During the Marvel Studios portion of the Studio Showcase at D23, Marvel's President Kevin Feige made a number of exciting announcements-including con-exclusive trailers and first looks at the casts making up the upcoming films and series in Phase 5. One of those highly anticipated films is Anthony Mackie's first solo flight as Captain America, following The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Details are still fairly sparse about Captain America: New World Order, which tapped Julius Onah to direct, but we did learn who they've cast as the villain in the film. Tim Blake Nelson. Yes, Samuel Sterns from the oft-forgotten The Incredible Hulk from nearly fifteen years ago.
The Incredible Hulk-which starred Edward Norton as Bruce Banner-has been brought back into the conversation recently, with Tim Roth reprising his role as Abomination in She-Hulk (which features Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner), so it's not entirely surprising that the MCU is digging into the basket of characters and dropping them into other upcoming projects. However, Nelson's casting as the alleged villain is reason enough to cause at least some fans to hesitate. Casting Nelson, who is Jewish, as a villain in a film entitled New World Order is definitely an interesting choice, considering the real-world implications behind that phrase, which has been co-opted by antisemitic conspiracy theorists throughout the 20th and 21st centuries.
The MCU hasn't had the best track record when it comes to Jewish representation, particularly with casting Elizabeth Olsen and Aaron Taylor-Johnson in roles that are inherently tied to their comic book origins as Jewish and Romani. Even within the past year, Moon Knight came under scrutiny for their adaptation of the character Marc Spector (Oscar Isaac), who is the son of a Jewish Rabbi in the comics, which is an integral part of his journey under the thrall of Khonshu. All of which are interesting choices, when Marvel's architect Stan Lee was raised in a Jewish household, something that is evident across all of the characters that he brought to life.
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Still, perhaps there's room for Captain America: New World Order to play against the pervasive and harmful rhetoric tied to the title. It wouldn't be the first time that a Marvel villain wasn't so villainous after all. But more importantly, hopefully, whatever direction they're headed in with the film won't take away from the importance of Mackie's portrayal of Sam Wilson's first flight as Captain America.
Captain America: New World Order will soar into theaters on May 3, 2024.