Spoiler alert! This article contains spoilers for Captain America: Brave New World.

I’m sure that the Leader’s horrifying design in Captain America: Brave New World was a late addition to the movie. Samuel Sterns, better known as The Leader, has been one of the most anticipated returning villains in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Tim Blake Nelson reprises his role from The Incredible Hulk (2008), where Samuel Sterns’ transformation into the gamma-powered supergenius was teased. As more details about Captain America: Brave New World’s tumultuous production emerge, it’s becoming increasingly clear that his final design may not have been the filmmakers’ original vision.

Captain America: Brave New World has been subject to numerous reshoots, reportedly to refine the film’s narrative and visuals. Early reports suggested that major sequences were altered, with several actors confirming that they returned for extensive additional filming. The nature of these reshoots suggests a possible shift in creative direction regarding The Leader’s appearance. Sterns was last seen in the MCU timeline in The Incredible Hulk. After using Bruce Banner’s gamma-infused blood to turn Emil Blonsky into Abomination, Sterns ends up with Hulk’s blood dripping into an open wound on his head, which quickly starts to change shape.

Early Designs For Captain America: Brave New World’s Leader Were Very Different

Early Designs Were More Reminiscent Of The Leader’s Original Look

Early promotional material and leaks suggest that Captain America: Brave New World initially had a very different version of The Leader. Merchandise and concept art surfaced, showing a design more in line with Sterns’ classic comic book appearance—a large, elongated forehead with dark green hair. This matches the character’s traditional appearance in Marvel Comics, where his mutation primarily manifests as an overgrown cranium, symbolizing his vastly enhanced intelligence.

\n”‘};

window.arrayOfEmbedScripts[“reddit”] = “null”;

Several sources, including leaked promo art and early merchandise, showcased this design before the film’s release. The promo image from ComicBookMovie.com and discussions on Reddit support the idea that the initial version of The Leader had a more traditional appearance. This was more expected after the way Stern’s skull deformed at the end of The Incredible Hulk after being exposed to Bruce Banner’s blood. Yet this was not the Leader finally seen in the movie.

Captain America: Brave New World’s Leader Design Is Much More Grotesque

The Leader’s Look Was More Like His Redesign In 1987

The final version of The Leader that appears in Captain America: Brave New World is a far cry from the early designs. Instead of a large forehead and green hair, his head is significantly more deformed and grotesque. His skull is slightly oversized but features a bulbous, brain-like texture that extends down his neck. This mutation, with nodules and sickly green skin, is reminiscent of his transformation in The Incredible Hulk #332, where he evolved into a more monstrous form after absorbing gamma radiation from Rick Jones.

This change makes The Leader appear more like a true horror villain rather than just a man with an enlarged forehead. It also aligns him visually with other grotesque gamma mutations, such as Abomination’s updated MCU appearance. While this transformation makes sense from a storytelling perspective, it’s a drastic departure from the initial designs seen in promotional materials.

I’m Convinced Captain America: Brave New World’s Leader Design Was Changed

Brave New World Was Subject To Extensive Reshoots

There are several reasons why I believe The Leader’s design was changed late in production. First, the difficulty of making a mᴀssive-headed character work in live action cannot be understated. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania struggled to make MODOK’s oversized CGI head look convincing, and the reception to that design was overwhelmingly negative. Given the backlash, Marvel Studios may have opted to alter The Leader’s look to avoid similar criticism.

Early merchandise and promo materials reflecting his classic look further indicate a late-game change. It’s common for tie-in products to be based on earlier concept art, meaning that if a drastic redesign occurred late in production, merchandise may not have had time to update accordingly. This would explain why some early Captain America: Brave New World promotional materials depict a different Leader than the one ultimately depicted in the film.

Finally, Tim Blake Nelson himself hinted that nearly all of his scenes were resH๏τ. It’s therefore plausible that the team altered his design during this process. They likely originally filmed him with an elongated forehead but later found it visually unappealing or difficult to render convincingly, or it was received poorly in test screenings. The result is a version of the character that blends horror aesthetics and comic book legacy, to create a far more effective villain for Captain America: Brave New World.

Sources: ComicBookMovie.com, Reddit

Upcoming MCU Movies

• 
  
  

  
  

  Thunderbolts*

  Release Date

  
  May 2, 2025
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

  Powered by

  
  

  
  Expand
  Collapse
  

• 
  
  

  
  

  The Fantastic Four: First Steps

  Release Date

  
  July 25, 2025
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

  Powered by

  
  

  
  Expand
  Collapse
  

• 
  
  

  
  

  Avengers: Doomsday (2026)

  
  
  
  
  

  
  

  
  Powered by

  
  

  
  
  Expand
  Collapse
  

• 
  
  

  
  

  Spider-Man Homecoming 4

  Release Date

  
  July 24, 2026
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

  Powered by

  
  

  
  Expand
  Collapse
  

• 
  
  

  
  

  Avengers: Secret Wars

  Release Date

  
  May 7, 2027
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

  Powered by

  
  

  
  Expand
  Collapse