At first glance, the Leader may seem like an odd choice for the antagonist of Captain America: New World Order, as he is a classic Hulk foe. But when looking at the Leader’s comic book history, he has all the makings of the perfect Captain America villain for the MCU. The Leader made his debut in Tales to Astonish, and soon became the Green Goliath’s first recurring supervillain.
In a similar way to Bruce Banner, the Leader was the product of a gamma-related accident, developing remarkably advanced intelligence. Alongside Steve Ditko and Jack Kirby, Stan Lee quickly established the Leader as a megalomaniac, solely driven by one goal -- world domination. The Leader is such a great concept for a character and has been used to explore so many interesting ideas that could translate incredibly well onto the big screen.
Like Captain America, the Leader Has Political Comic Book Roots
The Leader’s radical ideology makes him a natural fit for a Captain America movie, considering that the shield bearer's stories have typically been politically-charged. In his early stories, the Leader was framed as a power-hungry fanatic, with Stan Lee’s hyperbolic dialogue placing a very special emphasis on his unending pursuit of a global dictatorship. He has made several power grabs, whether it was trying to forge an alliance with the Hulk for his own gain, or acquiring a nuclear defense system. These kinds of political machinations will inevitably be a big focus in the upcoming film, given its title.
The Leader has always been a very entitled character, and that would be a fascinating aspect of the character to explore in the latest Captain America installment. During his original appearances, the creative team went to great lengths to show how the villain’s vast intellect gave him a superiority complex. From his pompous, self-proclaimed title, to his thought bubbles which revealed a deeply rooted elitist mentality. With his mastery over every field of science, there was the sense that he felt untouchable, that he could do whatever he set his mind to. There's so much potential to expand on this in the MCU, and play into the notion of the Leader as a symbol of corruption in the political sphere.
The Leader Has Proven to Be a Very Formidable Adversary
Noticeably, the Leader's introductory stories during the 1960s illustrated that he had a near infinite amount of resources at his disposal. He had control over an entire army of robots, his own spy network, and even had Spider-Man’s first supervillain, the Chameleon, under his employ. With such a staggering level of power, he will undoubtedly be a huge challenge for Captain America going forward.
From his very inception, the Leader has been a very satirical figure, characterized by a massive ego, while constantly carrying out political maneuvers. After taking all the aforementioned traits and history to his character, it is obvious that he will be a huge asset to the franchise. Hopefully, Captain America's newest film will give this villain an explosive and much-deserved introduction to the MCU.