Giancarlo Espositois one of the best and most well-respected actors working. A frequent collaborator of Spike Lee, having appeared inDo the Right Thing,School Daze, andMalcolm X. His role as Gus Fring fromBreaking Badmade him one of the most in-demand actors, particularly playing authority or villainous roles on popular television series likeOnce Upon a Time,The Boys, andThe Mandalorian.
So far in 2024, audiences have already seen him inAbigailand will also be seen in Francis Ford Coppola’sMegalopolis, Ti WestMaXXXine, and The Russo BrothersElectric State. He is clearly one of the most in-demand actors with whom everyone wants to work.
That includes Marvel Studios, as Esposito has recently been confirmed to play a villain inCaptain America: Brave New World. The character is being added to the film’s reshoots, and Esposito has said the character will continue in aMarvel Cinematic UniverseDisney+ series.
Fans might have wanted him to play Professor X, but his role in the MCU,based on set photos, appears to be some grounded assassin character. There are plenty of characters in the Marvel Universe Esposito could play, and here are sixpredictions we have.
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6Spy Master
Created by Allyn Brodsky, Don Heck, and Stan Lee, First Appearance:Iron Man#33 (January 1971)
A few people have held the title ofSpymasterin the comics, but the one thing that unites all versions of the character together is that he is a master of espionage. The original Spymaster was a freelance industrial spy who was also an expert saboteur and assassin.
He possessed advanced weaponry and was typically a foe of Iron Man. The original Spymaster’s identity was never known, but the third person to hold the identity was named Sinclair Abbot. He was an industrialist, which one could easily believe Esposito could play.
A Recurring Antagonist
Spymaster has always been a semi-minor villain in the Marvel Universe, giving both Esposito and the Marvel higher-ups a chance to really make the character their own.
While he is traditionally an Iron Man villain, it is easy to see Spymaster being slotted into Captain America’s rogues gallery, particularly as this fourth film is believed to be a political espionage action thriller that Spymaster would fit right into. Spymaster could also lay the groundwork for appearing in other MCU projects like the filmArmor Warsor the television seriesIronheart, putting Spymaster on a collision course withTony Stark’s legacy.
5Constrictor
Created by Len Wein, John Romita Sr., and Sal Buscema, First Appearance:The Incredible Hulk#212 (June 1977)
Constrictoris an interesting Marvel villain, particularly for what appears to be a minor villain in the franchise. His snake-themed name would suggest he is a member of the Serpent Society, butaside fromAvengers: Earth Mightiest Heroes, he is never actually part of the team and instead rejected the team.
His real name is Frank Payne, he was an agent of the international espionage organization S.H.I.E.L.D., and the father who is sent deep undercover to pose as a supervillain for a mission, only to become one in earnest.
A Villain Who Is a Family Man
The trope of “agent goes deep undercover and becomes part of the lifestyle” is a classic in the espionage and cop thriller, one that the superhero genre has never tackled. With rumors of the Serpent Society being a major part ofCaptain America: Brave New World, having Esposito play Constrictor as a former ally of Sam Wilson turned actual villain would not only be an exciting mix of genre conventions but allow Esposito, a different type of villain.
One element of Constrictor is that he is a father with a daughter and son, the later who later takes up the mantle. Casting Esposito as a villain motivated to protect his family is not only a role he would excel in but a way to give new depth to a lesser-known villain.
4Barracuda
Created by Garth Ennis and Goran Parlov, First Appearance:The Punisher#31 (May 2006)
Barracudawas a character introduced in The Punisher franchise as a villain for that character, a sadistic mercenary who took joy in killing. He was the ultimate embodiment of evil for a character like The Punisher to vanquish, and actually had a limited run in the comics and has only been seen in flashbacks since being killed.
The comics established that he had training from the United States Armed Forces, laying the groundwork for him to first appear inCaptain America: Brave New World, and he could later appear inDaredevil: Born Again,facing off against The Punisher, who is confirmed to appear.
A Different Type of Villain
Esposito is a fantastic actor, but he often gets typecast as a villain, particularly cold, quiet, calculating ones where he is always in control. While he is great at it, he is an actor who has shown an incredible range and can play comedic roles very well.
