Captain America: Brave New World features a familiar face from the early days of the MCU: actor Tim Blake Nelson. He is set to reprise his role of Samuel Sterns, last seen 16 years ago during phase 1 of the MCU’s infancy in The Incredible Hulk (2008). This past weekend, while attending SDCC, Nelson touched upon his return with the Trade Entertainment Weekly.
Tim Blake Nelson Talks MCU Villian Role
The trade revealed during their interview that this time, Nelson’s character would be taking on a more comic-accurate villainous approach as the long-time Hulk antagonist, the Leader.
When asked about the appeal of how to bring the character to reality, the consensus was to be as practical as possible instead of the patent motion capture and CGI approach, which has been criticized by many as a lingering flaw in recent Marvel films.
“I had only one request, which was that we realize the character practically, and they were willing to do that,” he said. “Of course, if they’d said no, I still would have done it. But I wanted to really have the look and the weight of the character and look in the mirror and see the deformation of the character and have the other actors experience that.”
Who is the Leader?
Nelson’s comments offer some insight while utilizing the signature Marvel strategy as he still keeps his thoughts to a minimum, leaving many to ponder why Feige felt this was the perfect opportunity and platform to bring Sterns back.
With it known, the last time fans saw the character was when he was exposed to some of Bruce Banners, aka the Hulk’s blood, and his body started to shift and change, most noticeably his forehead and skull manifested the most changes, but as the years and films passed on nothing came from that moment. Of course, the recent trailer offers a small sample, including his green skin. The camera shows the villain standing behind a corner with a big trench coat and jacket and a bit of his voice, but nothing beyond that.
In addition, a synopsis of the film foreshadowed Stern’s role: “Anthony Mackie returns as the high-flying hero Sam Wilson, who’s officially taken up the mantle of Captain America. After meeting with newly elected U.S. President Thaddeus Ross, Sam finds himself in the middle of an international incident. He must discover the reason behind a nefarious global plot before the true mastermind has the entire world seeing red.”
More From The Interview
One thing that stands out from the interview is how honest and upfront Nelson was about whether he would ever reprise the late role of Sterns. He also disclosed that the character this time around has grown, and he had to adapt to match the tone and mindset of the villain. “And the character has a lot of pathos and rage, and I had to grow up a little bit to meet those challenges as an actor,” he adds.
It’s an easy thought to engage and incite food for thought as Marvel looks to be returning to a more political action thriller tone, similar to Captain America: Winter Solider(2014), while still offering the fantastic fantasy of the comics with the introduction of Adamantium, which could lead to the introduction of the X-men and the Red Hulk as one of the other villains, elements are pointing to the next chapter of the Marvel experiment as one of opportunities and rewards.
Here’s What We Know
The film stars Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson / Captain America, Danny Ramirez as Joaquin Torres / Falcon, Giancarlo Esposito as Seth Voelker / Sidewinder, Harrison Ford as Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross / Red Hulk, Tim Blake Nelson as Samuel Sterns / The Leader, Liv Tyler as Betty Ross, and Carl Lumbly as Isaiah Bradley.
Julius Onah will direct, and Kevin Feige and Nate Moore will produce the film. Louis D’Esposito and Charles Newirth will serve as executive producers.
Marvel Studios’ “Captain America: Brave New World” will be released theatrically on February 14, 2025.
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