Giancarlo Esposito Reveals He Was Originally Cast as a Different Villain in ‘Captain America: Brave New World’
Giancarlo Esposito, who plays Sidewinder in Captain America: Brave New World, recently revealed that he was originally set to portray a different villain in the film. In an interview with Empire, Esposito shared that he was initially cast as King Cobra but was later switched to the role of Seth Voelker, also known as Sidewinder, due to changes in the movie’s story and production schedule.
In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Sidewinder is a top mercenary for the Serpent Society and plays a crucial role in the Leader’s plan to destabilize the United States’ adamantium treaty. His actions threaten President Ross’ reputation, ultimately leading to Ross’ transformation into Red Hulk.
Unlike many MCU villains, Sidewinder survives the events of Brave New World, leaving the door open for his return in future films.
Esposito explained that Captain America: Brave New World went through significant changes, including delays and adjustments to the storyline. Initially, he was cast as King Cobra, a major villain in the Serpent Society. However, as Marvel Studios reworked the film, they decided to assign him a different character.
Despite the unexpected switch, Esposito embraced his new role and delivered a performance he’s proud of. He recalled the moment when producer Nate Moore informed him of the change:
“I was on the phone with [producer] Nate Moore, who prepped me to be, possibly, a character called King Cobra, which I loved, because if I’m walking around the neighborhood, African-Americans go, ‘What’s up, King?’ I love it.”
The actor was excited about playing King Cobra, but Marvel ultimately decided to rework the character’s place in the film. According to Esposito, Moore explained the decision by saying:
“We can give you all the characteristics of King, but we think he should be Sidewinder.”
Marvel wanted to ground the movie’s tone and ensure that the characters felt realistic, leading them to create a more mercenary-style villain in Sidewinder.
Although the switch was unexpected, Esposito approached the challenge with determination:
‘We can give you all the characteristics of King, but we think he should be Sidewinder.’ 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.”
Seth Rollins, recently confirmed that he was supposed to play King Cobra in the movie but was ultimately cut and replaced as soon as Esposito became available.
With his character surviving the events of Captain America: Brave New World, there’s a strong chance that Esposito’s Sidewinder could reappear in future Marvel projects. Fans will have to wait and see where his story goes next.
