Captain America: Brave New World Went Through Big Reshoots, And This Wildly Different Version Of The Movie's Villain Makes The Changes Even Clearer

Warning: Spoilers for Captain America: Brave New World.

If you’re up on behind-the-scenes shenanigans of all your favorite 2025 movie releases, then you probably have heard that despite what we knew about Captain America: Brave New World before its release, is that it was rumored to have gone through some extensive reshoots. While reshoots are par for the course with big-budget movies and upcoming Marvel movie releases, reports suggest that as much as a third of the film was altered in post-production—meaning we might have almost gotten a wildly different version of Sam Wilson’s first solo outing as Cap. And nothing makes those changes more apparent than what happened to the film’s main villain.

If there was ever proof of how drastic those changes were, look no further than Tim Blake Nelson’s The Leader—a character whose final design looks nothing like what early leaks and merchandising suggested. ComicBookMovie.com’s Josh Wildling took to X (formerly Twitter) to highlight just how drastic the changes were, pointing out that the version of The Leader seen in pre-release merchandise—including a Funko Pop figure and concept art—doesn’t match his actual look in the movie at all.

The comparison Wildling shared is pretty eye-opening. The Funko Pop figure, which likely went into production before the reshoots, showcases a classic, comic-accurate take on Samuel Sterns—complete with his signature green skin and oversized cranium. But if you’ve seen Brave New World, you know that the final version of The Leader looks wildly different. Instead of the exaggerated, tall cranium and green skin look fans expected, the movie gives him a bumpy, almost fungi-like head that resembles a shower cap. Naturally, this has sparked speculation about how much Marvel altered in post-production and whether The Leader’s redesign was part of a larger shift in the film’s overall direction.

And honestly? The change is kind of baffling—because if you ask me, the original look was far superior and much more in line with what longtime fans were expecting. Wildling summed it up perfectly in his post:

“Sadly” is right. I agree with Wildling here—the version of The Leader we got in this latest superhero movie release is pretty disappointing. Whether it was a last-minute creative decision or a result of Brave New World’s reported extensive reshoots, one thing’s certain—this isn’t the Samuel Sterns we expected.

Before Brave New World's reshoots, early set leaks painted a different take on the Serpent Society, back when the film was still rolling with its original New World Order subtitle, fans caught a glimpse of a drastically different villain lineup than what ultimately made it to the big screen.

One of the first big reveals came from on-set photos featuring WWE superstar Seth Rollins and Alita: Battle Angel actress Rosa Salazar decked out in full costume, seemingly as members of the infamous Serpent Society. But during the reported 22 days of reshoots, the film’s creative direction shifted hard, with the group being rebranded as a terrorist organization known simply as "Serpent." Not only that, but Marvel Studios completely cut both Rollins and Salazar from the final cut. Instead, they brought in the legendary Giancarlo Esposito to play a new version of Sidewinder—a role previously rumored to be Rollins’ character.

Even wilder is that despite these drastic changes, Brave New World’s early marketing still reflected the original vision. Early 2024 McDonald’s Happy Meal toys included a figure of Salazar’s Diamondback character—who never even made it into the movie. This has prompted fans on X (formerly Twitter) to dig up and share on-set images of Salazar rocking bright pink hair, directly matching the scrapped toy design.

Characters being cut and Tim Blake Nelson’s Leader redesign are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the changes made leading up to Cap 4’s release. According to ScreenRant, Marvel Studios also significantly altered the character of Ruth Bat-Seraph, better known in the comics as Sabra—an Israeli-born Jewish mutant. While the film keeps her Israeli and Jewish heritage intact, it completely rewrites her backstory for the MCU. Instead of being a mutant, Sabra is introduced as a former Black Widow, aligning her more with characters like Yelena Belova and Natasha Romanoff.

We will always wonder what could have been considering all the changes. Despite its poor critical reception (we gave Captain America 4 a two-star CinemaBlend review), Brave New World won the weekend box office. Still, you can head to the theater and check it out for yourself or wait until it hits home streaming, which will be available to anyone with a Disney+ subscription.