5 Marvel Characters Giancarlo Esposito Could Be Playing In The MCU
Giancarlo Esposito has officially joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and set photos from "Captain America: Brave New World's" Atlanta shoot show the Emmy-nominated actor in costume as a yet-to-be-named villain. Of course, there's been speculation about who he's playing, with fans speculating about several different Marvel Comics characters.
Marvel hasn't revealed who Esposito is portraying, though details indicate it isn't a good guy. The actor is no stranger to bringing villains to life, of course, as seen in his turn as Gus Fring in "Breaking Bad" and "Better Call Saul" and Stan Edgar in "The Boys." Speaking at 2024's Brazilian fan convention CCXP (via Collider), he teased that the character he's playing in the MCU is "better than you can imagine." Esposito joins a "Captain America: Brave New World" film that features a cast of characters that spans multiple comic book and MCU properties. Sam Wilson/Captain America (Anthony Mackie) and Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez) reunite in the aftermath of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier for the film. Betsy Ross (Liv Tyler) and Samuel Sterns (Tim Blake Nelson) reprise their roles from 2008's "Incredible Hulk," and the mutant hero Sabra (Shira Haas) makes her MCU debut in the superhero blockbuster.
There's plenty of online chatter about who Esposito could be playing, with fans theorizing about characters from the X-Men universe, Nick Fury, the Fantastic Four, and even Moon Knight! But what are the best guesses so far?
Henry Gyrich is a major X-Men foe
Henry Gyrich is a government official who has sparred with many heroes over his comic book history, but he most notably has an axe to grind with the Avengers and Marvel's mutants.
Debuting in "Avengers" #165 (by Jim Shooter, John Byrne, Pablo Marcos, Phil Rache, and Denise Wohl), Gyrich was introduced as a security liaison to Earth's Mightiest Heroes. He serves on the Commission on Superhuman Activities and has long sought to control superpowered individuals, with a particular hatred for mutants. Gyrich was later part of the U.S. government's Project: Wideawake, which was designed to combat mutant "threats." His involvement led to the de-powering of Storm, a storyline that was loosely adapted in Disney+'s "X-Men '97." Gyrich eventually became the director of Alpha Flight, where he went after the Hulk, before serving as an agent of the anti-mutant organization ORCHIS during the X-Men's recent Krakoan Age.
Considering Gyrich's disdain for superheroes and mutants, it's easy to envision Giancarlo Esposito bringing the villain to life in a conflict against Captain America or Sabra. With the political nature of the film, Thunderbolt Ross (Harrison Ford) playing a key role, and the fact that he's has gone after the Hulk before, it certainly seems feasible for Gyrich to serve as a primary antagonist, setting him up for future MCU appearances ahead of the X-Men's inevitable arrival.
Could he be playing Nick Fury's brother, Scorpio?
While Nick Fury's (Samuel L. Jackson) future in the Marvel Cinematic Universe still needs to be defined following his appearance in "The Marvels," the introduction of his brother Jacob/Jake Fury, better known as the villain Scorpio, would be an intriguing role for Giancarlo Esposito. Despite Nick Fury's many live-action appearances, there's been no mention of his sibling, but "Captain America: Brave New World" could change that.
Debuting in "Strange Tales" #169 (by Jim Steranko and Jerry Feldman), Jacob doesn't initially follow in his brother's footsteps and join the U.S. military. After being kidnapped by a Nazi as part of a revenge plan against his older sibling, he enlists, though he quickly becomes disillusioned with the Army. In the 1960s, both Jacob and Nick join the Great Wheel of Zodiac, an organization featuring the brightest minds in the world of espionage. Before the group falls apart, it encounters the technology responsible for Life-Model Decoys and creates a copy of Jacob that is eventually armed with the powerful extra-dimensional relic known as the Zodiac key. The LMD Jake Fury becomes one of his "brother's" greatest enemies while the real Jacob is undercover with HYDRA. During this time, the android copy tarnishes Jacob's reputation by committing various acts of terrorism.
