Giancarlo Esposito was initially slated to play a different Serpent Society villain before becoming Sidewinder in Captain America: Brave New World. In an interview with Empire, the Emmy-nominated actor has revealed that Marvel initially considered him for the role of King Cobra before pivoting to Sidewinder during the film’s additional photography phase. This casting shift occurred as part of Marvel’s broader strategy to ground the Serpent Society characters for their Marvel Cinematic Universe debut, moving away from the more fantastical elements present in the comics. The revelation provides new insight into the film’s production process, which underwent significant changes, including reshoots that delayed its release from March 2024 to February 2025.
“I was on the phone with [producer] Nate Moore, who prepped me to be, possibly, a character called King Cobra,” Esposito shared. The star also shared his excited reception of the character. “I loved [it], because if I’m walking around the neighborhood, African-Americans go, ‘What’s up, King?’ I love it. They call me King, baby! I mean, that’s the highest honor. But as it turned out, there [are other Kings] in the Marvel world, and this was connected to the Serpent Society.” However, Marvel ultimately determined that King Cobra wasn’t the best fit for Captain America: Brave New World.
“Nate said, ‘We can give you all the characteristics of King, but we think he should be Sidewinder,’” Esposito explained about the Captain America: Brave New World overhaul. “And they spoke about creating a character that was really grounded, in a mercenary fashion. They wanted to ground the movie when they went back in to do some additional shooting, and their focus now was on this additional character. So, it was a bit of a whirlwind for me. I focused myself, and I went in there and knocked it out. And I’m hoping to be in this universe a little longer.”
Will the Serpent Society Return to the MCU?
In Marvel Comics, the Serpent Society stands as one of Captain America’s most persistent foes. First appearing in Captain America #310 in 1985, the organization was founded by Seth Voelker, aka Sidewinder, who recruited various snake-themed villains to form a structured criminal enterprise with benefits like healthcare and protection for its members. The comic version of Sidewinder possesses teleportation abilities through his advanced cloak, while other members, like King Cobra, have enhanced strength, flexibility, and snake-like powers. The Society typically appears in colorful, snake-inspired costumes, with each member adopting serpentine abilities that match their codenames.
Captain America: Brave New World director Julius Onah took a distinctly different approach with the Serpent Society for their MCU debut. In an interview with Variety, Onah explained the reasoning behind the more grounded interpretation: “In publishing, these characters dress up in snake-like outfits and have snake-like powers. Some of them are so over the top that they can even be a little bit cartoonish.” The filmmaker revealed that during development, they explored various versions of the Serpent Society, including more comics-accurate interpretations. “We leaned into versions that were a bit more heightened and also versions that were a bit more grounded,” Onah said. “We found that the more grounded version, though it didn’t have some of the really fun, cool stuff in publishing, just felt way more authentic to the film.” This decision aligned with the political thriller tone of the Captain America film series.
Despite the grounded approach in Brave New World, the door remains open for a more fantastical version of the Serpent Society in future MCU projects. The film concludes with Esposito’s Sidewinder imprisoned but promising revenge against Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie). This deliberate setup, combined with Esposito’s expressed desire to remain in the MCU “a little longer,” suggests Marvel may have plans for the character’s return. Future appearances could potentially introduce more comic-accurate elements of the Serpent Society, including Sidewinder’s teleportation abilities or other members with serpentine powers.
Captain America: Brave New World is currently playing in theaters worldwide.
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2025-03-18 11:13