Ever since the first trailer for Captain America: Brave New World dropped, fans have all been asking themselves the same question. No, not "When do we get to see Harrison Ford's Red Hulk go smash?" (although very much that too), but instead: "Who is Giancarlo Esposito playing?" Having played the cold and calculating Gus Fring in Breaking Bad and the dastardly Moff Gideon in The Mandalorian, we always knew he'd be a baddie here. But now, thanks to Marvel's Hall H Captain America panel at Comic-Con, we know exactly which one.
Get ready to meet Sidewinder, people. Yes, Esposito is set to take on the role of the King of the Serpent Society in Julius Onah's upcoming Cap fourquel. For those who don't know, in the comics Sidewinder — real name Seth Voelker — heads up snake-themed supervillain consortium the Serpent Society. Over the years, the group have worked for and with the likes of Kingpin and Hydra, and the Society's roots with Marvel's Star-Spangled Avenger run all the way back to issue #310 of Captain America from 1985. But whilst Esposito is taking up the Sidewinder mantle, it remains to be seen whether he'll also be donning a comics accurate reptilian ruff at any stage. But given the movie's political thriller slant and Esposito's shades-and-shooter combo in the trailer, we're guessing unlikely!
As some Marvel obsessives amongst you may recall, a Serpent Society movie was briefly teased at Comic-Con back in 2014 when Kevin Feige revealed the third Captain America movie's title treatment as Captain America: Serpent Society, only to quickly drop it for the then-grander reveal of Captain America: Civil War. How Sidewinder will slot into Brave New World's framework and the wider MCU moving forwards — especially after Marvel's mic drop Robert Downey Jr. Doctor Doom reveal at the end of their SDCC event — will be fascinating to see over the coming weeks and months. And with fans in San Diego getting a new look at Harrison Ford's Thunderbolt Ross/Red Hulk in action in a new teaser shown behind closed doors at Comic-Con, we imagine we'll learn a little more about what awaits in Anthony Mackie's big-screen Cap debut very soon as the movie's 14 February, 2025 release inches ever closer.