SDCC 2024: Tim Blake Nelson "Begged" Marvel for Practical The Leader Makeup in Captain America 4

The Brave New World villain didn't want to be another CGI monstrosity.

By Russ Burlingame

Tim Blake Nelson will return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Captain America: Brave New World, reviving his villainous character of The Leader. The character debuted in 2008's The Incredible Hulk -- just the second film in the Marvel movie canon -- and hasn't been seen since. In the trailer for Brave New World, fans noticed a figure that looked suspiciously like Nelson, and guessed that The Leader would be the secret puppet master pulling the strings. Whether he's with, or against, President Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross and his hulking alter ego is anybody's guess, but either way, he's a pretty formidable villain and Nelson has been teasing his return for a while.

One thing Nelson wanted, when he learned that the character would get a more comics-accurate look this time around, was to wear a prosthetic head rather than having The Leader's enormous melon added on during post-production. We asked him about it at San Diego Comic Con last night.

tim-blake-nelson-leader-mcu-header.jpg
(Photo: Marvel Studios, Marvel Comics)

"When I was asked to come back and play this character, one of my stipulations was -- although, I have to admit, if they'd said no, I still would have done it...but pretending I could have a stipulation was, I begged, could you guys please let me do this practically?" Nelson told ComicBook. "I don't want to wear dots. I'd like to have the appliance. I wanted to feel the weight of it; I wanted to look in the mirror and see myself that way, and I wanted the actors on set with whom I was interacting to see me that way. It just deepens it."

The character is one of the only Hulk-adjacent MCU characters who didn't show up in the She-Hulk: Attorney at Law series, so bringing him back while they introduce the Red Hulk is an intersting move -- and one that likely raises questions about what's next for the Hulk corner of the MCU.

Related:

Captain America: Brave New World will star Howard Mackie as Sam Wilson/Captain America, Danny Ramirez as Joaquin Torres/ alcon, Carl Lumbly as Isaiah Bradley, Tim Blake Nelson as Samuel Sterns/The Leader, Harrison Ford as General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross, Liv Tyler as Betty Ross, and Shira Haas as Sabra. Xosha Roquemore, Rosa Salazar, and Giancarlo Esposito will play Seth Voelker/Sidewinder recently being added to the film in reshoots. Captain America: Brave New World is directed by Julius Onah (The Cloverfield Paradox, Luce), with a script from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier showrunner Malcolm Spellman, as well as Dalan Musson and Matthew Orton.

Captain America: Brave New World is currently scheduled to be released exclusively in theaters on February 14, 2025.

Trending Now: