Before Captain America: Brave New World was released, FandomWire was lucky enough to speak with the icon Carl Lumbly. The actor is famous for his voicework as the Martian Manhunter J’onn J’onzz in the DC animated series. Lumbly also found success as a series regular on Alias and his numerous collaborations with Mike Flanagan. We’ve included our conversation with Mr. Lumbly below, including some follow-up questions we were able to ask him after Captain America: Brave New World was released in theaters.
Carl Lumbly and Isaiah Bradley as an Icon
When speaking to Carl Lumbly, it was impossible to ignore the upcoming Captain America: Brave New World. In the film, Lumbly returns to the role of Isaiah Bradley, the iconic hero at the heart of Truth: Red, White, and Black. He brought the character to life in The Falcon & The Winter Soldier, and reprising his role allowed Lumbly to bring the character to life again.
When asked what brought him to the role, Lumbly jokes, “Well, an invitation to an audition.” He received a script without character names on it, and even if it did, he admits he did not have much knowledge of Isaiah before. However, he was taken with the screenplay from the word go. “There was no character name, just a beautifully written set of speeches in which a man talks about his youth and wanting to be a hero. When I came out of that audition, I hoped I got it, whatever it was, but I was grateful I’d had a chance to have those words.”
Once Carl Lumbly was cast, he quickly assembled his research with the help of his son. “I’ve never been a comic book reader, so when I found out who the character was, I mentioned it to my son. He woke me up and told me, ‘No, this is serious, Dad.’ So then I began with Truth.” Truth was first released in 2003 and became one of Marvel’s most critically acclaimed series.
“I think Isaiah inspires me in the way most great heroes and leaders inspire,” Lumbly explains. “I mean men, women, my mother, my father. People I’ve watched in leadership roles, no matter where those leadership roles were, from barber shops to grocery stores. What I think is superheroic is continuing to believe in and love the idea of all of us being in it together. Having a world consciousness. That’s Isaiah. It was hard won, hard-earned, and he went through a terrifically rending betrayal. But he has survived it and has come out of it with a piece of his heart intact. That’s the place in his heart where his love lives.”
Carl Lumbly returns in Captain America: Brave New World.
We talked to Lumbly about Isaiah Bradley’s role in Captain America: Brave New World. Lumbly explained that Sam’s actions had opened up his heart once again.
“Sam turns him around about the possibility of the world that he doesn’t want to step into. And I think, for better or worse, [Isaiah] is now in the world again.” The background for Isiah also plays into his character’s feelings towards the world. “Isaiah loves the connection [with Sam], as you can imagine.”
Lumbly cites the thirty years of experimentation on Isaiah, as well as seventeen years of solitary confinement. In Lumbly’s opinion, that would have quite the effect. “I’m a bit of an introvert, and I like being alone, but not that alone.” However, with Sam, he’s found something new to celebrate in his life. “For Isaiah, it is a brave new world, and he has to be brave in a different way. It’s Sam who has opened his eyes, and there’s a depth of connection that Isaiah might only have ever had with his wife, Faith.”
Carl Lumbly Talks Martian Manhunter from The Justice League
Lumbly first found his way to the comic book fandom thanks to his portrayal of J’onn J’onzz, also known as the Martian Manhunter. Although Lumbly primarily played the character in animation, he put his heart into the role. “Well, J’onn was a voice, but he was still a character that I had to do. You take on the traits of the world you’re living in for that character. J’onn, coming from Mars, had not had a conversation or known what his voice sounded like for thousands and thousands of years. He lands on Earth and wants to help.”
Lumbly enjoys the parallels between his two iconic characters in terms of heroism. “I’m able to play in a world of fantasy where you do have powers, and you do have capabilities. The dangers are much greater, and so much of the world is hanging on to what you contribute. I think the idea of contribution becomes more important than the idea of ‘I’m a hero because I wear a suit, or I’m a hero because I can knock someone out.’”
The characters each embody the idea of heroism coming from within, which helps them shine despite the way those in power have perceived them. Lumbly believes, “We all have heroism inside us, and you never know when it will be called. It’s increased my own belief in bravery and stepping forward. Not without fear, but knowing that there’s stuff to be afraid of and stepping forward anyway.”
Carl Lumbly Talks Working with Mike Flanagan
Before and after working with Marvel, Carl Lumbly found a frequent collaborator in Mike Flanagan. The two first collaborated on Doctor Sleep, and afterward, Lumbly featured prominently in The Fall of House of Usher. It did not take long for Flanagan to impress Lumbly. “I think Mike is brilliant. He has a strong sense of literature. He loves language. He’s a wonderful writer.”
