A Marvel insider exposed turbulent production and Harrison Ford’s grumpiness on the set of Captain America: Brave New World.

Although Captain America: Brave New World‘s story is nothing short of ambitious, an anonymous source at Marvel reported that the film ended up being one of the most turbulent productions in the franchise’s history. Due to changing script, problematic real-life parallels, and an allegedly grumpy Harrison Ford, the insider claimed how the set was plagued by a tense and “politicized” environment.

Anthony Mackie in Captain America: Brave New World | image: Marvel Studios

Released on February 14, 2025, although the movie arrived freighted with financial and cultural expectations, the insider reflected on the high degree of difficulty on the reshoots and action set pieces. Further, addressing how Anthony Mackie’s movie is only the second stand-alone MCU franchise to focus on a Black superhero, after Black Panther, the Marvel insider noted how the film was set up for failure.

Marvel insider noted how Captain America: Brave New World was set up to fail 

Harrison Ford and Anthony Mackie in Captain America: Brave New World | image: Marvel Studios

Bringing together a large cast of MCU characters and multiple plot threads in Anthony Mackie‘s first solo movie, Captain America: Brave New World was poised to be an ambitious project. But now it seems that Mackie’s movie is under a lot of pressure following its massive budget and people’s expectations, especially after a few of the Phase 5 installments failed to break even.

However, while it comes as a surprise to audiences, an anonymous member of the Captain America: Brave New World crew revealed it was clear that the movie was headed in a bad direction early on. Speaking with Vulture, the insider cited the movie’s chaotic development—script changes, political undertones, and real-world events that turned the film into one of Marvel’s most difficult productions yet.

I worked on the reshoots. I think everyone on the crew knew this is probably not going to be a good film. Some of the action sequences were not believable. We had a lot of frustrations on set. My co-workers who spent more time on Brave New World than I did said, “Yeah, this has been a really rough production”. 

The insider, who worked on the reshoots, revealed that the film went through constant changes. But the real issue began when Disney held test screenings. According to the insider, the audience didn’t respond well, possibly because of the film’s political themes. The character of General Ross, played by Harrison Ford, seemed like a clear reference to the real-life political figure, Donald Trump.

General Ross reads as an allusion to Trump. He’s this very powerful general who becomes kind of a fascist and turns into a raging Red Hulk. This is my opinion, but I think Disney was realizing, ‘Hey, we’ve been bleeding for a while. Let’s try not to piss off our core base any more than we have been over the last couple of years.’ 

Comparing General Ross to Donald Trump, the insider noted that with 2024 being an election year, Disney may have feared the backlash, leading to last-minute changes. Further, adding insult to injury, the crew member noted how the original title, New World Order, sparked conspiracy theories leading them to scrap the title and turn it into Brave New World. With all these hurdles, it’s no surprise that the movie was indeed tough to make.

Crew member called Harrison Ford the crankiest performer on set 

Harrison Ford as Red Hulk in Captain America: Brave New World | image: Marvel Studios

Now, while things were already going difficult for the studio and the crew, the Marvel insider noted how Harrison Ford appeared on set to make things even tougher for people. Despite being considered a Hollywood legend, the crew member noted that working with Ford on Captain America: Brave New World was far from easy. With the actor playing the role of General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross aka Red Hulk, the insider called him out.

Harrison Ford was one of the crankiest performers I ever dealt with. Which was sad. I’m a fan. But he was very much a diva… We have to suit up 80-something Harrison Ford in these motion-capture dots. To me, it seemed like he hated it and didn’t want to do it.

Recalling Harrison Ford’s biggest challenge, his physical limitations after a plane crash, the insider noted that the actor was required to wear motion-capture gear—but apparently he hated it. Further, reflecting on how Ford carried an unnecessary attitude on set that everyone tried to please and cater to, the crew member mentioned that it “made for a very awkward work environment”.

Basically, dealing with A-list egos was the issue. It was mainly just Harrison Ford. So that was a little disappointing. At the end of the day, it was the most tense Marvel shoot I’ve ever worked on. Everyone kind of felt their bu*tholes tightening a little bit. It’s like, ‘Ugh.’

Admitting that Captain America: Brave New World “isn’t Marvel’s first rodeo”, the crew member noted being accustomed to difficult productions. However, it was particularly Harrison Ford’s A-list ego that became unusually challenging while filming Anthony Mackie’s movie. Stating that while crew members could deal with script changes and reshoots, the insider implied that it was Ford’s behavior that left everyone walking on eggshells.

Captain America: Brave New World is running in theaters worldwide.