Giancarlo Esposito Just Joined the MCU. We Guessed Who He's Playing.
The master of villainy will make his debut in 'Captain America: Brave New World.' But as who?
GIANCARLO ESPOSITO CAN transform into whoever he wants. He's proven that over the course of a 45-year acting career that has seen him play a psychopathic meth dealer disguised as a mild-mannered restauranteur in Breaking Bad, a pro-Black loudmouth in Do The Right Thing, and the evil CEO of a superhero conglomerate in The Boys. Now, he's taking his villainous talents to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in a role set to debut in the upcoming Captain America: Brave New World (which is set for a February 2025 release).
One question looms: who the hell will he be?
While we're not fully sure who he will enter the MCU as, the clues have begun to come to light. He sent the Marvel fandom into a frenzy when he said he wanted to play X-Men leader Professor X in January 2023, clarifying that the career bad boy wants to finally play a good guy. A little over a year later, in May, he confirmed at the comic book convention CCXP in Mexico City that he was officially going to be in the MCU. While he couldn't promise it'd be Professor X, he hinted at it being an "original" take on a character. A few weeks later, he left a few more breadcrumbs at Phoenix Fan Fusion, telling the crowd his role would be unpredictable, teased at first, and then "there will be a series afterward." Then, after nearly two years of speculating, photos from the Captain America: Brave New World set leaked, showing Esposito equipped with knives on his chest, a gun inside his oversized coat, and a determined stare that would make even the most fearsome Marvel heroes reconsider attacking him.
Now that we know the movie he'll be in, what he's physically bringing to battle, and how he plans to portray who he's acting as, let's prove Esposito wrong and predict who he'll be when he steps into the MCU.
Blue Marvel
Dr. Adam Brashear, better known intergalactically as Blue Marvel, checks a lot of the boxes. Blue Marvel is an army veteran turned superhuman, strong enough to knock out The Hulk with one punch, and smart enough to figure out how to make Galactus stop feasting on planets's life energies. He fits Esposito's penchant for playing antiheroes, as he was once considered an alpha-level threat to Captain America before later teaming up with Captain Marvel to co-create The Ultimates.
Dr. Doom
We've been waiting for this maniacal genius to enter the MCU for years. Who better to play a man who could make Thanos seem reasonable than the same man who often scared Walter White? It would be a perfect way to connect Marvel's two tentpole 2025 films—Fantastic Four and Captain America— especially since Esposito said his character would be teased before taking on a larger role. When a fan at Phoenix Fan Fusion asked if he'd be playing Doom, he told them to talk it into existence, just like a true master of the dark arts would.
Henry Gyrich
When the government needed to ensure The Avengers followed the necessary protocols, they sent Henry Gyrich in to keep the superheroes in order. Esposito has already shown that he's capable of micromanaging superheroes on The Boys, and that's with the very real threat of Homelander lasering his eyes out of his head. He also shot Charles Xavier, kidnapped Captain Marvel, and was arrested by S.H.I.E.L.D. Sounds villainous enough for someone like Esposito, and could easily transition into a number of Marvel TV shows.
Kang The Conqueror
Look, Marvel painted themselves into a corner with Kang The Conqueror when they made him the main villain of Loki and the next Avengers film. Unfortunately, Jonathan Majors has been fired. Luckily, Kang has variants, and one of them could be Esposito. Few actors can achieve the perfect balance of unflappable condescension and ruthless thirst for carnage necessary to play Kang like Esposito. While it's very unlikely this will lead to a third season of Loki, Kang is a threat to the entire multiverse, so no Marvel TV show is safe.
Raul Bushman
This bloodthirsty gun-for-hire is a constant foe for Moon Knight and could be the same for Captain America. Esposito was seen sporting a similar mercenary outfit of guns and knives on the set of Captain America: Brave New World, so it isn't far-fetched that he'll be entering the MCU as a character who only made a brief cameo in Moon Knight but was originally going to be the show's main villain.
Watch Next
Download Your Exclusive MH Digital Issues Here
Death Comes to the Swashbuckler
How This Podcaster Cut 15 Percent Body Fat
This Fundamental Workout Will Build a Summer Body
