Summary
Captain America: Brave New Worldhad a lot of issues living up to its potential, but some recently revealed concept art for the embattled film reveals gives fans a proper look at what could have been the film’s most impactful addition.
Captain America: Brave New Worldwas the first film of a new era for the titular character, with Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson passing on his role as Falcon and taking on the mantle from Steve Rogers following the conclusion of the Infinity Saga. This was a heavy responsibility for the film, which promised fans a political thriller with a more grounded tone than the usual MCU fare, a promise immediately undercut by the addition of the Red Hulk. In addition to Harrison Ford taking over for William Hurt as Red Hulk, aka the newly elected US president Thunderbolt Ross,Brave New Worldalso featuredthe first appearance of Sidewinder in the MCU,played by Giancarlo Esposito. While Seth Rollins had initially filmed for the spot, Esposito would end up with the role when he became available.
While Director Julius Onahaddressed the switch from Rollins to Esposito inBrave New World,he also let slip that the Serpent Society as a whole was set to play a much more prominent role in the film, with more members featured and a presentation closer to the comic book versions fans are familiar with. While this idea was snuffed out before casting, fans can now get a look at what could have been courtesy of talented MCU concept artist Mushk Rizvi, who uploaded a plethora of concept work for a few big MCU projects recently. In the concept art revealed forCaptain America: Brave New Worldreposted byGoldstoneRuby on X, fans can see ideas for a whole team of snake-themed villains, sporting group aesthetics ranging from mismatched tactical attire to streetwear and even all-white uniforms evocative of a cult-like group. Even more intriguing are the individual concept slides, featuring full-body solo looks at King Cobra, Black Mamba, Constrictor, and Diamondback alongside details on their tech-based abilities.
The first thing that fans will note concerning the concept art is just how awesome the characters look, and how much better they would have played with the ‘grounded’ film that was originally promised. Doing away with any overt comic costumes and using the sort of tech that has been standard for the MCU for years now, the group could have made for great antagonists, especially with Esposito in the lead. Sidewinder is notably missing from the lineup, and even the group images featuring an extra character don’t match Esposito’s look. Instead, they prominently feature Diamondback front and center, seemingly poised as the leader of the surrounding team. This seems to line up with Onah’s admission that plans changed radically, shifting the focus from the Serpent Society to center the Leader as the film’s main villain and the Red Hulk as the opponent for the film’s final act. There’s no way to know if the first draft featuring the full group was a better product or if it had problems akin to theinexcusable plot holes in the final cut ofBrave New World.
Thanks in part to featuring so little in the previous film,Esposito’s Sidewinder could make a great addition toCaptain America 5, potentially bringing the rest of the Serpent Society along for the ride to give Sam Wilson’s Cap a truly grounded adventure that would play much better with his non-Super Soldier status on screen. While fans will have to keep their fingers crossed that Mackie gets another chance in the lead after the unfortunate reception toBrave New World,it’s clear that there’s a lot of potential in future films.
