After much speculation, it's been confirmed that Giancarlo Esposito is playing villain Sidewinder in Captain America: Brave New World. The character is the head of the Serpent Society, and based on what was shown during Marvel's San Diego Comic-Con panel, he'll be causing some trouble for Anthony Mackie's Captain America.
Speaking to 12DOVE after the Hall H panel, Esposito teased what this version of the character will be like, and how close he'll be to the comics. "Well, you know, in the research I've done when I knew that I was going to be playing the head of the Serpent Society, someone who formed it and runs it, I wanted to know more," he explains. "I wanted to go back [and] figure out what are his colors, what do they look like, what do they do, what are his superpowers?"
The actor also shares that he thinks this is just the beginning for Sidewinder, and he'll appear more in the MCU to come. "I don't believe that all of those things will be unveiled in this movie, so I believe there will be more time you'll get with Sidewinder," he adds.
The new footage from Captain America 4 suggests that the main contention point will be Adamantium in the upcoming fourquel, and it seems like Sidewinder will be at the heart of that. "It's all about this Adamantium, it's all about this chemical," Esposito continues. "It's all about what price we're going to put on that and who's going to have the most of it and who's going to sell it.
"So in a way I think many of the characters in this movie, inclusive of Sidewinder, are mercenaries and they're looking for the highest dollar and I think they're looking who to sell it to and I think they're looking for power."
It's long been speculated who Esposito could play in the MCU, having been the subject of fan-casting for many years. However, the actor tells us that he's happy with the part he's landed for a very specific reason.
"I have to say that I listened to the fans, they wanted Professor X and he's been done in many different incarnations in the MCU and I'm so excited where I'm at," he continues. "I've always desired to do something that has never been done before. Fans are going to freak because I have the ability in this to show not only my brain, but my physicality. I have the tools and I know how to use them. You've never seen me this way."
This is just the beginning too, the actor promises. "To bring a character from scratch in the MCU derived from a history of their comics is more than I ever dreamed for and I think the fans will not be disappointed, they're going to love it," he continues. "I'm loving it, you're going to see a complicated, very interesting character who gets a chance to have legs over a period of time."
Captain America: Brave New World is released on February 12, 2025. For more, check out our guides to all the upcoming Marvel movies and shows, as well as our breakdown of how to watch the Marvel movies in order.
For more on SDCC, read our SDCC 2024 live coverage and our recap of everything that was announced at the Marvel SDCC panel.
