Marvel surprised a lot of fans when it introduced a brand new, mysterious villain to Captain America: Brave New World. Said character came late in the game, during the film’s second round of reshoots — but the prospect of Giancarlo Esposito joining Marvel’s Cinematic Universe was enough to quell many doubts. Instead, audiences were overwhelmed by curiosity over his role, which has remained under wraps until now.
At this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, Esposito and the cast of Brave New World took to Hall H to discuss the upcoming film. There, the actor’s true role was finally revealed, and it harkens back to a conflict the fans have been waiting to see in the MCU for years.
Esposito will be playing Sidewinder, the creator and “king” of the mercenary group known as the Serpent Society. In the comics, he’s a consistent thorn in Cap’s side, while the society is one of the most prolific bands of criminals in the universe.
The addition of Sidewinder feels like a reward after years of anticipation. Marvel has toyed with the idea of introducing the Serpent Society for some time; in 2016, the studio even tentatively subtitled the third Captain American film after the villain squad. Unfortunately, that turned out to be a ruse, designed to keep fans off the scent of the film’s true title, Captain America: Civil War. Still, the demand for Serpent Society has persisted since, and even if the next Captain America film isn’t totally about them, Sidewinder’s presence could set up a major conflict in a future Cap adventure.
It’ll be interesting to see how Sidewinder fits into a film with two other clear-cut antagonists: Harrison Ford’s Thaddeus Ross and Shira Haas’ Ruth Bat-Seraph, otherwise known as Sabra. Hopefully Brave New World won’t be too crowded — especially with the Red Hulk on the warpath — but Marvel clearly chose Esposito for a reason, and it’s sure to be worth it in the long run.
