Captain America: Brave New World Reshoots: Director On ‘Evolution’ And ‘Grounded’ Tone

The extensive reshoots for Captain America: Brave New World have been a topic of much discussion among Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) fans. Director Julius Onah recently shed light on the changes made during the reshoot process, emphasizing that they where an “evolution” rather than a complete overhaul.

“The nuts and bolts of the story, which was a dramatic triangle between Ross, Sam, and Stearns was always there,” Onah explained. “The idea of an emotional journey with Sam that leaned into his sense of empathy as his superpower was something that was there, but I wanted to elevate further.”

onah confirmed that the reshoots shifted the film’s tone from “heightened” to “more grounded,” citing the removal of the Serpent Society as an example.

“I think it gets a little deceptive in ‘a whole new character was added,’ as Serpent Society was always a part of the story,” he clarified. “The story function that Serpent Society serves in the film has never changed…we were deviating probably a bit too much from the grounded tone that we wanted the movie to have with how we had created Serpent Society at first.”

He continued, “You know, they are people dressed like snakes in comic books, and they have snake-adjacent powers and stuff that’s really, really heightened, and you wanted an actor who could really help us lean, or gesture towards the fantastic, but without losing that sense of grounding. So it’s not like Serpent Society or the character changed. It was just, let’s really introduce a version of them that fits into the tone of the movie.”

Another significant change involved the appearance of The Leader.

Promotional material and a Funko pop figurine revealed a departure from the traditionally large-headed comic book version. This alteration was made to emphasize the character’s tragic journey and amplify his sense of monstrosity.

“When you think about the arc of his character and the humanity that’s been taken away from him, there’s a monstrosity to him, and I really wanted to lean into that, so the moment you see him, you understand what’s propelling him as a character and his desire for retribution,” explained Onah.

The director described a blend of practical effects (prosthetics and paint) and visual effects to achieve the desired look.”We started off with an entirely practical version of it. You still see a lot of that practical work, in terms of prosthetics and paint stuff of that sort. It was great for Tim, because he’s very immersive in terms of what he likes to do as a performer,” he said, referencing actor Tim blake Nelson.

“And then when we put it together in the movie, I wanted to push it even further, to make sure that that jump could come [over] on screen,” Onah continued. “So we did enhance with visual effects, just to push it to that edge of something that hopefully wasn’t too off-putting, but again, helped you understand emotionally what was driving him.”

While the specifics of the initial script remain elusive, Onah’s insights provide valuable context for the changes made during the reshoots. Marvel Studios’ apparent aim was to ground the film in a more realistic tone, a decision that has elicited both praise and criticism from fans.

Whether this shift ultimately enhances or detracts from the film’s overall impact is a matter of personal interpretation.

How do the extensive reshoots in Captain America: Brave New World affect the film’s tone and overall narrative ?

Archyde sat down with Julius Onah, the talented director behind the much-anticipated Captain america: Brave New World, to shed some light on the extensive reshoots that have generated buzz among MCU fans.With a grounded yet emotionally evocative approach, Onah discusses the evolution of the narrative, the shift in tone, and the changes made to key characters.

Onah began by discussing the changes made to the film’s protagonist, Sam Wilson, during the reshoots.”The core of Sam’s story – his triangle relationship with steve, Bucky, and Sharon – remained intact. But I wanted to delve deeper into his sense of empathy as a superpower, a theme that was always there but could be further elevated.

“We explored how Sam’s emotional intelligence guides his actions and makes him a compelling leader. It was about weaving that into the fabric of the narrative without losing the action and tension that viewers expect from a Captain America film.”

When asked about the tone shift from heightened to grounded, Onah explained, “Initially, we had this grand spectacle with the Serpent Society, which, while visually exciting, sometimes felt at odds with the real-world, relatable tone we where going for.”

“So, we scaled back their presence, ensuring they still served their story function but Zach’s character felt more integrated with the narrative and tone. It wasn’t about changing the character or story beats, but presenting them in a way that amplified the groundedness of the film.”

One of the most noticeable changes from promotional materials was the departure from the traditional, large-headed comic book version of The Leader, a decision that onah defended as a means to emphasize the character’s tragic journey and monstrous nature.

“Tim Blake Nelson’s performance is so behooving and human, and we wanted his evolution into The leader to feel like a tragic fall, rather than a campy visual gag. So,we worked on creating prosthetics and enhanced the design with visual effects to lean into his monstrosity and emotional pain.”

As the interview wound down, Onah shared his vision for the film. “At its heart, Captain America: Brave New world is a story about connection, loss, and redemption. It’s about Sam wilson grappling with the changes in his world and finding his place in it. And it’s about the complexities of heroism in a world that expects absolute morality.”

What’s the most exciting aspect of Captain America: Brave New World that you’re looking forward to seeing on the big screen?

We thank Julius Onah for taking the time to chat with us about Captain America: Brave New World. Be sure to catch the film in theaters next month to witness the evolution of Sam Wilson and the Marvel Cinematic Universe.