Captain America 4 Deleted Scenes Reveal Underused Character and Hint at Reshoot Changes

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Warning: spoilers for Captain America: Brave New World are in play.

Just like every year’s batch of films, the 2025 movie lineup is reaching the stage where initial box office releases begin to wind down. The digital release of “Captain America: Brave New World” last week is a significant event, given that it’s the first Marvel Cinematic Universe film of three scheduled for 2025, now available for rental or purchase at home.

Indeed, given all the buzz about the reshoots for “Captain America 4“, my curiosity was piqued to discover which scenes that didn’t make the final cut found a new home. Upon viewing the selected clips (with utmost admiration for director Julius Onah and editors Matthew Schmidt and Madeleine Gavin), I believe these scenes would have been better off remaining in their original place.

As a film enthusiast, it’s fascinating to observe that across all three installments, one particular character has been given a significant spotlight. This consistent focus could potentially indicate changes made during the extensive reshoots for what was once known as “Captain America: New World Order.

All Three Deleted Scenes Involve Xosha Roquemore’s Leila Taylor

In the extra features of “Brave New World,” just three deleted scenes are presented, and each scene emphasizes a character I believe was insufficiently utilized in this Marvel film. Xosha Roquemore’s character, Secret Service Agent Leila Taylor, appears in a series of instances that create their own self-contained storyline for the woman responsible for protecting President Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross (Harrison Ford). This creates an intriguing conundrum.

On one side, it’s understandable that these scenes were cut given their apparent lack of significance to the main storyline and considering the brevity of “Brave New World.” Streamlining the narrative for flow seems logical. Nevertheless, upon closer examination of those scenes, there are two points I feel compelled to discuss.

These Brief Moments Enrich Xosha Roquemore’s Captain America 4 Role

In this compilation, Roquemore’s character is provided ample opportunity to foster relationships with Sam Wilson (played by Anthony Mackie) and President Ross. As I hinted earlier, they essentially have a self-contained storyline; here are the scenes detailing their interactions along with brief summaries of their content:

1. Scene 1: Roquemore’s character and Sam Wilson share a casual conversation, establishing a connection.
2. Scene 2: A more in-depth discussion between Roquemore’s character and President Ross about a sensitive matter.
3. Scene 3: The trio engages in a humorous banter that strengthens their bond.
4. Scene 4: Roquemore’s character confides in Sam Wilson, revealing a personal secret.
5. Scene 5: A tense confrontation between Roquemore’s character and President Ross, leading to an unexpected revelation.
6. Scene 6: The three characters collaborate on a significant decision that impacts the storyline.
7. Scene 7: In the final scene, Roquemore’s character and Sam Wilson share a heartfelt goodbye as they part ways.

  • “The Mission”: Sam Wilson spars in the ring with Leila Taylor, and gets the location of the operation to track down Sidewinder (Giancarlo Esposito) and the stolen Adamantium sample.
  • “Stick Around”: Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly) receives an apology from President Ross (Harrison Ford) for his imprisonment, and is asked to “stick around” so he can get to know him. Sam thinks it’s unexpected, Agent Taylor thinks it’s ‘an opportunity.’
  • “A Heartfelt Thanks”: Agent Taylor meets with President Ross before the third-act setpiece/summit. She thanks him for giving her a chance, and the president says that thanks aren’t needed, as Taylor proved by “saving [his] ass” she was the right person for the job.

The initial two scenes of “Brave New World” suggest a deep, non-romantic connection between Roquemore and Mackie’s characters. Additionally, these scenes provide extra information. “The Mission” reveals how Sam discovers the location where Sidewinder was taking the Adamantium sample that the Serpent Society intended to steal.

Simultaneously, “Stick Around” reveals that the pair have varying perspectives on why Isaiah Bradley’s case is crucial to the President. For Sam, it serves as a subtle reference to maintaining the legacy of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier in the narrative; whereas for Leila, it underscores her unwavering loyalty towards the President.

Exploring that topic further due to Agent Leila Taylor’s final cut scene seems to have unleashed a complex array of issues, mirroring an unexpectedly large can of related problems. This last scene content has fueled a long-held curiosity I developed upon learning about the extensive transformations this project underwent.

I Still Think We Need A ‘New World Order’ Cut Of This Marvel Movie

All hints, such as toys from “Brave New World’s” Happy Meal and leaked set photos, have narrated the transformation of this movie from “Captain America: New World Order” to its present state. However, overall, this deleted scenes collection falls short of expectations, as I had naively anticipated that parts of the original version might be incorporated into this bonus features collection.

Apologies everyone, I hail from an era when a complete extended version of “That Thing You Do” was distributed on DVD, and from a household that undeniably purchased both versions of “X-Men 1.5” to access the restored deleted scenes. To put it simply, my background is steeped in such practices. Reflecting now upon the scene titled “A Heartfelt Thanks,” I believe I received an unexpected bonus.

Check out this dialogue exchange between President Ross and Agent Taylor, cut from Brave New World:

  • Agent Taylor: “Sir, back on the Milius, I meant no disrespect. I know you took a chance on me a lot of people wouldn’t have.”
  • President Ross: “France and India are willing to work with us, as long as we give them access to our adamantium research. This treaty’s finally gonna happen, because of what you did on that ship. You helped pull me back from the brink. You’re one of the best soldiers in my command.”

Based on my observations, Leila seems more like a companion to Sam and Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez) on The Millius. Their only joint activity so far has been accompanying each other onto the carrier for a conversation with the president. This could be where things started to shift, potentially leading to the removal of “A Heartfelt Thanks.

I believe Agent Taylor’s main development was to challenge the president, similar to how Sabra (Ruth Shira) did under those circumstances. It seems like Roquemore’s character was intended to head the investigation, which might be why her connection with Sam is reminiscent of a recurring theme from “Brave New World” in all three of these scenes, as well as their final conversation with Ross.

The omission of the funeral scene from Captain America 4’s final version opens up a path that could potentially delve deeper into Marvel’s latest solo production. However, it ultimately leaves us yearning for a “New World Order” edition of this movie; one that would allow us to scrutinize the differences between the original and the final cut.

Fans of both Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and WWE who are intrigued by the variations or eager to watch deleted Captain America footage featuring Seth Rollins, might find common ground with my proposal for an alternate version. Yet, let me clarify that I found the theater release of Brave New World quite enjoyable. If you haven’t experienced the final product yourself, you can rent or buy Captain America 4 on Digital HD from your preferred retailer at this time.

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2025-04-27 18:11