Giancarlo Esposito Previews His Debut as Sidewinder in ‘Captain America: Brave New World’
Giancarlo Esposito will finally make his long-anticipated Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) debut next February in Captain America: Brave New World.
The Mandalorian star first teased his MCU arrival in May, later insinuating that his character could be getting their own Disney+ series. Then, in June, it was confirmed that Esposito had joined the Brave New World cast. Still, both the actor and Marvel kept his role under wraps.
At San Diego Comic-Con last weekend, however, Esposito was finally allowed to reveal his mystery role.
Photo: Variety
“Can I say it? Wow! I can finally unleash it. I am the King of the Serpent Society. I am Sidewinder!” he told an enthusiastic audience.
Who Is Sidewinder?
For those unfamiliar with the Marvel comics, Sidewinder’s real name is Seth Voelker. A former professor turned criminal, Voelker eventually stole the Serpent Crown, which granted him superhuman powers. He then formed the Serpent Society, a team of mercenaries with snake-themed powers.
Photo: Screen Rant
This is not the first time that fans have been teased with the arrival of the Serpent Society in the MCU.
In 2014, Marvel Studios held a fan event at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood. There, Kevin Feige teased that the third Captain America film would be titled Captain America: Serpent Society.
Source: Complex.com
Later in the event, Feige surprised the audience by revealing that the film would actually be titled Captain America: Civil War.
“We had this great idea because Civil War’s first up, right? But we don’t blow our wad on the presentation with Civil War right at the front of it,” Feige explained at the time.
Photo: Marvel
“[Late Marvel marketing and publicity executive] Mike Pasciullo had the idea to put Serpent Society on there, and I thought it was awesome and hilarious. A part of me thought, ‘Are people going to love Serpent Society and think that’d be really cool?'”
Esposito Discusses His MCU Debut
In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Esposito discussed his entry into the MCU and lauded Marvel for its creativity.
Photo: The Hollywood Reporter
“I think there’s such great, creative minds in the MCU that have decided to go back in the great cycle of comics to create Seth Voelker and the Serpent Society,” Esposito said.
While Esposito is primarily known for his intellectual characters, such as Gus Fring on Breaking Bad and Moff Gideon on The Mandalorian, Sidewinder will be a different kind of villain.
Photo: Marvel
So, what drew Espositio to the role?
“I like it because he’s a complicated guy who didn’t start in a nefarious way,” he explained. “He came to this in a different way, which hopefully will unfold. I like it for me because you’ve seen me play certain villainous characters who use their brain, who are great at dictating what to do and how to do it.”
A New Kind of Character Villain For Esposito
According to the actor, Sidewinder will have the kind of brute physicality that has been the character’s trademark in the comics.
Photo: Marvel
“I like Sidewinder because he’s a physical guy,” Esposito continued. “He’s got to go toe-to-toe with his physicality and he knows how to use the tools of his trade. So he’s someone who plays against some of the things in the comic that you may think could be true.”
Photo: Entertainment Weekly
Captain America: Brave New World will hit theaters on February 14, 2025.
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