#INTERVIEW: “CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD”

By Mr. Will Wong

We’ve gotten a little breather from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but big things are expected of Marvel’s CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD, the first big movie event of 2025. In this installment, Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) offiically takes the torch as Captain America, finding himself at the center of an international incident. This truly is a story of the people’s hero. You might recall that Wilson was introduced first as a counsellor, a veteran and this film will see how being a regular person with good intentions informs him in his new title.

We are thrilled to join the Film’s Global Press Conference. Gracing us today at the panel were:
Anthony Mackie – Sam Wilson / Captain America
Danny Ramirez – Joaquin Torres / Falcon
Harrison Ford – Thaddeus ‘Thunderbolt’ Ross / Red Hulk
Shira Haas – Ruth Bat-Seraph / Sabra
Giancarlo Esposito – Sidewinder
Xosha Roquemore – Leila Taylor
Tim Blake Nelson – Samuel Sterns / The Leader
Julius Onah – Director
Nate Moore – Producer
Kevin Feige – President and Chief Creative Officer of Marvel Studios

Anthony Mackie is asked about stepping into a leading role in the MCU for the first time here in CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD, taking the torch from Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers, reprising his longtime role as Sam Wilson.

Mackie: “The biggest thing for me was the first day on set. All these people I’ve known for a decade, and everyone just came up and said ‘congratulations’. Bob Moore who was my Dresser in The Winter Solider, Russell Bobbitt in Props… this was a family thing where we see character grow into fruition and get his moment to shine. I’m glad I was able to do it with friends and a host of stars I started with.”

Marvel‘s President and COO Kevin Feige comments on what the audience can expect in this upcoming release.

Feige: “This is all about Sam Wilson. We saw him last in Avengers: Endgame and we saw Steve Rogers pass the torch on and we wanted to continue that story. We’re always about bringing new characters to the MCU and with this amazing Cast you see before you, we did just that.”

Julius Onah who is known for films like Luce and The Cloverfield Paradox, steps-up to the big challenge here of directing a big Blockbuster. He speaks about this great opportunity.

Onah: “This means the world to me. Captain America always has been at heart of the MCU, and this story is very exciting, intense and emotional. I was very excited at the theme and that everyone at Marvel and this Cast lead into this with a notion of empathy. When you get to tell a story with that great a character theme and getting to direct a Cast like this, it’s amazing.”

Screen legend Harrison Ford also enters the MCU here as Red Hulk/Thaddeus ‘Thunderbolt’ Ross, taking the reins from the late William Hurt. He himself is a big fan of the MCU and talks to wanting to join it.

Ford: “I hope Red Hulk can come back in a story where he can develop into something other than Red Hulk. I think we have capacity to shapeshift between ‘Hulkness‘ and humanity, but that’s not my department! I am so happy with the opportunity to play in this playground. What an amazing group of people and an imagintative reality. I’m looking forward to having piece of the action.”

“I get to build upon what Bill [William] Hurt provided to the character and that world that Thunderbolt Ross has been a part of. I’ve watched Marvel movies and seen Actors I really liked and had a great time, I thought, ‘Hey, I want me some of that!'”

He comments on what he hopes the audience might take away from CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD, knowing well what audiences want to see in a big Blockbuster.

Ford: “It’s important the Film be something expertiential and it is important that the audience doesn’t know where it is taking them.”

Danny Ramirez joins the MCU here as Joaquin Torres/Falcon and talks about the great honour of being entrusted with taking over what his Co-Star Mackie has paved for him.

Ramirez: “It’s an honour to be entrusted to take over any mantle, especially one that Anthony Mackie has established. Just hearing stories of the letters he wrote Kevin [Feige] to bring him into universe. Getting the opportunity to walk into something established, which paralleled also much of my life, and getting to work with my heroes on-set, made being Joaquin so easy.”

Veteran actor Tim Blake Nelson gives a bit of detail about his role in this Film and why he only could’ve tackled it at this stage in his career.

Nelson: “I play Samuel Stern, in this version which isn’t the version I expected to play. I got to get better as an Actor thanks to Kevin [Feige], Nate [Moore] and Julius [Onah] and the Writers. They wrote a beautifully nuanced character that was a wonderful challenge to play, and not one I could’ve played 15 years ago because I don’t think I was the Actor that I am now. What we want to do as Actors is continue to grow. I needed this maturirty to play what they wrote. I’m incredibly grateful and had a great time with this phenomenal Cast.”

“Anthony has such a depth and soul as an Actor, but this applies to everyone on-screen. It’s great to be part of something great.”

Shira Haas has established herself as a name to watch after winning lots of acclaim in the series UNORTHODOX back in 2020. She talks about what her role here as Ruth Bat-Seraph/Sabra means for her.

Haas: “It was fun. It was really long, months of training, but thankfully, I love working-out and sports. But it was something else on a whole new level and a pleasure. Also starting to get into character and the MCU world is something very different for me and things I’ve done before. It is a gift for an Actor to do something different and to be a part of MCU world and this Film.”

Giancarlo Esposito also adds to this very stacked Cast in CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD, playing Sidewinder. He talks about what it is that appeals to him about the MCU, and particularly this project.

Esposito: “I feel honoured to join the MCU and to join a franchise with depth of intregrity. They are making films that mean something and also entertaining. But to me, the depth is in the relationships that create empathy, trust and suspicion. These elements are tantalizing to me. I’ve wanted to work with this group for a long time. What tickled me most is bringing a new character into this world.”

