Giancarlo Esposito’s MCU Villain Sidewinder to Return in Upcoming Marvel Series

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Caution: This article reveals plot points from Captain America: Brave New World. Now that Giancarlo Esposito has entered the Marvel Cinematic Universe, fans are eagerly awaiting his next appearance. The talented actor, famous for his villainous roles in shows like Breaking Bad, The Boys, and The Mandalorian, made his MCU debut on the silver screen as a ruthless antagonist who aims to undermine Captain America (Anthony Mackie) in Brave New World. His character, Seth Voelker alias Sidewinder, is part of the Serpent Society, a group with a serpent theme.

In post-production, a new character portrayed by Esposito was introduced, taking over the role of the Serpent mercenary from Rosa Salazar’s Diamondback and Seth Rollins’ King Cobra. This change was orchestrated by Samuel Sterns/the Leader (Tim Blake Nelson) to execute a mission involving the theft of adamantium, which could potentially undermine U.S. President Ross’ (Harrison Ford) peace treaty with Japan.

Just Esposito’s Sidewinder and Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson’s Copperhead managed to make it through the selection process, but it’s not thought that Sidewinder will appear as a one-time villain. Following an unsuccessful assassination attempt on Captain America’s life, Sidewinder was apprehended, provided some background information about Sterns, and then cautioned Sam Wilson that he would likely break out of prison in the future.

Back in May 2024 during his appearance at Phoenix Fan Fusion, Esposito hinted at his as-yet-unrevealed Marvel character, saying to the audience, “This isn’t a role you’ll guess. There’ll be a hint and a series to follow afterwards.

Among the upcoming Marvel TV series are “Daredevil: Born Again” (March 4), “Ironheart” (June 24), “Wonder Man” (December 2025), and “Vision Quest” (2026). Given this lineup, it’s a matter of determining the most probable debut for Sidewinder. Although his appearances have been confined mainly to a few “Captain America” comic books, he did feature in Haden Blackman and Michael Del Mundo’s 2014 run of “Elektra,” as part of the Assassins Guild alongside characters like Anaconda, Black Mamba, and Death Adder.

However, it’s possible that Sidewinder’s connection to adamantium could link him to the upcoming, gritty and violent series revival titled “Daredevil: Born Again.” Since the Leader has employed Sidewinder to procure adamantium – a metal alloy said to be even more indestructible than Wakanda’s vibranium with potential uses in technology, medicine, and defense that are “immeasurable” as per President Ross – it seems that Sidewinder’s Serpents may have a part in shaping the street-level aspect of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

In the comic books, Bullseye – a longtime adversary of Matt Murdock who tragically killed his girlfriend, Elektra – suffered a shattered spine in Daredevil #181. The enigmatic character known as Lord Dark Wind debuted in issue #196, secretively collaborating with Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin, to transport the injured Bullseye to Japan for surgical reconstruction of his spine, reinforced with adamantium. This operation was orchestrated so that Bullseye would carry out a political assassination in New York City upon recovery, on Dark Wind’s behalf.

It was later unveiled that Lord Dark Wind was Kenji Oyama, a Japanese scientist who pioneered the process of bonding adamantium to human bone. Interestingly enough, it was Dr. Oyama who performed Benjamin “Dex” Poindexter’s spinal surgery in Daredevil’s third season. Despite using the alloy Cogmium to strengthen and mend Dex’s spine, the revelation of adamantium could potentially make Bullseye even more lethal.

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2025-02-18 03:09