‘Captain America: Brave New World’ confirms Giancarlo Esposito’s mystery role

Marvel’s new Cap dropped into Comic-Con 2024 to preview the Brave New World coming to the MCU, including one big character reveal.

Giancarlo Esposito (The Boys, Better Call Saul) joined the cast of Captain America: Brave New World late in the game as part of reshoots. Marvel had kept his role strictly under wraps, but the word out of the comic book giant’s big Hall H panel on Saturday night is that Esposito is playing Sidewinder, the leader of the villainous organization known in the comics as the Serpent Society.

“It’s a dream come true,” he told the gathered fans. “It was fan casting that linked us together and we started to talk. There’s a lot of guessing about who I really am. But to be with this cast, especially Anthony Mackie… Can I say it? Wow! I can finally unleash it. I am the King of the Serpent Society. I am Sidewinder!”

The inclusion of Sidewinder and the Serpent Society is sort of an inside joke for Marvel fans. During a Marvel fan event in Los Angeles years ago that announced Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther and a whole slate of upcoming MCU movies, including Avengers: Infinity War, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige pulled a fast one by initially claiming the third Captain America movie would be Captain America: Serpent Society. At the end of that panel, he finally revealed the real title to be Captain America: Civil War.

Anthony Mackie reprises his role as Sam Wilson, who now dons the title of Captain America. Mackie was on hand at Comic-Con alongside Esposito, director Julius Onah, and actors Harrison Ford (President Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross), Danny Ramirez (Joaquin Torres), Esposito (Sidewinder), and Tim Blake Nelson (returning as Samuel Sterns from The Incredible Hulk).

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In Captain America: Brave New World, Sam meets with President Ross, who tells the new Cap to re-assemble the Avengers team. But first, there’s an international situation that needs dealing with. After someone activates long-dormant sleeper-agent brainwashing within Isaiah and other super-soldiers visiting the White House to attack Ross, Sam realizes the president’s inner circle is compromised, and there’s a nefarious plot at play that could impact the entire world.

“Sam is surrounded by a host of very good intricate characters that help him move through the plot,” Mackie said at the panel. “He’s a more cerebral, thoughtful character. He keeps that counseling, he keeps that course throughout the film.”

Footage shown in the room of Captain America: Brave New World introduces adamantium, the fictional metal from the comics that is famously grafted to Wolverine’s (Hugh Jackman) skeleton, into the MCU. Ross reveals adamantium is on Earth and that it has been recovered and taken to a secure location, thanks to Cap.

Nelson’s character is destined to transmogrify into the comic book villain known as the Leader, but the actor wouldn’t say much. “No spoilers. I want them to bring me back,” he said. “They wrote a great story for him and I think people are going to be pretty excited,” Nelson added.

Ramirez was a bit more forthcoming, confirming that Joaquin Torres (returning from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier) is destined to become the new Falcon. “I feel at home in the skies,” Ramirez said, likely referring to his recent role in Top Gun: Maverick. “It’s cool to take these wings that have gone through many iterations and have gone through wear and tear through the years. I thought they also came with knee braces because they’re a little older. But it felt good to be back up there.”

Ford, who’s confirmed to make Ross’ transformation into Red Hulk, said of his role as the president, “I make no reference to current history. None. This is a character that’s based on the very, um, a lot of history developed with Bill, who played the character previously.” (William Hurt originated the role of Ross, though the character was recast with Ford after Hurt’s death in 2022.) “But now I am Thaddeus, and I am elated, and I am proud to become a member of the Marvel universe,” Ford continued after crowd applause for Hurt. “I have been watching fantastic actors, some of which are here tonight, have a really good time working in the Marvel universe and I wanted a piece of the action. I’m very proud to be in this film.”

Captain America: Brave New World will be the next MCU film to hit theaters after this weekend’s Deadpool & Wolverine. The film will open on Feb. 14, 2025.

—Reporting by Sydney Bucksbaum.