“I have a great depth of respect for Anthony [Mackie] as Captain America. He has charisma, leadership and morality. You can’t lead unless you can follow. Sam Wilson has been the guy in-line, watching behind the scenes and sees what the world become what it is. He chooses to be on the side of good. These elements are a part of my life and my growth.”

“There’s a depth of respect and playfulness. I identify with someone that I recognize and maybe something I could be. This is what makes great movies. The audience is gonna see this and relate on a level that helps them connect with families and other human beings.”

“This team is so mindful and that mindfulness shows the bigger picture of what this story is saying. This is enterainment, it’s gotta be fun and all these things play into elements that make me so proud to be a part of this project.”.

Marvel Studios Canada release CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD in theatres February 14, 2025.

Review here.

#INTERVIEW: “SECRET INVASION”

The great Nick Fury returns for one last time in Marvel Studios’ SECRET INVASION. He’s back and he’s a wanted man. Samuel L. Jackson reprises the role of Nick Fury – now a remarkable fourteenth appearance -in this upcoming Disney+ Series, coming June 21, 2023.

So thrilled to join a press junket with the Cast and Creators of Marvel Studios’ SECRET INVASION. Joining us today were:

Kevin Feige
Jonathan Schwartz
Ali Selim (Director)
Samuel L Jackson (Nick Fury)
Olivia Colman (Sonya Falsworth)
Emilia Clarke (G’iah)
Ben Mendelsohn (Talos)
Kingsley Ben-Adir (Gravik)
Cobie Smulders (Maria Hill)

Samuel L. Jackson tells us where we find him at in SECRET INVASION as we enter the fifth phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Jackson: “This is my second appearance post-‘Snap’ and he’s kinda been gone for a while. He’s a little tired, a little vulnerable coming back to earth because he’s been summoned. And we’ll see what happens. He’s got a bad knee now.”.

Ben Mendelsohn retuns as Talos. We get to see his family and where he is in the present day. The Actor has the distinction of having appeared in the Spider-Man franchise, in addition to Captain Marvel.

Mendelsohn: “We find Talos in a difficult time. It’s a bad time. And Nick‘s been away a bit.”.

Jackson: “Yeah but if I hadn’t been away you wouldn’t have had that other job.”.

Mendelsohn: “Yeah, that’s actually true. I got to do a lot of things while he’s been away.”.

Cobie Smulders returns as Maria Hill, a long-recurring role in the MCU and she tells us where her character is at in SECRET INVASION.

Smulders: “Working with Sam is my favourite thing. He laughs, but it’s true. So it was really exciting to come back. But speaking of strain, I think the relationship is quite strained. She’s been calling and he hasn’t been answering.”.

Don Cheadle returns as Rhodey and comments on the first post-Stark-era in the MCU. This leads to his next project in the MCU, Armor Wars.

Cheadle: “I think we’re just finding out what’s happening with Rhodey as the Series goes on. He’s in a different role and we see him more as a political animal than we have in the past. We’ve seen him as a military man but now he’s in ways a right-hand of the President. A special envoy in that regard, but I’m looking forward to getting under the hood of who he is, seeing how this relationship with Nick Fury and the other Cast members evolves.”.

Kevin Feige tells us how exactly SECRET INVASION fits into Phase Five of the MCU.

Feige: “It’s present day MCU is what we’re calling it. It exists along the timeline the shows come out in. So post She-Hulk, post Blip and this exact present day in the MCU.”.

“There’s story points see over the course of the Series. Jonathan came into my office years ago when we were thinking about the kind of shows we wanted to do on Disney+. We thought about translating the story lines of SECRET INVASION in the comics into a darker, grittier Spy Show, which we hadn’t done. We love to do different genres for everything. This was an attempt to dive back into things we touched upon in The Winter Soldier, Captain America 2 but hadn’t in a while. And really delving into the tone of a Spy Show and seeing a different dynatmic between Fury and Talos in our ’90s Action Movie, Captain Marvel.

Jackson talks about finally unlifting a bit of mystery in Nick Fury.

Jackson: “The more you find out about him, the more you like him. It’s just like peeling the onion, and having a good time. You meet people I know and I’ve never had an in-depth scene with Don so that was like Manna. I’ve been waiting to do this for years. It was wonderful to do and have that abrasive thing and it’s great to have that relationship where I assumed it was that. And we go to his house. What kind of furniture does Nick Fury have? Does he have an island in his kitchen? Can he cook? Cooking with Fury!”.

Emilia Clarke tells us about what attracted her to joining the MCU here as G’iah.

Clarke: “All the people sitting right here. Who on earth would not want to be sitting right here with all these incredible people? Even just a single one of these people on their own is enough. Altogether, it’s completely undeniable.”.

Academy Award winner Olivia Colman also joins the MCU and is a scene-stealer. She talks about her character Sonya Falsworth’s and her relationship with Nick Fury.

Colman: “She works for MI6, she likes wearing red and she’s quite funny and potentially a little bit not that nice sometimes.”.

“I can’t really think of Nick and Sonya. I’m just so excited to meet Samuel L. Jackson! They have a lovely friendship although she does like do bully you with her heavies. It doesn’t strike me as much of a friendship, but they’ve got history. They trust each other I think, but maybe they don’t. I’ve already blown it. I won’t be invited back to another Press Conference. I can’t tell you anything about it, you’ll just have to wait and see!”.

Marvel Studios’ SECRET INVASION arrives June 21, 2023 on Disney+ Canada.

(Photo/video credit: Marvel Studios/Disney)