Captain America: New World Order star Tim Blake Nelson recently shared how excited he is to be returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the villainous Leader.
Nelson, who previously portrayed the Leader's civilian alter-ego Samuel Sterns in 2008's The Incredible Hulk, discussed his MCU comeback during Marvel Studios' D23 Expo 2022 presentation. "I'm delighted," he said. "Marvel is part of cinema history and that I get to be a part of that is an absolute honor and thank you for sticking with the Leader." With the release of Captain America: New World Order, Nelson will become the third core cast member of The Incredible Hulk to reprise their role in a subsequent MCU project, following in the footsteps of Tim Roth and the late William Hurt.
Nelson isn't the only person pumped for the Leader's return, either. Director Julius Onah recently revealed that Samuel Sterns' inclusion in Captain America: New World Order's story was a key factor in him signing on to helm the film. "One of the things that really drew me to this project is the Leader is a man who operates from intellect," he said. "And it's so great to have an adversary who is working with this incredible intellect to really put Sam [Wilson] through the wringer in this story." Onah also attributed New World Order's "real and intense" vibe to its main villain, describing the Leader as "terrifyingly intelligent."
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Along with the Leader, the third Captain America sequel will feature several other familiar faces, too. Anthony Mackie is back as newly minted Captain America Sam Wilson, having assumed the mantle in Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. He's joined by two of his co-stars from that series, Carl Lumbly (Isaiah Bradley) and Danny Ramirez (Lieutenant Joaquin Torres), and Marvel Studios has confirmed that as part of Ramirez's return, he'll step into the Falcon role left vacant by Mackie.
Ramirez recently spoke about how eager he is to portray Joaquin Torres' transition into a superhero in Captain America: New World Order, expressing amazement at how his career trajectory has changed so rapidly "I'm excited, man. It's walking out there and everyone just loves him. To receive that love is just so unique of an experience," he said. "From independent to Captain America: New World Order, just walking out and just being called my name by Kevin [Feige] was nuts. It was crazy."
Captain America: New World Order marches into theaters on May 3, 2024.
Source: D23, via The Direct