The Mandalorian star Giancarlo Esposito was added to the cast of Captain America: Brave New World during reshoots. Following speculation that he'd been cast as G.W. Bridge, the actor was finally confirmed as Seth Voelker/Sidewinder at last month's San Diego Comic-Con.
The character is best known for leading the Serpent Society, a group of technologically and genetically enhanced villains who may or may not have been cut from The Falcon and The Winter Soldier follow-up.
In the trailer for Captain America: Brave New World, Sidewinder looks more like a paid assassin or mercenary than anything else; however, Esposito shared some intriguing new details while appearing at Fan Expo Chicago this weekend.
He described Sidewinder as "a scientist [and] a great mind," teasing, "You will see me do things that you've never seen me do before."
In the comics, Voelker is portrayed as a criminally minded businessman rather than a genius scientist capable of creating his own team of formidable snake-themed supervillains. We're used to changes like this being made during the transition from page to screen and we'd bet on this Sidewinder having some bold ideas for Adamantium.
As for what this means for Esposito's next MCU appearance (in a Disney+ TV series), we'd say this makes him a likely candidate for Ironheart, a series which will put technology front and centre. Once again, though, the actor would need to be added to that show during reshoots.
Seth Voelker was introduced in 1980's Marvel Two-in-One #64, he was created by Mark Gruenwald, Ralph Macchio, and George Pérez.
The villain was hired by the Roxxon Oil Company to retrieve the Serpent Crown, an ancient magical artefact which offers its wearer a long list of superpowers. As Sidewinder, Voelker succeeded in his mission and later established his own supervillain group, the Serpent Society.
That was initially a success, though the villain was ultimately betrayed by Viper. However, Diamondback helped him and he continued doing his thing until retiring. Believe it or not, Voelker has since become a television pundit who shares his thoughts on posthuman beings, including the Thunderbolts.
After meeting with newly elected U.S. President Thaddeus Ross, played by Harrison Ford in his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut, Sam finds himself in the middle of an international incident. He must discover the reason behind a nefarious global plot before the true mastermind has the entire world seeing red.
Captain America: Brave New World stars Anthony Mackie, Danny Ramirez, Shira Haas, Xosha Roquemore, Carl Lumbly, with Giancarlo Esposito, Liv Tyler, Tim Blake Nelson, and Harrison Ford.
The movie is directed by Julius Onah and produced by Kevin Feige and Nate Moore. Louis D’Esposito and Charles Newirth serve as executive producers.
Captain America: Brave New World opens in U.S. theaters on February 14, 2025.