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

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.

"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.

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.