Julius Onah didn’t want to “miss the opportunity” to thank Octavia Spencer in Captain America: Brave New World. The recognition comes as part of a growing trend of filmmakers acknowledging industry mentors and supporters.
The 42-year-old director has revealed why he mentioned the 54-year-old actress in the “special thanks” section of the credits for the new Marvel blockbuster, despite her not actually appearing in the movie. Special thanks credits have become increasingly significant in major film productions, often telling behind-the-scenes stories of support and collaboration.
He told PEOPLE magazine: “Octavia’s the greatest. I’m such a fan of hers, and when the conversation was being had about this film, she put in some kind words for me with Kevin Feige and had spoken to [Anthony] Mackie as well. She’s just a genuinely kind, incredibly talented human being, and I wanted to really acknowledge what a great supporter she’s been of me and other filmmakers in the past. There was no way I was gonna miss the opportunity to say thank you to her.” Feige has been the driving force behind Marvel’s success since 2008.
Why Spencer’s help has been vital
Spencer is listed alongside members of Onah’s family, the Stan Lee Foundation, and the late Marvel legend’s daughter JC Lee. The Stan Lee Foundation continues to promote literacy and arts education across the country.
She and Onah previously worked together on 2019 movie Luce, which also starred Tim Roth, Naomi Watts and Kelvin Harrison Jr. The critically acclaimed film garnered multiple award nominations.
The filmmaker recently opened up on how the film helped him in the larger than life surroundings of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The franchise has become one of Hollywood’s most successful, with global earnings exceeding $22 billion.
He told Deadline: “The cast on Luce was phenomenal. The incredible Naomi Watts and Octavia Spencer going toe-to-toe; the incredible Tim Roth and Kelvin Harrison Jr. There is a sequence in that movie where Octavia’s sister breaks into a school and strips nude. That was one of the hardest shooting days of my career. And we did the whole thing [in a single shot], so you couldn’t cut away at any point from Octavia in that and the whole cast. It was a challenging moment to shoot, but I’m so satisfied and gratified by the way it turned out.”
“You take an experience like that, and then you think about a movie like this, where there’s also going to be a ton of moving pieces and high degree of difficulty. That absolutely prepared me for making something like this.” The use of complex single-shot sequences has become a hallmark of modern cinema excellence.
Onah also learned a lot from “the rehearsal process,” and the likes of Harrison Ford, Mackie and Danny Ramirez all “came early” to spent time working on the scenes. Such dedication to preparation has become standard practice in Marvel productions.
“That rehearsal process became a great way for the actors to trust each other, to trust me, and then for us to enhance dramatically what was happening in the movie. And those were all things that, from my experience on Luce, that I was able to carryover to this because the folks at Marvel were a big fan of that movie and it was a big part of the reason I ended up on ‘Cap.'”
Spencer’s influence extends beyond her Academy Award-winning performances, with many directors crediting her support for their career advancement. Her role in advocating for emerging talent has become legendary in Hollywood circles, demonstrating how personal recommendations and relationships continue to shape the industry’s future.
