Although Giancarlo Esposito’s desire to play Professor X in the Marvel Cinematic Universe didn’t end up becoming a reality, he will still get to participate in the popular superhero franchise. At the end of May, it was revealed that The Boys alum will appear in Captain America: Brave New World, and last week, the Captain America 4 trailer included a few shots of his character. The identity of this individual, however, remains a mystery, and while teasing his role in the upcoming Marvel movie, Esposito mentioned that “no one has guessed correctly” who he’s playing yet.
Esposito attended a panel this past weekend at the Fanboy Expo in Knoxville, Tennessee, and when a fan brought up his appearance in the Captain America: Brave New World trailer, here’s what he said to the audience (via @ResonantJustice):
The character I'm playing is a badass. That always excites me. And for me to play something in the MCU that is contemporary, yet based on these iconic comics, are really important. So for me to develop that character in line with what that character has been from its inception is a fascinating art for me… I had an incredible time shooting it. I'm not telling you who I'm playing. People are trying to guess and no one has guessed correctly yet.
This isn’t the first time that Giancarlo Esposito has described his MCU character as a badass. More importantly, not only will he not divulge any details about his rifle-toting player, but supposedly no one’s come close to figuring out who he is. This follows chatter on the internet that Esposito’s MCU character is George Washington “G.W.” Bridge, who was part of the mercenary group Six Pack and later joined S.H.I.E.L.D.
@MyTimeToShine, the outlet that originally shared the claim about Bridge, as since responded by saying that their sources confirmed Esposito’s character was referred to as “Bridge” on set. As they see it, this leaves one of two options: either the actor hasn’t seen the rumors about George Washington Bridge or “Bridge” was just a “codename.” If Esposito has been following the Captain America 4 news cycle closely, then the first option doesn’t seem plausible. Regardless, I suspect we’ll have to wait for the movie’s arrival on the 2025 release schedule for this mystery to be solved, though I’d certainly welcome this character’s identity being officially shared with a publication/outlet beforehand.
Unlike the majority of Captain America: Brave New World’s cast, Giancarlo Esposito wasn’t around during principal photography, instead joining during the reshoots in Atlanta, Georgia. He’s said to be playing a “villainous role,” which definitely comes across in the Brave New World trailer. Esposito also teased earlier this year that his character will have a bigger role in an upcoming Marvel TV show.
Captain America: Brave New World opens in theaters on February 14, 2025. Stream the previous adventures of Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson with your Disney+ subscription.
