Brave New World Wasted One Of The MCU’s Best Castings

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is facing some major changes. As Phase 5 comes to a close with Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts*, fans are making the most of these more grounded entries before getting into the multiversal madness of The Fantastic Four: First Steps and the next two Avengers movies. Although there are questions about what will happen in Phase 6 and beyond, Captain America: Brave New World sets up some important characters for the MCU’s future.

As well as reports that Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson will lead the Avengers in Doomsday and/or Secret Wars, the man himself has said he plans to stay in the role of Captain America for the next decade. Brave New World introduces Shira Haas’s Ruth Bat-Seraph, turns Tim Blake Nelson’s Samuel Sterns into the Leader 17 years after The Incredible Hulk, and finally gives fans Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross his long-awaited turn into the Red Hulk. Alongside all of this, it even finds time to bring Giancarlo Esposito into the MCU.

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Giancarlo Esposito Is A High-Profile MCU Casting

The MCU has always included high-profile castings, with the likes of Angelina Jolie, Russell Crowe, and Cate Blanchett being just some of its Oscar-winning additions. Recent famous faces range from Aubrey Plaza’s role in Agatha All Along to Harrison Ford playing a recast Thunderbolt Ross in Brave New World. Other major names include Keanu Reeves, Jenna Ortega, and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson all rumored for roles in the near future. There were high hopes when Esposito announced he was joining the MCU in May 2024, but for some, his Brave New World casting is a disappointment.

As soon as Esposito was confirmed for the MCU, fan casting went into overdrive about who he might play. In the aftermath of Jonathan Majors being axed as Kang the Conqueror, many suggested that Esposito’s villainous turns as Breaking Bad’s Gus Fring and The Mandalorian’s Moff Gideon would have made him a good candidate to play the franchise’s next big bad. Others tipped him as the ‘perfect’ Doctor Doom before Robert Downey Jr. landed the part, while villains ranging from Annihilus to Magneto were named as potential characters for Giancarlo Esposito to play in the MCU. Instead, he suited up to play Seth Voelker/Sidewinder in Brave New World.

One of the most popular ideas was Giancarlo Esposito playing Professor Charles Xavier in the upcoming X-Men reboot. As well as taking him away from his typical typecasting in villain roles, it would have ensured that Esposito got a long future with the MCU. Although there was the usual vocal minority complaining about the idea of a race-swapped Xavier, others pointed to the amazing work Samuel L. Jackson has done with Nick Fury as a counterargument. Others like Chiwetel Ejiofor’s Baron Mordo, Zendaya’s MJ, and Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie prove it doesn’t have to be a big deal. Still, it looks like Esposito is locked into playing Sidewinder.

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The Future of Sidewinder

As a relatively obscure villain associated with the Serpent Society, Sidewinder is typically portrayed as a reptilian foe who was transformed during a chemical accident and developed the ability to teleport. Brave New World goes for a more boots-on-the-ground storyline in which Giancarlo Esposito’s Sidewinder is a mercenary hired to take out Mackie’s Captain America. After a brief fight with Captain America, Sidewinder is incapacitated and later makes a plea bargain in return for information on the Leader. The last time Brave New World shows Voelker, Sidewinder vows to escape from prison, teasing a chance for revenge against Cap further down the line. It’s interesting that the character was originally missing from the movie’s script, with Sidewinder and Esposito being added as part of its reshoots.

Despite a feeling that Sidewinder was shoehorned into Brave New World, at least Esposito has confirmed there are plans for the character further down the line. Speaking to Collider before his role was confined as Sidewinder, Esposito explained:

“The MCU has knocked on my door and it’s a role you won’t predict. It will be teased and there will be a series afterwards.”

Due to the MCU’s continued state of flux and the apparent cancelation of Armor Wars, it’s possible that plans have changed. It’s also unclear whether Esposito means he’ll return for a Sidewinder solo series or appear in someone else’s MCU project. Whether stopping by in something like the upcoming Daredevil: Born Again or Ironheart, Sidewinder’s mercenary credentials and membership of the Serpent Society mean he could slot into any number of outings. Still, his recent introduction and relatively minor role suggest he probably won’t pop up in Doomsday or Secret Wars.

It’s possible that the Serpent Society will become a greater threat to Captain America and the American government, especially after Brave New World cut Seth Rollins’ mystery member and Rosa Salazar’s Diamondback. It’s thought that Rollins was playing King Cobra, while the addition of Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson’s Copperhead to the movie’s final cut means the team is probably out there somewhere. Then again, evolving the idea into a whole Serpent Society TV series might be a bit of a stretch.

There’s also the problem that Sidewinder isn’t exactly an iconic Captain America villain. If there is another standalone movie, fans would likely prefer to see someone like Sin or Vermin in Captain America 5. Elsewhere, others argue that despite The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’s hated Power Broker twist, the MCU deserves a chance to redeem Emily VanCamp’s Sharon Carter.

Considering Esposito has played a villain in everything from The Boys to Abigail, it would have been fair if the MCU had wanted to cast him in a different kind of role. That makes the decision to cast him as an underused Sidewinder even more baffling. Unfortunately, it’s hard to see Sidewinder ever living up to the villainous potential of Esposito’s acting chops. There are continued reports that the MCU is facing a massive reset to bring in the X-Men following Secret Wars, with Charles Xavier’s gifted youngsters sure to get plenty of screen time. There’s any number of maleficent mutants that Esposito could have played, and with Professor X right there on the table, tethering him to Sidewinder feels like a shame.

Captain America: Brave New World

Release Date

February 14, 2025

Director

Julius Onah

Writers

Dalan Musson, Malcolm Spellman

Prequel(s)

Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War

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  Anthony Mackie

  Sam Wilson / Captain America

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  Harrison Ford

  Thaddeus ‘Thunderbolt’ Ross / Red Hulk