Flanagan’s writing has become famous unto itself, with his lavish monologues helping to lift up his projects. Carl Lumbly welcomed the challenge. “We did a project called The Fall of the House Usher, and there was a very long monologue in that project. I remember seeing it and talking to Mike. He said, ‘You know what, we’re just, we’re just going to shoot it. And if it doesn’t work, so what?’ What seemed daunting suddenly seemed much less daunting. His expectation was, we’ll do it because you can do it and because I can do it. That kind of trust creates joy.”
This summer, they’re due for their third collaboration, The Life of Chuck, which won the People’s Choice Award at the 2024 Toronto Film Festival. “It’s a big ensemble. We were compartmentalized, in a way, in terms of shooting it, but you still felt a sense of being with everyone else. In those moments when we could gather the way Mike operates, you feel a certain trust.”
Working with Flanagan is an easy call for Lumbly. “Why would you not jump at the chance to work with a beautiful human being? He encourages me to operate at the top of my intelligence. He’s laid out for you this bountiful meal. And he says have at it. Enjoy what you can enjoy, and be a part of what we’re putting together. It’s the best. It’s absolutely the best.”
That trust helps the large ensemble buy into Flanagan’s vision, even if they feel stretched apart in the initial shooting. “You know that he is concerned, not only with the quality and what the project will look like but how people will feel inside it. I believe this will translate to an audience watching it. Shooting it was, again, a joy. I hope people get a chance to see this film because I think it’s beautiful.”
We asked additional questions about Captain America: Brave New World after watching the movie. Below are Mr. Carl Lumbly’s responses via email.
FandomWire: You get to showcase Isaiah’s strength and powers more in Captain America: Brave New World than in your previous appearance. What was the most exciting aspect of bringing him to life as a powerful hero?
Lumbly: I wanted to work around the idea of power as something contained rather than something released: a sense of feeling, testing, probing; a keen listener; feeling very deeply. Seventeen years in solitude gives one a chance to practice many skills, including acceptance. Clearly, Isaiah is physically enhanced. It’s in his blood. There’s nothing he can do about it, but… control it.
But spiritually, Isaiah’s power comes from a promise he never made to Faith [Isiah’s wife] and wished he had. A promise made to the universe that he would never, no matter what was done to him, allow hatred to enter his heart. Not take it in… never give it out. Ever. That’s one of his greatest powers, one he shares with millions of people who have been dispossessed in one way or another in our country. In our world. We will not hate you, no matter who you are. We will love you.
FW: Even with so much strength, Isiah proves he can feel pain. What makes Isiah vulnerable to The Leader’s plan?
Lumbly: Isaiah’s vulnerability is his heart. Living in Isaiah’s heart is Faith, his wife of only a couple of years. He left her in the early months of her pregnancy to go fight for his country, aware of the risks but hoping for a change in that world for people who looked like him and all the citizens of the republic. “We the people” still lives in Isaiah’s heart. Faith still lives in Isaiah’s heart. Love still lives in Isaiah’s heart. And now, because of Sam’s Captain America, hope has reclaimed residency in Isaiah’s heart. But, because of his experience at the hands of his country, Isaiah is always alert to the reality that things can always change.
FW: The jail discussion with Sam is one of the most powerful scenes in the film.
Lumbly: Isaiah loves Sam. He admires Sam’s courage and is thrilled to have lived long enough to see him as Captain America. Representing the same ideals and principles he did. That’s why the visitation in the cell is all about what Isaiah must tell Sam. “I should have remained hidden from the world. I’m sorry I let you honor me, only to have me bring you to this place and threaten your ascent. Cut me loose. And don’t come back.”
FW: You key into the emotion of Isaiah in nearly every scene. Do you think the empathy Isaiah shows, even when falsely accused, is part of what makes him such an intriguing character?
Lumbly: I find Isaiah intriguing in a way that I’m quite used to observing in people who have the will and resiliency to persevere against all odds, and somehow also have joy and humor in abundance. They are all around us. They are us. Isaiah is us.
FW: We could see more of Isaiah in the future based on how Captain America: Brave New World ends. Do you see yourself returning for more time in the MCU?
Lumbly: In my heart, Alan, I will never leave the MCU universe. I love Isaiah. We’ll be together no matter what. I love this character. There is something simple and solid about Isaiah that I would do at any point, as long as I’m able. If that is the case, I will be a happy, happy man. With what has happened at this point, I am a happy, happy man. He represents, for me, the real strength that exists in human beings. That’s the strength to keep going forward.
Captain America: Brave New World was released on February 14, 2025. Our full interview with Mr. Lumbly can be found below.
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