After a year of rumors and fan speculation, Giancarlo Esposito’s mystery role in Captain America: Brave New World has finally been confirmed. During the Marvel Studios panel at Comic-Con, the actor told the audience that he will be playing Sidewinder, leader of The Serpent Society.
Esposito enthusiastically spoke to the Hall H attendees: “So there’s been a lot of guessing for who I really am. Can I say it? I can say it. I am the king of the Serpent Society! I am Seth Voelker, I am Sidewinder!”
Joining Esposito against the new Captain America will be The Leader (Tim Nelson Blake), and President Ross (Harrison Ford), who will mutate into the unstoppable Red Hulk. This is Anthony Mackie’s first solo outing as the new Captain America after The Falcon and the Winter Soldier show on Disney+ had him don the shield and suit for the first time.
First appearing in 1980, in Marvel Two-in-One #64, Voelker started as an economics professor before Roxxon Oil Company mutated him and gave him the power to teleport. This started his criminal career as Sidewinder. He initially worked as a hired henchman alongside Anaconda, Death Adder, and Black Mamba, later collectively known as the Serpent Society.
Back in 2014 during Marvel’s Hall H presentation, Captain America 3 was originally teased as being subtitled as “The Serpent Society” before revealing the true name, Civil War. There were rumors of Esposito portraying everyone from G. W. Bridge to Paladin to even Nick Fury’s brother, Jacob, also called Scorpio.
Captain America: Brave New World opens nationwide on February 14, 2025
