The buzz around Captain America: New World Order couldn't be any bigger. As well as seeing Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) embracing the title and shield of Captain America, the movie is also bringing back characters and actors from the early days of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with Betty Ross (Liv Tyler) and Thunderbolt Ross (Harrison Ford taking over from the late William Hurt) returning from Edward Norton's The Incredible Hulk. Alongside these returning stars, Captain America: New World Order will also introduce Marvel fans to a beloved criminal organization from the comics.
A leaked set video revealed that the Serpent Society would be featured in the upcoming Captain America: New World Order. The footage shows WWE star Seth Rollins in costume as a member of the Serpent Society, likely reacting to a new piece of technology -- which will be added with CGI. The leaked video sees Rollins, alongside an unnamed actor donning the Society's signature green colors at an airport.
The Serpent Society Isn't as Dangerous as You Think
The Serpent Society first appeared in Captain America #310 in 1985 and was initially formed to destroy Captain America. As the group's name suggests, each member of the Serpent Society is named after and often has powers stemming from different species of snakes. Their original leader and founder, Sidewinder, can teleport, inspired by the Sidewinder snake being widely regarded as the fastest snake in the world. The current leader of the Serpent Society is King Cobra -- whom many believe Rollins will portray in Captain America: New World Order. King Cobra, also known as Klaus Voorhees, was a scientist who tried using a radioactive cobra to kill one of his colleagues. However, the snake bit Voorhees instead, and he inherited cobra-like powers. King Cobra's most common power is inspired by cobras' mandibular dislocation (the ability to dislocate their jaw to swallow prey whole), as every bone in King Cobra's body is elastic and extremely flexible, allowing him to slip through tight spaces and absorb powerful blows.
Other notable members of the Serpent Society include Anaconda (with the powers of limb elongation and amphibian-like gills), Black Mamba (who can utilize hypnosis and dark force manipulation), and Death Adder (who's equipped with a powerful tail and claws). While they are sometimes treated as cannon fodder for heroes like Captain America, Falcon, Deadpool, and Spider-Man, the Serpent Society has also achieved some staggering feats in their nearly 40-year comics history, including opening a portal to summon Mephisto and managing to kill M.O.D.O.K.
The Serpent Society Almost Featured in Civil War
This isn't the first time the Serpent Society has been mentioned within the realm of the MCU. Back in 2014, during Kevin Feige's presentation for the MCU's Phase Three slate, Captain America: Serpent Society was initially announced as an official title at the start of the presentation. The title and an official logo were left on the display screen until the very end of the presentation when Feige dropped the act and announced that the movie would actually be Captain America: Civil War. Despite being presented as a joke title for a previous MCU installment, the Serpent Society already has established ties to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Sidewinder was once hired by the Roxxon Oil Company -- which made its MCU debut way back in Iron Man -- to steal the Serpent Crown. After the mission, Sidewinder was inspired to establish his own organization, and the Serpent Society was born.
Seth Rollins' role in Captain America: New World Order is currently being kept tightly under wraps; however, it is likely the Serpent Society will have some connection with Roxxon in the MCU. Many fans are also excited to finally see Rollins starring in a comic book movie, given the WWE star's very public love of comic books and the superhero genre.
To see Seth Rollins and the Serpent Society in action, Captain America: New World Order is scheduled to hit theatres on May 3, 2024