Rosa Salazar Reflects on Being Cut from Captain America: Brave New World

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One actor’s expectation for how their first appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe would go didn’t quite match reality. The upcoming MCU film, scheduled for release in February 2025 and featuring Anthony Mackie as the main character, appears to have plenty of antagonists, but one significant villain was surprisingly absent.

Rosa Salazar, famous for her lead role in James Cameron’s Alita: Battle Angel (2019), was originally cast in Captain America: Brave New World. Although Salazar filmed portions of the movie, her scenes didn’t make it into the final version shown in theaters. Salazar discussed being removed from the MCU sequel in an interview with Collider. Her character, Diamondback, was intended to appear alongside Seth Rollins’ Klaus Voorhees/King Cobra, but Rollins-who played another member of the Serpent Society-was also ultimately cut from the final film.

When asked about being removed from Brave New World, Salazar started by saying, “Oh, that’s really interesting, isn’t it?” She went on to explain. “Basically, I was just doing a job, so it wasn’t really up to me,” Salazar stated.

So, the call came in, and I picked up. It was my friend, Julius Onah, directing. I think… I think films often don’t turn out as expected. You have to refine things,” Salazar explained. “Sometimes you need to cut scenes, make adjustments – things like that. I don’t take criticism personally in this business, because if I did, I wouldn’t be looking this good,” Salazar joked.

She explained, “However, I believe the project simply wasn’t succeeding, and there was a significant group of, essentially, opposing forces. It included me and three other very talented individuals. I feel like the movie ultimately had a different vision than what we initially intended.”

In the comics, Rachel Leighton, also known as Diamondback, is one of the original members of the Serpent Society. She’s portrayed as a realistic, down-to-earth hero and is highly skilled in gymnastics, particularly when it comes to throwing things like blades. Initially, she fights against Captain America, but she later develops romantic feelings for him. Eventually, Diamondback assists Captain America in dismantling the Serpent Society, especially targeting Viper, and ultimately joins S.H.I.E.L.D.

Salazar Understood the Decision as a Filmmaker

Salazar then thought about her own filmmaking experience – her 2017 short film, Good Crazy. “I remember… it’s a small thing, really, compared to this, but when I made my short, I built the whole thing around a scene I found really funny. But it ended up being cut. We even had Cynthia Stevenson in it, and it just didn’t work. It just evolved into something different, and I think that’s what happened. We just ended up wanting to create something else,” Salazar explained.

In the end, Mackie’s Captain America will confront a number of enemies in Brave New World, such as Sidewinder, portrayed by Giancarlo Esposito, a mind-controlled Isaiah Bradley, played by Carl Lumbly, The Leader/Samuel Sterns, brought to life by Tim Blake Nelson, and, naturally,

While her first appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe didn’t quite work out, Rosa Salazar is still optimistic about the future. She recently shared with The Direct that Alita: Battle Angel 2 could still become a reality. “I’m always bringing up Alita,” Salazar explained. “It still might [happen].” She also mentioned that James Cameron, who wrote the original Alita film, remains heavily involved with the series. “He’s got the set. We’ll have [James] Cameron just as soon as this next Avatar…” Salazar hinted.

MCU fans can stream Captain America: Brave New World, albeit without Salazar, on Disney+.

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2025-10-05 20:13