Captain America: Brave New World actor Tim Blake Nelson has credited Marvel Studios and director Julius Onah for wanting to make a "reality-based superhero movie" with the Anthony Mackie-led sequel.
Appearing as a guest on Michael Rosenbaum's Inside of You podcast, Nelson, who is reprising his Incredible Hulk role as Samuel Sterns, AKA The Leader, in the fourth Captain America film, teased a more grounded superhero outing, which also tied in with them taking a practical approach with the creation of his character.
"I'm very happy about [Brave New World]. It's a wonderfully directed movie by Julius Onah," Nelson said. "I can tell you, about my character, that we did everything we could, and this was entirely supported by Marvel, and I'm so grateful to Kevin Feige and [producer] Nate Moore for supporting this: they were on board 100% to do the character as practically as possible with an absence of digital stuff.
"I really credit Marvel and also Julius [Onah] for wanting to make a very much reality-based superhero movie, as oxymoronic as that sounds," he added. "In terms of our approach to The Leader, that's really where we went, and I was really gratified to do it that way."
Nelson's Samuel Sterns was last seen in 2008's The Incredible Hulk, lying on the ground, where his transformation into someone comic fans know as The Leader seemingly began. The character was affected by Bruce Banner's blood, greatly increasing his mental abilities, so Brave New World will likely follow-up on that.
Kevin Feige and Anthony Mackie debuted the first footage from Captain America: Brave New World at CinemaCon 2024, but plot details are still largely under wraps. However, the story will explore "what makes somebody Captain America" while tapping into Sam Wilson's underdog status as he takes on the titular mantle.
Captain America: Brave New World will arrive in theaters on February 14, 2025, as part of the next wave of Marvel movies after Deadpool & Wolverine — which is the only MCU release on Disney's slate this year.
Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on X/Twitter here.
