After months of teasing the MCU debut of the iconic Marvel supervillain The Leader in Captain America: Brave New World, fans are not too pleased with the result.
First teased in 2008's The Incredible Hulk, Tim Blake Nelson is finally set to go full bad guy in the upcoming Cap sequel, returning to his role as Dr. Samuel Sterns (aka the scientist who becomes the green-headed baddie).
The Leader has been teased as a "terrifyingly intelligent" force to be reckoned with, and someone Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson will have to contend with mind-to-mind.
The Leader Disappoints MCU Fans
Fans are not too happy as the MCU seemingly debuted its take on the beloved Marvel Comics villain, The Leader.
This first peak comes by way of the first Captain America: Brave New World Funko Pop! figurines, one of which is modeled after the notoriously big-headed baddie.
While the comic book version sees the comic book antagonist as a bright green mustachioed genius with a massive swelling head to house his gamma-irradiated skin, the Funko take on the character looks significantly different.
This take on the character, which is seemingly modeled after the look Tim Blake Nelson's Leader will have in the movie, sees the villain as just a fairly normal-looking man in a brown trench coat and (most glaringly to its detractors) no giant head.
Fans have been quick to share their disdain for the design, taking to social media in drove to criticize the Funko Pop! figure.
Marvel fan Stuart Lugsden posted on his personal X (formerly Twitter) account, saying "His head should be bigger."
Meanwhile, other social media users, like @DStyles0510 have pointed out his "civilian clothes" as something to contend with, as the character is often seen in an almost alien futuristic body suit.
It is worth mentioning that is just a simplistic rendering of the character made specifically for Funko, meaning the live-action version could look wholly different when he arrives on screen, but right now, this is all fans have to go on.
Will The Leader Look Like This in Cap 4?
The final MCU Leader design has not yet been officially revealed by Marvel Studios, so fans who are worried his look may not be up to par still have some hope to grip onto.
The character has only been seen in some behind-the-scenes on-set images, and in those, he is wearing normal civilian clothes but does not look like he has gone through whatever sort of head-expanding transformation that will almost surely befall him in the movie.
Potential leaked images from the Funko branding for the character, have shown that his head does look like it is going to be at least somewhat comic-accurate during his time in the movie.
This can just barely be seen in X user @GabiMG's post about the Funko design. The live-action glimpse on the box seems to indicate the colossal cranium the character is known for.
That paired, with his green completion that is present on the Funko figure, means the Captain America: Brave New World supervillain will likely resemble the comic character in some way.
As for the college professor look he seems to be sporting below the neck that some have taken umbrage with, it remains to be seen whether that will be changed in the movie or not.
Samuel Sterns will officially become the Leader in the MCU on February 14, 2025, when Captain America: Brave New World soars into theaters.
