Here’s How Captain America 4’s Underrated Villain Could Return To The MCU
Sidewinder will return in... something.
Of all the mistakes made by Captain America: Brave New World, its most egregious might be its misuse of Giancarlo Esposito, a late addition folded in during one of many rounds of reshoots. Marvel kept the Breaking Bad actor’s role under wraps for months, but at last year’s San Diego Comic-Con, the studio revealed that Esposito would be bringing a notorious group of villains, the Serpent Society, into the MCU. That announcement quelled some doubts about Brave New World, at least for a little while. Sure, production had been troubled, but how bad could a movie with Esposito in it really be?
For what it’s worth, Brave New World isn’t outright terrible so much as disappointing. There are glimmers of an exciting story in the finished product, especially when Esposito’s Sidewinder gets to share the screen with the new Captain America, Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie). Sidewinder, a mercenary hired by the film’s true villain to destabilize President Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross (Harrison Ford), is the catalyst for the action here. He’s also presented as a major threat to Sam, launching an assassination attempt in a scene that harkens back to Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Ultimately, though, Sidewinder is reduced to a plot device. The new Cap quickly defeats him, but before he’s touted off to prison he warns Sam that he’ll be back for revenge.
Sidewinder’s last appearance sets Esposito up for a worthwhile MCU adventure. There’s no telling when he’ll actually return to wreak havoc, but based on resurfaced comments from the actor, it might be worth the wait.
A Serpent Society Series?
Esposito’s role in Brave New World was too small, but there’s more where that came from.
The scope of Esposito’s Brave New World role may have disappointed fans, but the actor quietly confirmed a smaller part last year. At last May’s Phoenix Fan Fusion, Esposito revealed that his appearance would be more of a slow burn, saying, “It’s a role you won’t predict. It will be teased and there will be a series afterwards.”
A minor performance was apparently always the plan, and for what it’s worth, this isn’t the first time a major MCU character has been teased that way. Brief cameos that lead to more substantial roles were once Marvel’s bread and butter, so hopefully the franchise can reclaim that magic and find a place for Sidewinder to have a proper story. As he was added to Brave New World at the last minute, it’s unlikely he’ll appear in any Disney+ shows already filmed, like Ironheart or Daredevil: Born Again. It wouldn’t be a stretch to see the leader of “The Serpents” in any of the grounded, street-level Marvel stories on the horizon, but it would make the most sense to give Sidewinder and his mercenary team a series of their own.
Esposito has always been a scene-stealer, but he’s entirely capable of headlining his own story. Rather than squeezing Sidewinder into another supporting role, Marvel could (and should) be positioning the character as a series lead. Marvel fans have been waiting for a story focused on the Serpent Society for nearly a decade; with a new Captain America to rally against, now is as good a time as any to spotlight the villains. It may be some time before Marvel reveals Sidewinder’s future, but at least we know the franchise has another chance to get the character right.
