The next addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Captain America: Brave New World, is set to reach theatres on February 14, 2025 – and this Captain America adventure sees Anthony Mackie’s character Sam Wilson, formerly known as Falcon, carrying the shield now that his pal Steve Rogers is retired. One of the villains he’ll be going up against is the Leader, a.k.a. Samuel Sterns, with Tim Blake Nelson reprising the character he previously played in The Incredible Hulk way back in 2008. Sterns will look a bit different than he did before – in the comics, the Leader character is known to have green skin and a deformed head. During an interview with Empire, Nelson revealed that he requested practical effects be used to create his character’s head.

Here’s the official information on Captain America: Brave New World, straight from Marvel: Anthony Mackie returns as the high-flying hero, who’s officially taken up the mantle of Captain America. Harrison Ford makes his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut as newly-elected U.S. President Thaddeus Ross, a role originated by the late William Hurt. Ross and Sam have a bit of a history: In his previous role as Secretary of State, Ross was responsible for arresting Sam and his fellow Avengers during the events of Captain America: Civil War. Now as president, Ross is eager to work with Sam, hoping to make Captain America an official military position. But that tentative alliance is jeopardized when Sam finds himself in the middle of an international incident, with friend and retired super-soldier Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly) as the prime suspect. Sam’s investigation send him on a dangerous chase, and (leading to) a deadly showdown and a tease of the menacing Red Hulk. Danny Ramirez returns as former Air Force lieutenant Joaquin Torres, who’s picked up Sam’s old wings and taken on the role of Falcon. Tim Blake Nelson is also back as Samuel Sterns, AKA The Leader, appearing in the MCU for the first time since 2008’s The Incredible Hulk. New to the cast is Shira Haas, who joins as Ruth Bat-Seraph. A former Black Widow, Ruth is now a high-ranking U.S. government official who has the trust of President Ross. Giancarlo Esposito, Liv Tyler, and Xosha Roquemore also star. The film is directed by Julius Onah and produced by Kevin Feige and Nate Moore. Louis D’Esposito and Charles Newirth serve as executive producers.

During his Empire interview, Nelson confirmed that we’ll be seeing the Leader’s colossal cranium in the authentically green, distended flesh. He said, “I requested that we do what we were going to do, practically. Which was a huge help, because I liked being able to feel the weight of the deformation on my head, rather than just wearing dots.“

Producer Nate Moore, had this to say about bringing the Leader into this story, along with Liv Tyler’s Betty Ross (also previously seen in The Incredible Hulk) and the character of Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford replaces the late William Hurt in that role): “When I was a kid, I always loved it when there were unexpected characters intersecting. We felt that this was a really interesting time to revisit [these characters.] And it didn’t feel like we’d be wedging it in. It actually felt like we could really explore it.“

Are you looking forward to seeing Tim Blake Nelson play the Leader, practical FX head and all, in Captain America: Brave New World? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

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