Warning! This article contains spoilers for Captain America: Brave New World.

One of the most mysterious groups to come out of Captain America: Brave New World

has to be The Serpent Society, but the group has a rich and extensive history in the comics that could hint at where their story is going. Long before the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)

, the source material for this rich and vibrant Multiverse was laid out on the pages of comic books by the famous publishing house, Marvel Comics. Over the course of decades, countless heroes and villains have been introduced to varying degrees of popularity.

Among some of the best known heroes, Captain America stands out as the first foundational hero to be created by Marvel Comics who remains a staple of their franchise today. From Steve Rogers, to Sam Wilson, the shield has been pᴀssed down. But where there are heroes to protect the rights and freedoms of other people, there are also dastardly villains who are prepared to threaten the peace and happiness of those same individuals.

The Serpent Society In Captain America: Brave New World Is A Minor Group

The Serpent Society Has Been Severely Reduced From Their Comic Counterparts

Enter The Serpent Society, a group of foul mercenaries who debuted in the MCU as for hire criminals. These criminals appear to have very little to do with the overall plot, acting as middle men with very few appearances outside their leader, Sidewinder, played by Giancarlo Esposito, showing up to try and kill Sam Wilson. But, even in this setting, almost none of the Serpent Society make any impression on the events of the film, and the group largely fades from the narrative.

Initially, the Serpents appear as a group who have some civilians as hostages within an old church in Europe. This was set to be the meeting spot for a mystery client who hired the Serpents to attack a Japanese convoy and steal the precious cargo of Adamantium. However, it is later revealed that the buyer was in fact Samuel Sterns, aka, The Leader, who used funds from the CIA accounts in order to pay the mercs. Then, the group disappears, with only Sidewinder coming back later on in the plot.

The Serpent Society In Marvel Comics Are Very Different

The Comic Book History Of These Supervillains Goes Way Back

The thing is, this is nothing like the comic book version of The Serpent Society. Originally introduced in 1985, five years after Sidewinder debuted, The Serpent Society is a group of supervillains who all have snake-related themes. Their powers, looks, and nicknames all relate to snakes, hence the name, Serpent Society. This group is formed and led by Sidewinder, and together they form a powerful alliance whose criminal expertise and skills allow them to establish a reputation as elite criminals.

This group is also the final iteration of three previous alliances between snake villains, with each of the previous entries being known as the Serpent Squad. In addition, the group had a notable advantage in that their leader, Sidewinder, had the ability to teleport, and after implanting each member with a tracking device, Sidewinder was always able to break them free of capture and imprisonment, which made the group all the more formidable.

The Serpent Society Deserve An MCU Redo Like The Ten Rings

There Is Still A Chance To Make The Serpent Society More Impressive In The MCU

A huge part of the problem why The Serpent Society as seen in Brave New World appears so drastically different from the source material is likely that they were not intended to be a part of the story initially. Giancarlo Esposito was not hired as part of the film until well into the filming of the movie, joining the cast during reshoots. This is possibly because Marvel Studios had immense trust in Esposito considering his previous body of work in villain roles, and they were keen to get his character inserted into the MCU as soon as possible. If this is the case, then it likely means that The Serpent Society will have a chance to return in another project.

So far, the groups’ inclusion in the MCU is a shadow of their potential, similar to what was seen with The Ten Rings being referenced in Iron Man. If the MCU can find another place to insert this group, and to build on the story and begin to have it follow the comic books a little more closely, there is a huge degree of potential for not only Esposito’s development as Sidewinder, but also the rest of The Serpent Society. However, as far as Captain America: Brave New World was concerned, this was a poor imitation of what could be when building a story that features The Serpent Society.

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