CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD Director on Getting Liv Tyler Back, But She Deserved More
Liv Tyler's return as Betty Ross in Captain America: Brave New World seemed like a long shot for years. Her last appearance as Bruce Banner's love interest and General "Thunderbolt" Ross' daughter was back in 2008's The Incredible Hulk.
Since then, most of that film’s supporting cast faded into Marvel limbo, especially after Mark Ruffalo replaced Edward Norton as the MCU's Bruce Banner.
While William Hurt reprised his role as Thunderbolt Ross in Captain America: Civil War and Tim Roth made his way back in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, some fans wondered if Tyler wold ever return as well.
Well, she did. But they didn’t do the character any justice at all. Director Julius Onah knew that getting Tyler back wasn't a given. She had stepped away from acting to focus on other aspects of her life. Onah explained to Collider how he approached Tyler:
“She had taken a bit of a step back from acting, focusing on other things in her life, and she's such an incredible human being. But I just went and did a Zoom and had a very honest conversation with her, like I did with every other actor who was going to become involved, as to emotionally and thematically what this movie was trying to accomplish and why I thought it would be worth their time and their talents. Luckily, she responded.”
That conversation happened early in the development process. Onah added: “It was right during the development process. I think I had the Zoom with her probably in early 2023 because it takes time to make a deal and prep and all that other stuff.
“So, it had to be well in advance so that if for some reason it wasn’t going to work out, whether scheduling or whatnot, we would have the opportunity to make another choice or decision.”
Tyler ultimately agreed, but for what ended up being a brief, understated role. For fans of The Incredible Hulk, Betty's return should have been a big deal. Instead, she only appears in a short scene at the end of the film, visiting her now-imprisoned father (Harrison Ford, taking over the role from the late William Hurt) at the Raft.
The moment carries some emotional weight, but considering the legacy of the character, and the effort to bring Tyler back, it was a missed opportunity.
I just think Tyler and her character Betty Ross deserved better. If this is the start of a larger arc for the character, great. But if this was just a brief nostalgic cameo, it’s a shame to see a character the character sidelined.