Popverse's top stories

• The Oscars producers are teasing a Marvel moment at Sunday’s show
• Evangelion is 30, but its themes never get old
• How Critical Role uses tabletop gaming to tackle PTSD

It’s a well-known fact that Captain America: Brave New World underwent significant reshoots before reaching theaters in the form it took — and now, director Julius Onah is opening up about what the movie looked like before those reshoots took place.

“Going into our additional photography that we planned from the very beginning, we knew that would always be our opportunity to refine how the Serpent Society would work in the film,” Onah told Variety, confirming earlier reports that Giancarlo Esposito’s Sidewinder was a very late addition to the movie and only added during reshoots. “The great thing about Giancarlo is he can take things that could feel fantastical and make them feel grounded. It just felt we had like we triangulated on the perfect actor to be Sidewinder, to lead Serpent Society and to bring them into the MCU.”

Before those reshoots, however, there was apparently a very different version of the Serpent Society that almost made it into the movie. “As we were iterating through how to bring them into the MCU, we leaned into versions that were a bit more heightened and also versions that were a bit more grounded,” Onah explained. “You always want to honor publishing. You always want to honor what the fans love, but at the same time you want to do what’s right for the movie. So I wouldn’t say it was ever what it was in the comics, but it leaned towards that a little bit more. As we got further in our process, it was just clear, this wants to sit in a [grounded] tone. I was trying to bring references like The Day of the Jackal and Point Blank, procedural, paranoid and political thrillers, and having a Serpent Society that felt more grounded would make more sense.”

Wait, does that mean we almost got to see villains actually dressed up as snakes just like their comic book counterparts? Was there a version of this movie where Giancarlo dressed up as a big golden snake man and we didn’t get to see it?!?

Well, suddenly I know what I’m hoping for from the sequel, if nothing else.

Captain America: Brave New World is in theaters now.

Want more? Make sure you've read our list of all the best Marvel Comics stories of all time, and get ready for all the free Marvel comics coming as part of this year's Free Comic Book Day / Comics Giveaway Day events.