Captain America: Brave New World: Who Is Giancarlo Esposito’s Sidewinder In The Movie? Explored

He was promoted to the leadership of the snake-themed group of supervillains, the Serpent Squad, under the new codename of Sidewinder. With the help of his unique cloak, which granted him the ability of teleportation, he transformed the Serpent Squad into the far more sinister Serpent Society and led the organization as one of the most feared mercenary groups in the world. The membership of the Society has also always been quite a powerhouse, including Black Mamba, Death Adder, Anaconda, Asp, Cottonmouth, Diamondback, Princess Python, Rattler, and Viper.

What is Sidewinder’s power?

Marvel often equips snake-themed villains with a diverse range of abilities that aren’t as restrictive. Sidewinder, for instance, can swiftly transport himself over vast distances or even hop through space, thanks to his cloak. Not only does it protect him from physical damage and gunfire, but his armor also enables him to teleport another person along with him.

In this story, Seth Voelker’s character is frequently portrayed as a clever strategist, often serving as the brain behind the Serpent Society’s intricate plots. Remarkably, his academic background in economics played a significant role in his ambitious plan to control the globe.

Who is the Sidewinder of the MCU?

Based on what Esposito shared with Entertainment Weekly, it seems likely that changes will occur in the Marvel Cinematic Universe version of Sidewinder. Particularly, there might be adjustments to Esposito’s costume. However, Esposito hinted that his role goes beyond just the way he looks.

“Esposito finds him fascinating because he’s intricately complex and not initially suspicious. He appreciates this character’s uniqueness and enjoys following his progression, as Esposito notes. And, he believes their storyline will become even more interesting in the future.”

Unlike many of the explicitly malevolent characters Esposito has portrayed throughout his acting career, the backstory for this Sidewinder character is surprisingly ordinary. He describes the role as incredibly intricate. To bring to life cunning antagonists like Moff Gideon and sly Gus Fring, Esposito had to pick up new acting techniques. However, Sidewinder appears to be a departure from these roles. Instead, we have a character with a physical bent, favoring skill and strategy over raw intelligence.

According to Esposito, one aspect he adores about the character Sidewinder is that he’s quite a physically-focused role. As Esposito explains, “Sidewinder challenges what you might assume about him from his comic book counterpart.”

Up until now, it’s unclear if Sidewinder’s performance in “Captain America: Brave New World,” portrayed by Esposito, will closely follow the original source material with regards to his abilities and role. Neither trailers nor photos from the film have shown Esposito in the Sidewinder costume or mentioned his teleportation powers. It appears that in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Sidewinder is more likely to be a strategic leader of the Serpent Society rather than possessing abilities like teleportation or engaging in direct confrontations with Captain America, as seen in the comics. Patient fans will finally get to witness how this character evolves when the movie releases on February 14, 2025.