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Do you know what animal almost everyone is afraid of? Snakes. That is probably why there are so many snake-themed villains in the Marvel universe – enough to fill an entire society with them. While the MCU has steered clear of some of these more cheesy villains up to now, we’re finally about to get a look at the villainous Sidewinder in Captain America: Brave New World. Wondering who Sidewinder is and what his connection to Captain America might be? Here is everything you need to know about this legendary Marvel villain.

Who is Sidewinder in Marvel Comics?

Sidewinder is a name used by three separate villains within the Marvel universe, but the one who held the title the longest was Seth Voelker. Voelker was originally an economics professor who became an analyst for the Roxxon Oil Company. After he uncovered their villainous schemes, which went well beyond the usual oil company evil schemes, they offered him an upgrade. After chemically altering his body and giving him a cloak that allowed him to teleport, Seth Voelker became the villainous Sidewinder.

Sidewinder’s ambitions soon outgrew Roxxon and he formed the Serpent Society – a criminal organization composed of those with snake-based powers. This included Anaconda, Black Mamba, and Diamondback. Sidewinder was usually the leader of the Serpent Society, though he was famously overthrown by Viper before he took control of the organization back.

Eventually, this Sidewinder would retire from villainy after Captain America helped him raise money for his ill daughter. An unnamed Sidewinder briefly appeared in Iron Fist only to die in an ill-advised attempt to infiltrate a S.H.I.E.L.D. station. A third Sidewinder named Gregory Bryan eventually appeared in 2004. Like Voelker’s version, this Sidewinder often found himself at odds with Captain America and was a member of the Serpent Society, though he wasn’t usually their leader.

What are Sidewinder’s powers?

Marvel often takes a liberal approach to ascribing powers to snake-based villains. Sidewinder’s cloak allows him to teleport vast distances in an instant, described as moving “sideways” through space. His cloak is also capable of teleporting one other person with him while his armor protects him from physical attacks and gunfire.

The Seth Voelker version of the character is also shown to be a skilled strategist and was usually the brains behind the Serpent Society’s schemes. His degree in economics came in surprisingly handy when trying to take over the world.

Who is playing Sidewinder in the MCU?

The Serpent Society is set to be the main antagonist of the upcoming Captain America: Brave New World where they will come into conflict with Sam Wilson’s Captain America. As part of that conflict, Sidewinder is making his grand entrance to the MCU and will be played by the legendary Giancarlo Esposito. He described the character, which will be Seth Voelker, as a “complicated” and “physical guy” which should make it stand out in his career as playing some of the most intimidating villains in television history.

How closely Esposito’s Sidewinder will be to his comic book counterpart remains to be seen. None of the current trailers or images for Captain America: Brave New World showed Esposito in the iconic Sidewinder costume or hinted at his teleportation powers. It is likely that Sidewinder will once again be ruling over the Serpent Society in the MCU, serving as strategist and leader rather than having the power to teleport or go toe-to-toe with Captain America. We’ll have to wait until the movie comes out on February 14, 2025 to find out.

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