Captain America: Brave New World’s Serpent Society Fails To Impress

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Warning: SPOILERS for Captain America: Brave New World are ahead!

In the lineup for movies in 2025, “Captain America: Brave New World” marks the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first release. This film will pass the torch from Chris Evans’ Captain America to Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson. Interestingly, it also serves as a continuation of sorts for “The Incredible Hulk,” as William Hurt’s Thaddeus Ross (also known as Thunderbolt Ross) and Tim Roth’s character, Samuel Sterns or The Leader, take on the main antagonist roles. To fully appreciate this new movie, it would be beneficial to watch the 2008 “Marvel Cinematic Universe” film with a Disney+ subscription beforehand.

However, it’s important to note that Brave New World isn’t completely free of Captain America antagonists, as we also witness Sam facing off against the Serpent Society, which is led by Giancarlo Esposito’s character, Seth Voelker, better known as Sidewinder. Regrettably, despite finding this movie enjoyable (I’d rate it higher than Eric Eisenberg did in his Captain America: Brave New World review), one of my immediate thoughts upon leaving the theater was that the Serpent Society was portrayed rather unimpressively.

The Serpent Society Feels Incredibly Generic In Brave New World

In 2014, Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) fans were led to believe that the title of Captain America’s third movie would be “Captain America: Serpent Society.” However, it was a joke, and the actual title turned out to be “Captain America: Civil War.” This old joke finally came full circle in the MCU with the inclusion of the Serpent Society, but I found their portrayal unremarkable.

In summary, during the reshoots for “Captain America: Brave New World,” the Serpent Society underwent significant changes. Originally conceived as a team of villains in costumes, they’ve been reimagined as a clandestine black ops organization called SERPENT. Their path crossed with Captain America when he intercepted their attempt to sell an adamantium sample, which they had stolen from Japan. It was later revealed that Sterns was the buyer, though his presence wasn’t intended, as he was orchestrating a plan that he had meticulously planned 10 steps in advance.

In essence, apart from occasional mentions of SERPENT, some snake-related code names, and a color scheme reminiscent of Sidewinder’s comic book costume, these armed adversaries bear little resemblance to the Serpent Society. Notably, only Copperhead (played by Johannes Haukur Johannesson) among the Serpent members has a code name, but it’s unclear if this is spoken in “Brave New World”. Instead, they seem similar to the black ops groups featured in “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” and “Captain America: Civil War”, specifically led by Batroc the Leaper and Crossbones.

Giancarlo Esposito’s Scenes Feel Noticeably Separate From The Rest Of The Movie

Giancarlo Esposito wasn’t present during the main filming of “Captain America: Brave New World”. However, he became part of the project when his schedule allowed it during reshoots. His addition was intended to boost the movie’s stardom and aid in creating the desired “political thriller” atmosphere, as producer Nate Moore explained. Notably, Esposito took over the roles previously held by Seth Rollins from the WWE and Rosa Salazar from “Alita: Battle Angel”, which we’ll delve into further at a later time.

In other words, it’s fine with me that Esposito was included in Brave New World, but I’m still intrigued about how he would have portrayed Professor X. However, I find him to be the only standout character in SERPENT, as even Copperhead’s fight with Sam seemed formulaic. The issue is that Esposito doesn’t interact much with prominent characters aside from Sam. They engage in two battles, and later, Sam visits Sidewinder to gather intel that helps him decipher Samuel Sterns’ plans. It’s also worth noting that Sidewinder hinted at his escape from prison, which could lead to his reappearance in one of the future Marvel TV series.

It’s clear that integrating reshoots footage with the original filming can be tricky, and it seemed to me that Giancarlo Esposito’s scenes in the movie felt disconnected. If we had witnessed Sidewinder tracking down Samuel Sterns, it would have given Esposito a chance to act alongside Tim Blake Nelson, which might have made these scenes feel more cohesive. As things stand now, I’d be happy to watch Sidewinder again at some point, but whether he remains associated with the Serpent Society or not, I don’t really care one way or another.

I Wish We Could’ve Seen The Original Incarnation Of The Serpent Society

If “Captain America: Brave New World” had been released in its original form, audiences would have witnessed Rosa Salazar’s Diamondback spearheading the Serpent Society, with Seth Rollins possibly portraying Cobra. Although no actual footage of them was ever published, leaked set photos hinted at a dramatic airport battle between these characters and Sam Wilson. Additionally, based on information from scooper @CanWeGetSomeToast (via Reddit), it is suggested that Constrictor, Rattler, and Asp were also part of the team. These five members were said to possess unique powers derived from cybernetic enhancements.

It seemed to me that the Marvel Cinematic Universe had progressed to a point where it no longer hesitated to incorporate vibrant, costumed supervillains, not even in a film like “Brave New World.” Granted, this is supposed to be one of the more realistic entries in the MCU. However, consider that we’re discussing a movie where an incredibly intelligent, green-skinned individual with his brain exposed plans to transform the U.S. president into a rage-filled creature of crimson hue. Why wouldn’t it have been fitting to also introduce the original Serpent Society as antagonists in this scenario?

In a different phrasing, what I’m implying is that the initial rendition of the team may not have reached the status of legendary MCU villains, but it would have certainly made a stronger impact compared to the team we currently saw. If Sidewinder is back as the leader of the Serpent Society, I’d prefer a portrayal that stays truer to the comic book version in “Captain America: Brave New World”.

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2025-02-20 03:08