The Mandalorian star Giancarlo Esposito has finally been spotted on the set of Captain America: Brave New World in full costume. As you’ll see in the X post below, his character is packing some serious weaponry!
With three knives on his chest and a large gun (axe?) holstered on his left-hand side, this mystery bad guy looks mighty formidable. Chances are he’ll take aim at the MCU’s new Captain America, but just who the heck is he?
Truthfully, we don’t know!
While set photos like this would typically let the cat out of the bag, nothing here identifies Esposito as a specific Marvel character. The actor has said he’ll appear in a TV series after this big screen debut, so his playing an assassin – potentially hired by Mayor Wilson Fisk – in Daredevil: Born Again, for example, makes sense.
He could be a grounded version of the Serpent Society’s Cutthroat or another obscure baddie from the comics; then again, Marvel Studios may have created a completely original character for the Breaking Bad star to play.
Much of Captain America: Brave New World was shot in 2023 before the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes halted production. During the downtime, Marvel Studios executives decided The Falcon and The Winter Soldier follow-up needed an overhaul and writer Matthew Orton was enlisted to pen scenes for reshoots.
Esposito’s character was added during those rewrites and has been described as “an antagonistic agent of chaos” and “a serious thorn in Sam Wilson’s side.” One thing which is now clear is that he’s not playing a major character like Doctor Doom or Magneto!
Take a first look at Esposito’s Captain America: Brave New World villain in the X post below.
Giancarlo Esposito joins the ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ cast , photo Christopher Oquendo
Grantville, Georgia #marvel #capatainamerica #bravenewworld ‘NEW WORLD’ sign of the times … pic.twitter.com/wt3ZAb4Ujp— Christopher Oquendo Photographer (@Christo45951886) June 1, 2024
Captain America: Brave New World‘s cast includes Anthony Mackie, Harrison Ford, Danny Ramirez, Carl Lumbly, Tim Blake Nelson, Shira Haas, Liv Tyler, Xosha Roquemore, Giancarlo Esposito, and WWE Superstar Seth Rollins.
Julius Onah helms the movie from a screenplay by Malcolm Spellman and Dalan Musson, though the director is believed to have also taken a pass at it. Matthew Orton, meanwhile, has written new scenes for the additional photography which is now taking place in Atlanta, Georgia.
Captain America: Brave New World is set to arrive in theaters on February 14, 2025.
