Posted in: Marvel Studios, Movies | Tagged: captain america: brave new world, film, Marvel Studios, mcu, The Incredible Hulk, tim blake nelson

The Incredible Hulk Star on the MCU and Working with Edward Norton

Actor Tim Blake Nelson opens up about his experiences with the MCU and why he's grateful that his return came years later.

Published Sun, 22 Sep 2024 15:17:09 -0500

by Aedan Juvet

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Article Summary

Tim Blake Nelson discusses his Marvel return as The Leader with insights from his past role in The Incredible Hulk.
Nelson appreciates the gap between roles, highlighting his work with Edward Norton and their post-Hulk collaboration.
The Leader is back in Captain America: Brave New World, promising evolved character development and MCU continuity.
Nelson hints at a potential multiversal scenario for Edward Norton's return as Hulk in future Marvel projects.

In early 2025, longtime fans of the film The Incredible Hulk (the soft entry point for the MCU) will finally get some form of a sequel with the new MCU entry Captain America: Brave New World. Thankfully, we'll be getting to see a few familiar faces from The Incredible Hulk to maintain the 2008 film's continuity while also expanding the MCU with Marvel icons just waiting to make their debut.

Marvel: Fantasticar, Doctor Doom, & More In HQ Pictures From Hall H — SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – JULY 27: (L-R) Rob Delaney, Kevin Feige, President, Marvel Studios, Harrison Ford, Tim Blake Nelson, Danny Ramirez, Giancarlo Esposito, and Anthony Mackie speak onstage during the Marvel Studios Panel in Hall H at SDCC in San Diego, California on July 27, 2024. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)

While recently speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, The Incredible Hulk star Tim Blake Nelson discussed his full-circle departure and return with Marvel, noting, "It's been a really interesting adventure. I was heartbroken when it seemed I wasn't going to come back as The Leader," the actor candidly explains before adding that his character feels more evolved this time around. He also reiterates that the large gap between Marvel projects created an opportunity for his collaboration with Edward Norton (who he also worked with for The Incredible Hulk), explaining, "I loved working with Edward and got to direct Edward in a movie right after that [2009's Leaves of Grass], so not to take a Panglossian attitude toward all this, I still do think it all happened in the best possible way, even though there was a lot of despair associated with the intervening years."

Considering that Nelson has officially returned to the world of Marvel with Captain America: Brave New World alongside the epic debut of Red Hulk, it's safe to assume that everything really did work out for the best. However, I suppose a multiversal appearance is the only possible outcome that could lead to Norton's return as Hulk.

Captain America: Brave New World Cast, Plot, and Release Date

Captain America: Brave New World features Anthony Mackie as Captain America. The Falcon, played by Mackie in previous MCU films, officially took on the mantle of Captain America in the finale of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier on Disney+ in 2021. After meeting with newly elected U.S. President Thaddeus Ross, played by Harrison Ford in his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut, Sam finds himself in the middle of an international incident. He must discover the reason behind a nefarious global plot before the true mastermind has the entire world seeing red.

Captain America: Brave New World stars Mackie, Ramirez, Shira Haas, Xosha Roquemore, Carl Lumbly, with Giancarlo Esposito, Liv Tyler, Nelson, and Harrison Ford. The film is directed by Julius Onah and produced by Kevin Feige and Nate Moore. Louis D'Esposito and Charles Newirth serve as executive producers.