Original Makeup Test for The Leader in CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD Shows Comic Accurate Design

Some new behind-the-scenes photos of the make-up test for Tim Blake Nelson’s The Leader from Captain America: Brave New World has surfaced, and it offers a detailed look at the comic accurate version of the character, and it looks really cool! This design features the character’s signature oversized cranium, and I think I would’ve prefered this over what we got for the character. As you know, the film went through extensive reshoots and drastic changes, and it’s safe to say that Marvel lost its grip on this movie, and it was a big disappointment at the box office.Director Julius Onah shed light on the change in a post-release interview with Variety, explaining the decision to steer the character in a more emotionally resonant direction:“When you think about the arc of his character and the humanity that’s been taken away from him, there’s a monstrosity to him, and I really wanted to lean into that, so the moment you see him, you understand what’s propelling him as a character and his desire for retribution.”“We started off with an entirely practical version of it. You still see a lot of that practical work, in terms of prosthetics and paint stuff of that sort. It was great for Tim, because he’s very immersive in terms of what he likes to do as a performer.”“And then when we put it together in the movie, I wanted to push it even further, to make sure that that jump could come [over] on screen,” Onah continued. “So we did enhance with visual effects, just to push it to that edge of something that hopefully wasn’t too off-putting, but again, helped you understand emotionally what was driving him.”Nelson talked about how this take on The Leader isn’t the version he expected to play: "In this version, which is not the version I expected to play, I got to get better as an actor. And thanks to Kevin [Feige] and Nate [Moore] and Julius [Onah] and the writers, they wrote a beautifully nuanced character that was a wonderful challenge to play.“And that I wouldn't have been able to play 15 years ago, because I don't think, hopefully anyway, I was the actor that I am now. What we want to do most as actors is continue to grow.”He went on to say: "And I feel like I needed this maturity to be able to play what they wrote. What drives Samuel Sterns as The Leader is a sense of justice through anarchy. “There's a lot of history behind it that is exposed really beautifully in the writing. And I'm incredibly grateful that they asked me back, and I had a great time with such a phenomenal cast. “I've known a lot of them for many, many years, and I agree with Harrison, one of the features of the MCU is the way they curate the world. They put serious actors in their movies. “They don't mess around in terms of shallow choices in terms of casting, and that starts with Anthony, who has such depth and soul as an actor. But I would also say it applies to everyone on this screen right now. It's great to be a part of that group."According to reports, The Leader’s role was originally far more prominent, allegedly leading the creation of the Serpent Society and acting as a central mastermind. That would’ve made for a much more interesting story. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Blue Whale Studios Inc (@bluewhalemakeup)

Apr 29, 2025 - 15:28

Original Makeup Test for The Leader in CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD Shows Comic Accurate Design

Some new behind-the-scenes photos of the make-up test for Tim Blake Nelson’s The Leader from Captain America: Brave New World has surfaced, and it offers a detailed look at the comic accurate version of the character, and it looks really cool!

This design features the character’s signature oversized cranium, and I think I would’ve prefered this over what we got for the character.

As you know, the film went through extensive reshoots and drastic changes, and it’s safe to say that Marvel lost its grip on this movie, and it was a big disappointment at the box office.

Director Julius Onah shed light on the change in a post-release interview with Variety, explaining the decision to steer the character in a more emotionally resonant direction:

“When you think about the arc of his character and the humanity that’s been taken away from him, there’s a monstrosity to him, and I really wanted to lean into that, so the moment you see him, you understand what’s propelling him as a character and his desire for retribution.”

“We started off with an entirely practical version of it. You still see a lot of that practical work, in terms of prosthetics and paint stuff of that sort. It was great for Tim, because he’s very immersive in terms of what he likes to do as a performer.”

“And then when we put it together in the movie, I wanted to push it even further, to make sure that that jump could come [over] on screen,” Onah continued. “So we did enhance with visual effects, just to push it to that edge of something that hopefully wasn’t too off-putting, but again, helped you understand emotionally what was driving him.”

Nelson talked about how this take on The Leader isn’t the version he expected to play: "In this version, which is not the version I expected to play, I got to get better as an actor. And thanks to Kevin [Feige] and Nate [Moore] and Julius [Onah] and the writers, they wrote a beautifully nuanced character that was a wonderful challenge to play.

“And that I wouldn't have been able to play 15 years ago, because I don't think, hopefully anyway, I was the actor that I am now. What we want to do most as actors is continue to grow.”

He went on to say: "And I feel like I needed this maturity to be able to play what they wrote. What drives Samuel Sterns as The Leader is a sense of justice through anarchy.

“There's a lot of history behind it that is exposed really beautifully in the writing. And I'm incredibly grateful that they asked me back, and I had a great time with such a phenomenal cast.

“I've known a lot of them for many, many years, and I agree with Harrison, one of the features of the MCU is the way they curate the world. They put serious actors in their movies.

“They don't mess around in terms of shallow choices in terms of casting, and that starts with Anthony, who has such depth and soul as an actor. But I would also say it applies to everyone on this screen right now. It's great to be a part of that group."

According to reports, The Leader’s role was originally far more prominent, allegedly leading the creation of the Serpent Society and acting as a central mastermind. That would’ve made for a much more interesting story.

View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Blue Whale Studios Inc (@bluewhalemakeup)