Cap is back!
After wowing Hall H at Comic-Con 2024, the cast of Captain America: Brave New World stopped by the Entertainment Weekly studios to reveal more secrets about the upcoming MCU film.
“Brave New World is the perfect title for this movie,” said star Anthony Mackie. “It’s a new beginning, it’s the foundation on which Marvel will build the universe going forward. This character, and all the characters that surround him, are the new building blocks that we’re going to use to move forward in the universe and into the future.”
Mackie, who will officially take up the Captain America shield as Sam Wilson, led the group and was accompanied by Harrison Ford, who replaces the late William Hurt as Thaddeus Ross, Danny Ramirez, Tim Blake Nelson and Giancarlo Esposito.
Besides the first footage of Ford transforming into the Red Hulk, the big reveal of the panel was the true identity of Esposito’s character. “I can finally unleash it,” Esposito declared during the panel. “I am the king of the Serpent Society. I am Sidewinder!”
Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson in “Captain America: Brave New World.”
Marvel
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Three different versions of Sidewinder have appeared in Marvel Comics, and in every instance, he’s a villain and a perpetual thorn in Captain America’s side. During his visit to EW Studios, Esposito further confirmed that he’ll be playing the Seth Voelker version of the classic comic book character.
“He’s a complex character who wasn’t evil from the get-go,” Esposito teases. “He arrived at the role in a different way, and hopefully that’s going to come out. You’ve seen me play villains who are good at using their brains and telling you what to do and how to do it, so I like that. I like Sidewinder because he’s a very physical character and he has to fight on an equal footing physically. And he knows how to use the tools of his trade. So he’s a character that goes against some of the things that seem like they might be true in the comics.”
Esposito isn’t one of the more familiar comic book characters to appear in the MCU. Nelson returns to reprise the role of Samuel Sterns, a role he first played in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk. “My only request was to really bring the character to life,” Nelson said. “I really wanted to capture the weight and the feel of the character, the transformation of the character, and I wanted the other actors to experience that as well. It’s been 16 years, there’s a lot of pathos and anger in the character, and I had to grow a little bit as an actor to rise to those challenges.”
Nelson reprises his role as Stern, a villain who develops supernatural powers after being exposed to gamma radiation and transforms into The Leader.
Movie legend Harrison Ford was in uncharacteristically good spirits after playing the Hulk on stage at Hall H. He clarified that his previous interviews had been confusing about the “Red Hulk” in order to purposely confuse people. “I knew, and I thought it was some epic thing that should have been kept a secret,” he said. “Unfortunately, the secret’s out.”
“I saw other actors in the Marvel Universe, really good actors who were well respected, really having fun,” he continued, “and I said, ‘I want to be that, too,’ and I got it.”
But when asked whether Thaddeus Ross or Indiana Jones was a better snake handler (Sidewinder is king of the snake club), Ford responded with his characteristically quirky sense of humor: “I’ve always answered questions like this with the utmost respect and, somehow, at the same time, complete disdain,” he joked. “I’m not going to answer that stupid question, but thanks for the opportunity.”
No, thank you Mr. Ford.
Captain America: Brave New World is currently scheduled to hit theaters on February 14, 2025.