A 10-year-old joke just paid off at Marvel's Comic-Con 2024 panel

Marvel’s currently holding court at San Diego Comic-Con 2024, packing Hall H with cast members—including, for the first time in public as a group, the stars of the new Fantastic Four movie—and sneak peeks at the three movies that made the cut for theatrical release in 2025.

Kevin Feige kicked things off with the main cast of Captain America: Brave New World, which will see Anthony Mackie officially take on the mantle (and shield) of Captain America. Along with The Falcon And The Winter Soldier‘s Danny Ramirez, Giancarlo Esposito was also on stage, looking dapper as usual. We’ve known for some time that Esposito is playing the villain in the fourth Captain America movie, but his specific role was previously kept under wraps. Tonight, the Parish actor—who noted that “fan casting got [him] here”—revealed he’s playing Sidewinder, the King of the Serpent Society.

Sidewinder is the nom de guerre of multiple characters in Marvel Comics (the original Sidewinder, Seth Voelker, was co-created by the non-Karate Kid-starring Ralph Macchio). Different versions of the villain had teleportation powers, but we don’t yet know if Esposito’s iteration will have such abilities. At one point, Sidewinder was recruited by Baron Zemo to join his Army Of Evil, which could leave the door open for Daniel Brühl’s return after all.

We’re sure Esposito is going to be the perfect combination of menacing and charming, because that’s his M.O., but what strikes us most about this news is the fact that it pays off a joke that was made in 2014. At a secret Marvel event that was held 10 years ago, Feige unveiled plans for what was then the next phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including the third and fourth Avengers films, and the official title for Captain America 3. Unofficial footage of the event showed the title Captain America: Serpent Society, but Feige later revealed it was actually Captain America: Civil War.

Back then, Feige said the Serpent Society subtitle was suggested as a joke, probably to ratchet up the anticipation for the official title reveal. “I thought it was awesome and hilarious,” Feige said at the time. “A part of me thought, ‘Are people going to love Serpent Society and think that’d be really cool?’ Now it’s on the radar.” Well, it took 10 years, but the Serpent Society is officially part of the MCU, so we guess Ralph Macchio (the other one) and co. got the last laugh?