The Captain America 4 Deleted Scenes Highlight One Character We Needed Way More Of, And It Makes Me Question Some Of The Editing Choices

Warning: spoilers for Captain America: Brave New World are in play.

As with any year’s crop of movies, the 2025 movie schedule is arriving at the point where earlier box office debuts start to head home. Captain America: Brave New World’s release onto Digital HD last week is a particularly big one, thanks to it being the MCU’s first of three 2025 entries that is now yours to rent or own at home.

So, of course, with all of the stories surrounding those massive Captain America 4 reshoots, I needed to check out which excised moments were given a home. After having watched the few scenes that were included in the package (with great respect for Brave New World director Julius Onah and editors Matthew Schmidt and Madeleine Gavin), I think these moments should have stayed put.

But, what's more is that, with the common thread of one supporting character who got to truly shine in all three, I noticed something curious; which could hint at what the massive reshoots for the film formerly known as Captain America: New World Order may have changed.

All Three Deleted Scenes Involve Xosha Roquemore’s Leila Taylor

Brave New World’s bonus features show only three deleted scenes to speak of, and each of them highlights a presence I feel was under-used in this Marvel movie. Secret Service Agent Leila Taylor, played by Xosha Roquemore, shows up in a trio of moments that form their own mini-story arc for the woman in charge of protecting President Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross (Harrison Ford), which makes for a complicated paradox.

On one one hand, I can totally see, at face value, why these moments were removed. None of them feel too important to the overall plot, and with Brave New World’s slim run time, keeping things moving makes sense. However, digging a little deeper into those moments, there are two things I need to talk about.

These Brief Moments Enrich Xosha Roquemore's Captain America 4 Role

Throughout this collection of moments, Roquemore’s character is given more time to develop a relationship with both Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) and President Ross. I wasn’t kidding when I mentioned that they made a mini-story arc of their own; as this is the list of those scenes, and brief synopses of what they contain:

• “The Mission”: Sam Wilson spars in the ring with Leila Taylor, and gets the location of the operation to track down Sidewinder (Giancarlo Esposito) and the stolen Adamantium sample.
• “Stick Around”: Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly) receives an apology from President Ross (Harrison Ford) for his imprisonment, and is asked to “stick around” so he can get to know him. Sam thinks it’s unexpected, Agent Taylor thinks it’s ‘an opportunity.’
• “A Heartfelt Thanks”: Agent Taylor meets with President Ross before the third-act setpiece/summit. She thanks him for giving her a chance, and the president says that thanks aren’t needed, as Taylor proved by “saving [his] ass” she was the right person for the job.

The first two Brave New World scenes show a platonic chemistry between Roquemore and Mackie's characters, while also adding some additional details. “The Mission” shows how Sam found out where Sidewinder was stealing that Adamantium sample the Serpent Society tries to make off with.

Meanwhile, “Stick Around” shows the pair slightly differing in the matter of why Isaiah Bradley’s case is so important to the President. For Sam, that’s a nice nod to keeping the story of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier in the picture; whereas for Leila, it shows her loyalty to the president.

That particular subject leads to a larger can of worms I think I’ve opened, thanks to Agent Leila Taylor’s final deleted scene. The contents of that last scene support a desire I’ve held ever since first learning about the sweeping changes this picture underwent.

I Still Think We Need A ‘New World Order’ Cut Of This Marvel Movie

Everything from Brave New World’s Happy Meal toys to leaked set photos have told the story of this movie’s metamorphosis from Captain America: New World Order into its current form. And, for the most part, this deleted scene collection is a bit of a disappointment, because I foolishly hoped that some of that original version would be included in this special features package.

Forgive me folks, I come from a generation where an entire alternate cut of That Thing You Do was sent to DVD, and from a family where we definitely double dipped for X-Men 1.5 to allow us to see all of the deleted scenes restored to that film. That being said, in looking back on the deleted scene entitled “A Heartfelt Thanks,” I think I may have gotten a bit of a consolation prize.

Check out this dialogue exchange between President Ross and Agent Taylor, cut from Brave New World:

• Agent Taylor: “Sir, back on the Milius, I meant no disrespect. I know you took a chance on me a lot of people wouldn’t have.”
• President Ross: “France and India are willing to work with us, as long as we give them access to our adamantium research. This treaty’s finally gonna happen, because of what you did on that ship. You helped pull me back from the brink. You’re one of the best soldiers in my command.”

Now from what I saw, Leila doesn’t really do anything on The Millius; except accompany Sam and Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez) onto the carrier to talk to the president. That’s where I think things may have changed, necessitating the deletion of “A Heartfelt Thanks.”

I think that Agent Taylor’s true arc was to stand up to the president in the way that Sabra (Ruth Shira) did in that very setting. Furthermore, it feels like Roquemore’s character was supposed to lead the investigation, which would certainly explain her rapport with Sam being a Brave New World thread present in all three of these scenes - as well as that final conversation with Ross.

The loss of Captain America 4’s deleted funeral scene is only the beginning of the rabbit hole that Marvel’s latest stand-alone could lead a person down. But the result leads to the same conclusion: we need a “New World Order cut” of this film; if only to compare what came before to what we got as the finished product.

I think MCU fans who are curious about the differences, and WWE fans who want to see Seth Rollins’ deleted Captain America footage, can agree with my request for this alternate cut. However, I don’t want anyone to think I didn’t enjoy the Brave New World we got in theaters. If you haven’t seen the finished picture for yourself, you can currently rent and purchase Captain America 4 on Digital HD, through the retailer of your choice.