At the climax of “The Incredible Hulk”, side character Samuel Sterns (Tim Blake Nelson) gets hit against a table filled with Bruce Banner’s enriched blood vials. A few drops of this liquid land in a gash on his forehead, causing it to tremble and enlarge slightly. A sinister grin spreads across his face, hinting that in future Hulk movies, this character would transform into the villainous green-skinned figure known as The Leader. However, since “The Incredible Hulk 2” never materialized and Mark Ruffalo took over the role of the Hulk in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it seemed for a while that Nelson wouldn’t get to play The Leader.
In the upcoming movie “Captain America: Brave New World,” we find that it will revive Nelson’s Sterns character as The Leader and establish him as the main antagonist. It took 17 years since the debut of The Incredible Hulk in June 2008 for this storyline to be realized, but Tim Blake Nelson is now able to showcase his full potential as The Leader. Notably, during these years, Nelson appeared in another Marvel Comics villain role within a different series – he played a character in Josh Trank’s Fantastic Four from 2015.
Who Did Tim Blake Nelson Play In Fantastic Four?
2015’s “Fantastic Four” adaptation, inspired by the Ultimate Comics version and Josh Trank’s “Chronicle”, featured a teenage version of the main characters. Despite the youthful appearance required from the lead actors, the production still incorporated seasoned actors. Tim Blake Nelson portrayed a character based on Dr. Harvey Allen, a significant figure at the Baxter Foundation who guides Reed Richards’ dimensional exploration projects. Notably, this character is a variation of Harvey Elder, more famously known as Mole Man, one of the Fantastic Four’s most iconic adversaries and their initial foe in the comics.
The turbulent nature of the Fantastic Four filmmaking process is evident in a promotional video, where actor Miles Teller’s character is consistently referred to as “Harvey Elder,” the name of the character in the comics, instead of “Harvey Allen,” his screen alias from the movie. It appears that this alteration took place during the controversial reshoots, which led to issues like Kate Mara’s problematic wig. The reason for this modification remains unknown, but it seems to distance Teller’s character even further from its comic book counterpart.
Before the debut of Fantastic Four, there was speculation that the character Nelson would follow the same path as his Samuel Sterns role in The Incredible Hulk. In the initial Fantastic Four film, Nelson appeared as an ordinary individual before gaining powers and transforming into a villain in subsequent sequels. However, even if the 2015 version of Fantastic Four had been a massive box office success, these rumors would not have come to fruition. In an unexpected twist, Nelson’s character Harvey Allen met his end at the hands of Doctor Doom, with his head being destroyed by telepathic powers. Regrettably, this marked another instance where Nelson’s aspirations of becoming a recurring supervillain in multiple films were shattered.
Nelson’s Fantastic Four Role Has Fallen Into Obscurity
Ever since the debut of “Fantastic Four,” Nelson seldom discusses the movie beyond mentioning that he was unsure if there would be a sequel. Due to Nelson’s infrequent mentions about playing Mole Man in this less-than-successful reboot, it has been simple for the internet to overlook his involvement. Furthermore, Nelson’s rise to prominence in the late 2010s, highlighted by his lead role in the critically acclaimed superhero series “Watchmen,” has contributed to people forgetting about his other Marvel Comics villain character.
After long waiting, Nelson has stepped into the role of The Leader, providing him with a satisfying resolution for his first screen credit in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. His recent projects, however, may make his time spent on Fantastic Four even more forgotten. Why invest in a villain role in a film poorly received when Nelson now plays The Leader in a popular blockbuster? Additionally, the 2015 movie directed by Josh Trank didn’t offer Nelson the chance to showcase his acting skills effectively. It’s quite intriguing that Nelson has played Marvel villains in two different films. Nevertheless, there are numerous other roles that showcase Tim Blake Nelson’s superior talent as an actor, which are worth remembering instead.
Fantastic Four is now streaming on Disney+.
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2025-02-16 00:10