Captain America: Brave New World will introduce Breaking Bad actor Giancarlo Esposito into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), and it sounds like he’ll be playing a villain, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The site says next year’s MCU flick is currently undergoing reshoots to help introduce Esposito’s new character into the fold. Who exactly he’s playing is still a mystery, but THR’s sources tease that he will be playing a villain. The shoot is said to last 22 days and will also add additional action sequences.
Esposito has hopped around a few major franchises since his run with shows like Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. In addition to providing his talents for Far Cry 6 and the Cyberpunk: Edgerunners anime, the star has appeared as an antagonist in Disney’s The Mandalorian series. With plenty of notable villain roles under his belt, fans began to question if Esposito may one day join the MCU.
The actor had expressed interest in playing X-Men leader Professor Xavier in the past, but it wasn’t until this month that he confirmed he would be officially joining the MCU in a mystery role. Esposito even went as far as to say that the role is “better than you can imagine” when speaking to fans, later confirming that his character will go on to get their own TV series. We’ll still have to wait and see just who the character is.
Along with serving as an introduction for Esposito’s character, Captain America: Brave New World will give audiences Anthony Mackie’s theatrical debut as Captain America. He previously transitioned into the part in the Disney+ series, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. MCU fans can also expect to see Harrison Ford’s portrayal as General Thaddeus ‘Thunderbolt’ Ross following the death of the original actor, William Hurt, in 2022.
Captain America: Brave New World lands in theaters on February 14, 2025. In the meantime, you can read up on the return of Tim Blake Nelson’s character, The Leader, and learn more about the movie’s leaked villain.
Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.
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