Captain America: Brave New World is next up on the list of upcoming Marvel movies, and while it can already boast a snazzy popcorn bucket and Harrison Ford as the Red Hulk, it'll be missing something. An early iteration of this film had a visionary, a revolutionary, WWE superstar Seth "Freakin" Rollins as part of its picture, but as we now know, he was cut from the final edit. What we didn't know is why, but now director Julius Onah has shed some light on that.
Rollins had previously revealed his role was cut due to reshoots, but Onah recently spoke to ComicBook.com and shared some additional details on why the wrestling great was ultimately cut from Brave New World. We also know what became of the scenes and the connection the director shares with who ultimately replaced the wrestler.
What Happened To Seth Rollins Scenes In Captain America: Brave New World
In the original version of Captain America: Brave New World, the plan was for Seth Rollins to play a member of the Serpent Society. Julius Onah talked about the role, his admiration for Seth Rollins, but why he ended up removing his scenes from the movie:
You know, when you’re taking characters like Serpent Society from publishing, who, as you know, are individuals dressed up as snakes and have snake-adjacent powers, you’re always iterating and trying to figure out the version that totally works best in a movie like this. I love Seth, Seth’s incredible. But as we were evolving and we knew we had an additional photography period, just one that we did early on in the process that’s planned.
Onah wasn't as afraid as Anthony Mackie to address reshoot questions and said the opportunity for more scenes allowed them to change direction on Seth Rollins' character and head in a different direction. As it turns out, Rollins' fate was sealed when a big actor became available and could commit to Captain America 4.
Giancarlo Esposito's Availability Became The Nail In The Coffin For Seth Rollins' Character
It's no secret now that Giancarlo Esposito is in Captain America: Brave New World as Sidewinder and that it may not be the only time we see him in the MCU. The director explained why Esposito ultimately became the better choice for the movie and why he was so keen to work with him and finally bring the beloved actor into the superhero world:
We were trying to figure out, ‘Hey, who’s somebody that can bring a very specific kind of gravitas that works with this tone.’ And when Giancarlo became available, it was such a no-brainer. I have a very particular history with him. He’s iconic for working with Spike Lee. I interned with Spike Lee when I was 19 years old. And of course, fans have been fan-casting him for a long time in the MCU. So it’s really about making sure that all the elements worked in the grounded tone and vision that I have for this film. And as we evolved and iterated, Giancarlo just made sense. And what a blessing to have in this film.
I think if anyone was given the choice between sticking with a professional wrestler with limited Hollywood experience vs. an in-demand beloved actor who is known for iconic villain roles, the decision is clear. Plus, fans have wanted Esposito in the MCU for a long time and have guessed he'd be everyone from Professor X to even Doctor Doom. Sorry to say to Seth Rollins, but his role in Sharknado: The 4th Awakens wasn't enough to save his role.
The upside is that Rollins still is flying high in the WWE and on the path to potentially wrestling in the main event of WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas. While he may be somewhat sad he didn't get a big Marvel role, it's possible he's more focused on wrestling once again and the biggest event for the sport. Giancarlo Esposito may have taken his role, but he'd never take him on in the ring.
Captain America: Brave New World is in theaters on Friday, February 14th. Meanwhile, Seth Rollins is gearing up for the Elimination Chamber event in Toronto on Saturday, March 1st, and it should be just as entertaining to watch if you're a fan of professional wrestling.
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