One of his best roles in recent years was in the Max original filmUnpregnantas Bob, an anti-government survivalist who is so strongly anti-government that he helps a young woman go to an abortion clinic because he so strongly believes in his conviction that he believes that the government has no right to tell him he can’t own guns or a woman what to do with their body.
It is a great clever subversion of the anti-government survivalist trope and Esposito plays it incredibly funny and is a very different role for him. Barracuda would not be a “funny” villain, but it would allow him to cut loose in a way he hasn’t been given the chance to in a long time.
Created by Jim Steranko, First Appearance:Strange Tales#159 (August 1967)
Many people have held the nameScorpio, and the villain is commonly associated with the criminal cartel named Zodiac. Yet the Scorpio that Esposito would be best for is that of Jacob Fury, the younger brother of Nick Fury. Resentful of his brother Nick Fury, Jake Fury becomes a spy and terrorist for an organization known as Zodiac although this could be adapted into whatever organization Sam Wilson’s Captain America finds himself fighting in the new film.
Younger Brother of Nick Fury Creates More Family Drama
Casting Esposito as the younger brother ofSamuel L. Jackson’s Nick Furyis just a simple no-brainer, one the audience would believe immediately. Fury has only revealed a bit about his life in films likeCaptain America: The Winter Soldier,Captain Marvel, andSecret Invasion, but it is still pretty barebones.
Revealing a long-lost or even forgotten brother who is a supervillain would not only be a great twist, but one that could carry over into future MCU projects where the two brothers face off. Given that Esposito is only doing reshoots onCaptain America: Brave New World, it is safe to assume he won’t be a major part of the movie but more of a tease of a larger world. Having a villain in the middle of the movie towards the end of the post-credits scene revealed as a villain would be a great twist.
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2King Cobra
Created by Stan Lee and Don Heck, First Appearance:Journey into Mystery#98 (November 1963)
It is all but confirmed that The Serpent Society will be inCaptain America: Brave New World, as Rosa Salazar’s character Diamondback wasspoiled in the McDonald’s Happy Meal toys. The Serpent Society is a collection of snake-themed villains, and one of their most famous leaders isKing Cobra. Their real name is Klaus Voorhees (no relation toFriday the 13thvillain Jason Voorhees); he was a lab assistant who killed his boss and was bitten by a radioactive Cobra, which gave him superpowers, eventually becoming a supervillain and found his way into becoming the leader of the Serpent Society.
Serpent Society Leader…Or Is He?
The Serpent Society is a team of villains commonly associated with both Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson’s Captain America, and it was even used as the decoy title for the third Captain America movie before it was announced asCaptain America: Civil War. They will likely be a big part of the film, and filling out the roster of snake-themed villains with memorable actors is a good way to elevate their status.
In regards to King Cobra, Esposito obviously would be a commanding presence to lead the team but also could be revealed as working for the real mastermind. A major character in the Serpent Society is Viper, also known as Madame Hydra.
There have been a few Madame Hydras, but a recent one is Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, the character Julia Louis-Dreyfus plays in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and will have a big role inThunderbolts. The Serpent Society could be a pawn of Fontainne and strengthen the political paranoia that appears to be at the heart ofCaptain America: Brave New World.
Created by Doug Moench and Bill Sienkiewicz, First Appearance:Moon Knight#1 (November 1980)
While Esposito will debut inCaptain America: Brave New World, he also has confirmed he will be in a Disney+ series, one he will likely have a bigger role in. While Marvel has not confirmed any second seasons for many of their Disney+ series aside fromLoki,What If…?andX-Men ‘97, onemany people assume will happen isMoon Knight.
We suspect that Esposito will play the character Raul Bushman or, more commonly, justBushman. He was an ally of Marc Spector before turning on him and was connected to the incident that led to Spector becoming Moon Knight, a moment teased in the Disney+ series.
Moon Knight’s Arch Enemy
While many people would naturally assume Esposito is being cast as a villain associated with Captain America, the knowledge that Esposito will appear in other MCU projects opens up the possibilities. Bushman not only could feasibly show up inCaptain America: Brave New Worldas a mercenary since that is his role in the comics, but then he would be a major addition to a second season ofMoon Knightif Disney+ moved forward with it.
It not only ties Moon Knight into the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe but also gives the series a major actor as a villain to entice audiences. The idea of pitting Esposito and Oscar Isaac together on screen would be a great acting showcase, superhero project or not.
