[He] is such a refreshingly nuanced character for the Marvel Universe.
CARL LUMBLY: It was a joy to revisit Isaiah again.
Once I didThe Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Isaiah kind of stayed with me.
Image via Netflix
I didn’t know if he would ever be in anything again, but hell always be in me.
Perfect, because Isaiah is such an expansive character.
What would you say was one of the biggest challenges of playing him, either inCaptain Americaor inThe Falcon?
Image via Marvel Studios
In his youth, just before he went off, he married and had a wife who was pregnant.
He left her, and then he went into a world that was unrecognizable.
First the world war, the world of the military, and then imprisonment.
Image via Marvel Studios
Every time he’s lifted his head, something has knocked him down.
He lost track of that, and its Sam Wilson who gives it back to him.
His world was the Tuskegee Airmen.
His world was the idea espoused on the shield that he created when he went into battle.
It was a double V: victory at home and abroad.
They say fear is the mind-killer.
Image via Warner Bros.
That is extremely, extremely well put, and you’re absolutely right.
He touches on so many real-world themes and issues, such as living with PTSD and institutionalized racism.
LUMBLY: I’ll just speak about my experience in the industry.
I think what I’ve seen in, Ill say, the past decade has been that recoil.
I think we’re at another point where you have to decide which perspectives you wish to honor.
I think there’s another paradigm that’s available, and I think that’s going to be proven.
Image via TIFF
Now, it may be a rough go, but that’s where I hold my faith.
I’m living in my joy."
Circling back to Isaiah, as we all know, Marvel loves their spin-offs.
They love their sequels.
I’d be fascinated to hear your thoughts.
LUMBLY: Let me answer your question this way.
Captain America: Brave New World follows Sam Wilson as he steps into his role as the new Captain America. Navigating the complexities of geopolitics, Sam encounters an international incident involving a mysterious global plot. As tensions rise, he must uncover the mastermind behind the scheme to prevent worldwide chaos.
That’s how I’ve come to view it.
Someone who I admire very much said thatand I’m paraphrasing hatred only serves to destroy those who hate.
So, I feel compassion for people who carry that much hatred.
If you have a piece of that, you have an understanding of the totality of it.
That’s what I think Isaiah has a chance to recapture totally.
That’s how convincing it was.
What was the process like preparing for that character?
What was your process like when getting into character for that particular role?
It was one of the best conversations I’ve ever had.
It was free, and it was easy.
That was part of what I think Scatman brought to the character that I wanted to pick up on.
It’s a joy.
That’s how strong you are.
So, that was part of the preparation.
‘Doctor Sleep’ is its own sick, arresting spectacle.
We’re living in the age of deepfakes and AI and de-aging, but that performance is so convincing.
I think there are limits.
And I think, maybe, AI will be the test for humanity.
And maybe what is human will have to grow to compete with AI.
So, that I find kind of exciting.
But it may change, in some ways, what we think of as entertainment.
Films that I love so much may go the way of the novel.
So, I think any film, what you take away isyourfilm.
It’s why I love stage, because each night it’s different.
And whoever’s in the audience that night, that’s the play they have taken away with them.
I love camera work.
That’s been quite lovely.
To me, that’s like an honest conversation.
What we’ve heard so far is that it really plays a lot with genre.
He’s a husband, hes a father.
So, I would sayThe Life of Chuckis an opportunity for Mike to expand on what he has.
So, I can’t wait to see how he realized it.
He is joining the DC Universe, of all things, and he’s writing a Clayface movie.
The DC Universe is a world that I think a lot of people may not know you’reveryfamiliar with.
Long before Isaiah Bradley in Marvel, you were Martian Manhunter in many animated DC projects.
So, that gives you bragging rights over your cast members if you want those.
So, where I’m going with this is I know you’ve played Martian Manhunter many times.
I love doing this.
So, when I work, that’s in my mind.
I have to hold that, and I have a responsibility to them.
Navigating the complexities of geopolitics, Sam encounters an international incident involving a mysterious global plot.
As tensions rise, he must uncover the mastermind behind the scheme to prevent worldwide chaos.
