Samuel Sterns (aka The Leader) appeared in Captain America: Brave New World with a dramatic new look and it's been confirmed that the character's design saw several changes throughout the production process.
Tim Blake Nelson originally played Sterns in The Incredible Hulk, which set up the scientist's turn into his villainous comic book character. This came to fruition almost two decades later, when Nelson reprised his role in Captain America: Brave New World, this time sporting The Leader's inhuman look.
Fans knew that The Leader was coming to cause trouble for Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) in Captain America 4, but the character's true face surprised audiences in cinemas.
The Leader's Original Design In Captain America 4
Makeup company Blue Whale Studios has revealed a look at The Leader's original design in Captain America 4 in an Instagram post.
The initial practical makeup for Nelson shows the actor with pale green skin and an elongated cranium and forehead.
The Leader is known for having a similar design in Marvel Comics, with his inhuman intelligence exemplified by his physically larger brain. He gained his powers after a drop of Bruce Banner's (The Hulk) gamma-infused blood fell into an open wound on his skull, which instigated a rapid mutation - hence the green skin.
In the post, Blue Whale Studios said they drew "inspiration from the original comic book art" and wanted to develop a look that was "grounded and iconic:"
"Drawing inspiration from the original comic book art, we developed a look that felt both grounded and iconic—true to the source while achieving a refined, natural realism. Technically, we were thrilled with how lightweight and comfortable the final makeup was for the actor—an achievement made possible by the dedication of an extraordinary team."
The team explained they began using a digital scan of Nelson, which allowed them to craft a fitted clay sculpture that maintained the original comic book design.
This makeup matches the design of The Leader that was originally included in Marvel Studios' marketing, which ended up being misleading.
As Blue Whale Studios stated, their makeup was never used as "the story evolved, and during reshoots, the creative direction shifted:"
"We were originally brought on to design and apply the practical makeup for The Leader on the incomparable Tim Blake Nelson in 'Captain America: Brave New World'. As often happens in film, the story evolved, and during reshoots, the creative direction shifted. Our version was ultimately not used in the final cut."
The final design of The Leader in Captain America: Brave New World dramatically differed from these makeup tests and the character's comic book design. In the film, Sterns has a more horrifying look, with a cranium that exposes his mutated brain and removes his hair.
Why Did Marvel Studios Alter The Leader's Look?
There has been some backlash against The Leader's design in Captain America: Brave New World. So it's surprising to learn that the Marvel movie originally had a much more comic-accurate look for the villain.
It appears the decision to change The Leader's makeup was made during re-shoots, which Captain America 4 underwent extensively.
The director, Julius Onah, explained some of the tweaks during this process to Variety, confirming that they "started off with an entirely practical version" of The Leader's makeup, but he wanted to "push it even further:"
"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... 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. 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."
Onah elaborated, saying Captain America 4 is "more grounded" and that he wanted to ensure "these heightened characters" would fit into that world. The director also added that Samuel Sterns has "a monstrosity to him" that they wanted to reflect in his design:
"You’re making a movie that is more grounded in terms of its visual aesthetic and style, so you want to make sure that even with these heightened characters, it fits into the world of the film. 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."
While The Leader's look was originally intended to reflect his comic book origins, Captain America 4 ultimately wanted to pursue a grounded thriller genre aesthetic, which lent itself to a more intimidating and monstrous design for Sterns.
Unfortunately, it's a design that underwhelmed Marvel fans. This may also not be the last time audiences see The Leader's gruesome face, as the character was left imprisoned on the Raft at the end of Captain America 4, along with Thaddeus Ross (aka Red Hulk), leaving the door open for his return.
