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Summary
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has had its fair share of villain misfires, butCaptain America: Brave New Worldmay have committed one of the biggest sins in its long history of adaptations.The Serpent Society, one ofCaptain America’s most unique and formidable enemy groups, was seemingly reduced to a forgettable afterthought. What was once a powerful team of killers with distinct snake-inspired abilities was boiled down to a single, unremarkable character—Sidewinder, a guy with a rifle.
The decision tostrip away everything that made the Serpent Society an intriguingand dangerous group raises questions about Marvel’s commitment to faithfully adapting its source material.While the MCU has taken creative libertiesbefore, this particular move felt less like a necessary adjustment and more like a dismissal of what made these villains so compelling in the first place. By watering down the Serpent Society,Captain America: Brave New Worldlost an opportunity to bring one of Cap’s most unique villain teams to life in a way that could have thrilled fans.
Why Ruin These Captain America Villains?
The Serpent Society is one of the most interestingvillain organizations in Captain America’s rogues' gallery. Unlike standard supervillain teams, which often feature characters with overlapping abilities, the Serpent Society’s members all have distinct powers and weapons inspired by different types of snakes. These include deadly assassins like Cobra, who could contort his body unnaturally, and Bushmaster, a cyborg with bionic enhancements that mimicked a snake’s movements. Others, like Black Mamba and Death Adder, had their own unique abilities that made them formidable foes in their own right.
Instead of bringing this diverse group of villains to life,Captain America: Brave New Worldgave fans adrastically stripped-down version of the Serpent Society. Sidewinder, one of the group’s original leaders in the comics, had the ability to teleport short distances, making him a dangerous and elusive adversary. However, inBrave New World, he was nothing more than a generic soldier with a gun. This decision is baffling, considering howmuch potential the Serpent Societyhad to be a memorable part of the film.
This decision is baffling, considering how much potential the Serpent Society had to be a memorable part of the film.
Marvel’s reluctance to embrace the morefantastical elements of the Captain Americacomics has been a recurring problem. While the MCU’s more grounded approach worked well inCaptain America: The Winter Soldier, the franchise has since introduced enough sci-fi and mystical elements that a faithful version of the Serpent Society wouldn’t have felt out of place. Yet, instead of using CGI or practical effects to bring these villains to life, the film’s creative team discarded their defining traits altogether.
It’s frustrating because the Serpent Society isn’t just a random collection of villains; theyrepresent a unique and cohesive threat that forces Captain Americato think and fight differently. Their mix of cunning, brutality, and specialized abilities sets them apart from the usual mercenaries or Hydra agents Cap has battled in the past. By reducing them to a single, forgettable gunman,Brave New Worldfailed to do justice to one of themost creative villain groups in Marvel Comics.
A Nod To The Captain America Comics With No Respect To The Fans
By including Sidewinder inBrave New Worldbut removing everything that made him special, Marvel essentially told fans that theyrecognized the Serpent Society’s existencebut had no interest in adapting themproperly. This half-hearted attempt at fan service felt particularly disappointing because it ignored what fans loved about these characters in the first place. If Marvel wasn’t willing to fully commit to the Serpent Society, why even include them at all?
The MCU has proven time and time again that it’s capable of bringing outlandish comic book characters to life in spectacular fashion.Guardians of the Galaxyturned obscure characters like Rocket Raccoon and Groot into household names.Thor: Ragnarokembraced the cosmic weirdness of Marvel Comics and delivered a visually stunning adventure. So why, when it came to the Serpent Society, didCaptain America: Brave New Worlddecide to strip them of everything that made them interesting?
It’s a missed opportunity on multiple levels. The Serpent Society could have been a thrilling group of antagonists, each with their own unique powers and personalities. Their inclusion could have brought a fresh and exciting dynamic to the film, forcing Captain America to face a different kind of challenge. Instead, fans were left with a generic villain who lacked any of the flair or danger that made the Serpent Society special in the first place.
While thefilm may have had other strengths, its treatment of the Serpent Society will likely remain a sore spot for longtime Captain America fans. Marvel has proven it can bring bizarre and larger-than-life characters to the big screen, but for some reason, it refused to do the same here. The result? ACaptain America: Brave New Worldmovie that acknowledged one of Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson’s best villain teams but ultimately showed no respect for what made them great.