Expanding Nick Fury's story and introducing Giancarlo Esposito as his brother's LMD copy would give Jackson's character new motivation to find his real brother while dealing with his dark duplicate. The character's espionage background would also make him a perfect fit for "Captain America 4's" political thriller focus.
William Stryker's got a dark comic history
In Fox's live-action "X-Men" movies, William Stryker (played by Brian Cox and Josh Helman) is the man responsible for the Weapon X program. The comic book version of the character, however, has a much darker history.
Stryker's Marvel Comics story begins in "God Loves, Man Kills" (by Chris Claremont, Brett Anderson, Steve Oliff, and Tom Ozechowski) where he kills both his wife and son upon seeing that his newborn child is a mutant with a non-human appearance. Driven by religious fanaticism, Stryker believes his actions are guided and blessed by God. Because of this, he dedicates his life to exposing mutants as dangerous enemies of the world.
Giancarlo Esposito in the role of Stryker would be a perfect addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. His hatred of mutants can build to intense conflict with the X-Men or, in "Captain America: Brave New World," with those trying to weaponize the super soldier serum or other superhuman enhancements. Considering audiences are already familiar with Stryker's film history, it would also be unsurprising to see him in charge of the MCU's Weapon X program. However he might be utilized, introducing a character with Stryker's tendency for sinister machinations would be a juicy role for Esposito that could beautifully set up the arrival of Marvel's mutants.
Is Bushman finally coming to the MCU?
One of the most out there theories that also has a little bit of potential is that Giancarlo Esposito is playing a villain from Moon Knight's corner of the Marvel Comics universe: Bushman.
Raoul Bushman first appears in "Moon Knight" #1 (by Doug Moench and Bill Sienkiewicz) as a mercenary who accompanies Marc Spector and his team to Sudan. Upon seeing Bushman's violent tendencies, Spector confronts him and is beaten nearly to death. The seriously injured Spector is met by the Egyptian moon god Khonshu, which leads him to take on the mantle of Moon Knight. As the hero, Spector gets revenge on Bushman multiple times. Eventually, Moon Knight commits one his most violent acts as a vigilante, cutting off Bushman's face. The villain is eventually resurrected to take on Moon Knight alongside several other bad guys, including the Sun King and Baron Zemo.
Bushman's name came up as the potential role for Esposito in "Captain America: Brave New World" following reports in late 2023 that "Moon Knight" writer Matthew Orton was rewriting new scenes for the sequel. Yes, the arrival of Bushman as a major MCU villain is a bit of a stretch. However, introducing a "Moon Knight" adversary would breathe new life into the show (though Season 2 still hasn't been officially confirmed) while connecting Marc Spector's story to the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Could Taskmaster finally be getting a comic-accurate take?
While audiences already met Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko) in "Black Widow," they've yet to see the original version of the character.
He debuted in "Avengers" #196 (by David Michelinie and George Perez) as a mercenary with "photographic reflexes" that allow him to copy his opponent's fighting styles. Wielding a sword and shield and a skull-like mask, Tony Masters, aka Taskmaster, has been a major antagonist for Captain America, Nick Fury, and other heroes. He's also spent time as a member of multiple Thunderbolts teams and, despite his bad guy tendencies, has also worked alongside the Secret Avengers. Taskmaster also has a history on the espionage side of the Marvel Universe as a hired gun with a strong relationship with Marvel's most famous merc, Deadpool.
Taskmaster is steeped in Marvel lore, which is why the version seen in "Black Widow" was somewhat disappointing to those who finally thought they would see him on the big screen. If Esposito is revealed to be stepping into this role, Marvel could redeem the character, perhaps allowing Kurylenko's version to develop into a more heroic role. Considering Esposito's tactical look in "Captain America: Brave New World" set photos, could the marksman finally come to the MCU in his comic-accurate form?
No matter who Esposito ends up playing, getting an actor of his caliber to appear in "Captain America 4" and potentially star in his own series is a significant get. Hopefully, he gets the chance to play a villain with ample opportunity to shine. After all, wasting Esposito on a role that doesn't take full advantage of his talents would be a major disappointment.
Audiences will learn who Esposito brings to life in the MCU when "Captain America: Brave New World" arrives in theaters on February 14, 2025.