The new Captain America: Brave New World trailer indicates an ode to slick spy thrillers from Soderbergh or Spielberg, but its new promotional poster released boasts clear comic book inspiration. Easily missed by the naked eye, former Captain America artist and writer Bob Layton took to social media to point out the poster’s apparent muse: his work.

“Imagine my surprise yesterday when I saw that the new poster for Marvel Studios’ Captain America: Brave New World recreates the classic cover of Captain America #230 by RonWilson and me,” the prolific comic book creator shared on X (formerly Twitter). The movie poster shows Sam Wilson’s Captain America fending off Harrison Ford’s Red Hulk with his inherited shield, a clear homage to Wilson and Layton’s #230 cover, where Steve Rogers faces the classic Hulk. The duo has yet to be credited for the poster.

Though Layton’s tone appeared celebratory, proper compensation and credit would warrant jubilation, too. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has never shied from visual references to classic comic book moments, albeit without acknowledgment or payouts to the creators behind them.

Despite the MCU’s track record, hope remains Captain America #230’s team feature in Brave New World‘s credits. Deadpool vs. Wolverine recently bucked Marvel’s trend of unfavorable artist erasure by including Special Thanks to the multiple creators the threequel gave a pastiche treatment — John Byrne, Chris Claremont, and Greg Capullo among them.

Of course, the similarities may only be visual. The comic book referenced sees Bruce Banner and Falcon (Sam Wilson) used as bait to lure Rogers’ Cap to Alcatraz. There, an out-of-control Banner transforms into The Hulk and gets to smashing the hero, as the cover art in question depicts. It’s a far cry from Brave New World‘s paranoid plot, which wraps a “conspiracy goes all the way to the top” story inside an overdue adaptation of the Thunderbolt Ross/Red Hulk arc from the comics.

Fans will have to wait until Feb. 14, 2025, to know for sure. In the meantime, Captain America #230 can be read on Marvel Unlimited.

Source: X (Formerly Twitter)