Despite the division it’s caused in the fandom, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law actually did more than most of the Disney Plus shows to treat audiences to internet-breaking cameos, from Charlie Cox’s Daredevil to Benedict Wong’s Wong. And yet it could’ve squeezed in one more character we’re not currently scheduled to see until Captain America: New World Order if plans from the beginning of the superhero sitcom’s development had come to pass.
While chatting to ComicBook, header writer Jessica Gao revealed that Captain America 4‘s big villain almost had their grand unveiling in the MCU in She-Hulk. Yes, the Leader was initially slated for an appearance in the Tatiana Maslany vehicle, although at some point that concept fell by the wayside. You might expect that to have been because of his upcoming key role in Anthony Mackie’s movie, but actually Gao isn’t so sure the idea to remove him wasn’t just a simple creative decision. She explained:
“In my original pitch, I did have The Leader in there. Just as an option, as a suggestion, you know? But really, I can’t remember why [it was scrapped]. I don’t remember if it was organically taken out, because we just came up with other stuff, or if we were told no. I honestly don’t remember. But there was thought about either bringing him back or doing some version of a new version of Leader, or some relation to him. But, I mean truly, this was three years ago, and the show has evolved so much that I don’t remember what actually happened.”
Much like Tim Roth’s Abomination, the Leader is another character not seen since The Incredible Hulk. Well, technically he didn’t even appear in that, as Tim Blake Nelson’s Samuel Sterns only got so far as growing an enlarged cranium and didn’t fully graduate to full-on supervillain status. But he will do just that in New World Order. Again like Emil Blonsky, we’re anticipating him to essentially be portrayed as a brand-new character in his second appearance.
In this case, it likely means he’ll be a lot more sinister next time around, so it’s probably a good thing his She-Hulk return didn’t come off, as the show’s tone suggests he would’ve been depicted with a humorous bent instead. So just sit tight, Leader lovers, and he’ll soon make himself known when Captain America: New World Order arrives on May 3, 2024.