Following the release of his Marvel film Captain America: Brave New World, Julius Onah has faced significant scrutiny over character design changes (including Tim Blake Nelson's Leader), reshoots, and the outright removal of cast members from the final cut. A notable group in this new adventure that suffered such treatment was the Serpent Society—a team of mercenaries referenced throughout the film and led by Sidewinder (Giancarlo Esposito). In an interview with Variety, Onah explained why this villainous group ended up on the cutting room floor.
"This is another case of the grounded aesthetic and tone of the film. Serpent Society had always been a part of the story since I joined, but as you are probably well aware, in publishing, these characters dress up in snake-like outfits and have snake-like powers," explained Onah. "Some of them are, you know, so over the top that they can even be a little bit cartoonish."
