Tim Blake Nelson Reveals More Details About His MCU Return as The Leader in ‘Captain America: Brave New World’

One of the last big movies in the MCU’s Phase Five, Captain America: Brave New World is currently slated for release on February 14, 2025. Anthony Mackie will be the new Captain America in the movie, taking over for Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers from the earlier films, but it seems that the movie will provide us with more surprises in that aspect.

Although fans are obviously glad to see Sam Wilson climb up the Marvel hierarchy, there are other characters who will have a major moment in this film, and one of them is Tim Blake Nelson’s Samuel Sterns, who is coming back to the MCU after debuting in Edwad Norton’s Hulk movie.

In a recent interview for EMPIRE! magazine, Tim Blake Nelson discussed his return to the franchise and revealed some additional details about his role, all of which you will find out if you keep reading our report!

As we’ve said, Tim Blake Nelson is making a big return to the MCU, reprising his role as Samuel Sterns, the scientist turned villain known as The Leader in Captain America: Brave New World. Nelson first played Sterns in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk, where his character was exposed to Bruce Banner’s irradiated blood, setting up his transformation into a major MCU antagonist.

However, after that, fans didn’t hear much from Sterns, leaving many wondering if his story was dropped. Nelson himself jokes about the long wait in the interview, saying he began to feel like he had the “reverse Midas Touch.”

Now, 16 years later, Sterns is back, and it’s not just a small cameo. In Brave New World, the character fully embraces his comic book roots. As The Leader, Nelson’s character sports an oversized head, reflecting the distinctive feature that made The Leader famous. What makes this return even more interesting is Nelson’s involvement in the makeup process.

Instead of relying solely on CGI to create the character’s look, Nelson insisted on doing things practically. He wanted to feel the weight of the headpiece, rather than just wearing motion-capture dots. This decision allowed him to experience the transformation more authentically, adding a level of realism to his portrayal.

For Nate Moore, the producer of Brave New World, bringing back these older characters was all about timing. He highlights that when he was younger, he loved seeing familiar faces pop up unexpectedly. That’s exactly the vibe they wanted for this film, he said in the above linked interview.

Bringing back Sterns, along with characters like Betty Ross (played by Liv Tyler) and Thaddeus Ross (now portrayed by Harrison Ford), felt like a perfect opportunity. Moore explains that it wasn’t about shoehorning them in but about finding a meaningful way to explore their stories.

The return of these familiar characters, many of whom have ties to the Hulk, adds a layer of continuity to the MCU. It’s clear that the creators see this as an exciting moment to reconnect with older plot threads.

Even if some of these characters have changed dramatically — like Sterns, who’s now The Leader — there’s a feeling of returning home with old friends, even if some of them have become monstrous figures thanks to their gamma exposure.

In the midst of the MCU’s ever-growing roster of new faces and storylines, the return of characters from The Incredible Hulk offers a refreshing link to the past. Sterns’ reappearance gives a sense of closure to an old storyline, but it also opens the door to new possibilities.

For those of us who’ve followed the MCU from its early days, it’s nice to see how these long-absent characters are finally being woven back into the larger narrative.

So, while the new faces in Brave New World are exciting, the return of familiar ones like The Leader might just be what fans are most curious about. With Nelson bringing his character back to life in such a hands-on way, we’re in for an intriguing ride.

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