Seth Rollins’ casting in Captain America: New World Order was leaked early Tuesday morning as a handful of photos and videos from the set leaked their way online. Between Rollins’ look, the woman standing next to him on the set and recent rumors about the film, it looks like Rollins will be portraying a member of the villainous Serpent Society group set to oppose Sam Wilson’s Captain America (Anthony Mackie). But is Rollins’ character more than just a henchmen? Let’s take a closer look.
Videos by ComicBook.com
While neither his outfit nor hair are a one-to-one match with members of the Society, the green costume with gold trim does resemble Cobra, one of the Society’s founding members. In the comics, the mantle of Cobra (and later King Cobra when he led the group) was held by Klaus Vorhees, a Dutch former lab assistant who was bitten by a radioactive cobra. That bite, along with an experimental anti-venom, gave him superpowers such as elasticity (a slithering flexibility that resembles a snake) and superhuman strength, agility and reflexes. Many of his bios note that he’s a skilled wrestler, which fits in perfectly with Rollins’ background as a former WWE Champion.
The character first debuted in Journey into Mystery #98 in November 1963 and was created by Stan Lee and Don Heck. The early years of the character saw him often team with Mister Hyde and fight the likes of Thor and Daredevil, though his later involvement in the Serpent Society often made him a villain for Captain America.
Little is known about the film’s plot, but a few hints have been dropped via its cast. Harrison Ford will be taking over William Hurt’s role as Thunderbolt Ross, who is now the President of the United States. Both Liv Tyler (Betty Ross, former love interest for Bruce Banner and Thunderbolt’s daughter) and Tim Blake Nelson (Samuel Sterns) are both returning to the MCU for the first time since 2008’s The Incredible Hulk, and the latter’s inclusion likely means he’ll be stepping into the villainous role of The Leader.
The film will also take place after the events of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which saw Wilson initially reject the position of Captain America before embracing the role at the end of the series. The show also saw the government try to name John Walker (Wyatt Russell) as Captain America to rather disastrous results. Now going by U.S. Agent, the character will return in the upcoming Thunderbolts film.
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Image Credit: Marvel Studios
