Sterns was behind the attack, he still didn't allow Bradley and the other men involved in the shooting to be freed because he was also trying to cover up his connection with The Leader.
After many twists and turns (which involved a climactic showdown between Captain America and Red Hulk), Wilson proved Bradley's innocence, which eventually led to his release from solitary confinement.
What Happens to Isaiah Bradley by the End of the Movie
After being freed from prison, Isaiah Bradley expressed his endless gratitude to Sam Wilson for helping him. Wilson's assistance didn't stop there; he also fixed the public perception surrounding Bradley, essentially restoring honor to his name.
The final moments of Bradley in Captain America: Brave New World showed him saying goodbye to Wilson after he told him he was set to watch a basketball game in courtside seats, indicating that he had no qualms about being in public anymore, especially after being brainwashed by Samuel Sterns. This was a fitting curtain call for the character in the movie since it emphasized his happiness after the chaos he went through.
Not much is known about Isaiah Bradley's MCU future, but Carl Lumbly previously told The Direct in April 2025 that he would love to explore more of his character's transformation to becoming "somebody's grandfather," noting that it is an opportunity to fulfill his desire to still help:
"Well, I do love the idea of being somebody's grandfather. I think that, especially for Isaiah, what that represents is a chance, an opportunity. And I think that's why they are they are brought together.
And there may be a way in which he can help that fulfills his desire to help all along, no matter what happened to her, and it does justice to the love that created his daughter and then his grandson."
His answer is directly tied to the fact that his grandson is Eli Bradley, whose comics alter ego is The Patriot (aka a member of the Young Avengers). If Isaiah Bradley ends up returning in the future, he could somewhat be a mentor not just to his grandson, but also to other members of the MCU's Young Avengers.
