Liv Tyler is making a long-awaited return to film with Captain America: Brave New World.
Reprising her role as Betty Ross in the latest installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the actress marks her first movie appearance since her 2019 sci-fi drama Ad Astra.
During the film’s Los Angeles premiere on Tuesday, Feb. 11, Tyler, 47, spoke with Extra about the experience, sharing that she was “very, very excited” to rejoin the franchise and “very touched to be asked.”
“I got a phone call saying, ‘[Marvel Studios President] Kevin Feige wants to speak to you,’” she recalled. Tyler, who originally played Betty Ross alongside Edward Norton in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk, admitted she was surprised by the opportunity.
“I said, ‘Well, doesn’t he want to see me? It’s been a long time!’” she joked with a laugh. “So they asked me to come back.”
A Special Comeback for Tyler
When asked what she was most excited about in her return to the big screen, the Empire Records star said, “Just the whole thing.”
Tyler shared that she had taken a break from acting in recent years to focus on raising her children.
“I’ve taken a break from acting for the past few years, and I’ve been home with my children,” she said. Tyler is mom to sons Milo, 20, and Sailor, 10, as well as daughter Lula, 8. “And it was just such a lovely way, after COVID and everything, to come back to something so special.”
She added that the film’s story and her character made for the perfect return.
“The family, and the character — it was sort of a perfect way to lure me back into remembering how much I love acting.”
As for how her kids feel about her comeback, Tyler shared a touching moment.
“Well, we went to see Dog Man last week, and there was a poster [for Brave New World], and I thought, ‘Wow, they’ve never seen me in a movie ever!’ So I get to take them to the movies and see Mommy, which I’m really looking forward to.”
Inside Captain America: Brave New World
Brave New World stars Anthony Mackie and Harrison Ford, alongside Giancarlo Esposito, Danny Ramirez, Shira Haas, Xosha Roquemore, Carl Lumbly, Tim Blake Nelson, and Tyler.
Mackie, 46, leads the cast as Sam Wilson, the new Captain America, while Ford, 82, steps into the role of Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, previously played by the late William Hurt, who passed away in 2022. In the film, Ross has just been named President of the United States.
Ford’s portrayal has sparked speculation that he could also become the Red Hulk, a transformation introduced in Marvel comics and teased in the film’s trailer.
Captain America: Brave New World arrives in theaters on Friday, Feb. 14.
