'Captain America: Brave New World' star Giancarlo Esposito shares with THR the best and worst part about playing a villain while at San Diego Comic-Con. Plus, he talks working with Anthony Mackie, saying "he's the perfect blend."
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00:00It was just revealed that you're playing the villain Sidewinder.
00:03You are the king of playing villains.
00:05What's the best part about playing a villain and what's the worst part?
00:08The best part is to be able to think about the villain's history and why he came to be.
00:13To be able to pepper that villain with a complication that says he's human somewhere inside.
00:18To allow, you know, the audience a chance to see that maybe they'll catch a glimpse
00:22of that humanity, maybe they won't.
00:25And so to have people love and hate me at the same time is the true essence of what
00:30I love to do.
00:32Because if you see a glimpse of the humanity that is who I like to complicate my characters
00:37with, then you see a mirror for yourself.
00:40And you see the goodness and the badness on a good day or a bad day that you may experience.
00:45This guy is different.
00:46This guy is brutal.
00:48This guy is non-stop.
00:49He gets what he needs.
00:51He knows how to use the tools of the trade and he knows how to use them well.
00:55He knows when it's time to exit the room and he knows when it's time to come back and
00:58grab you.
00:59So there's so much more to this character that I've been, you know, so very, very grateful
01:06to be given the opportunity to play that's different than anything I've done that it's
01:10going to be a bang-up success.
01:12I saw you and Anthony Mackie have a moment when he walked into this room.
01:15What was it like working with him on this movie?
01:17I adore Anthony.
01:18I think Anthony is just the perfect blend of the consummate powerhouse actor and the
01:25person who also is able to embody the levity that we need when we are that man.
01:33That man who can control the room.
01:35That man who can be serious.
01:37That man who's articulate.
01:38But that man who can also crack a joke and make you go, huh, right?
01:43He likes to have fun.
01:44He likes to do his work diligently.
01:47And then he likes to let it all go and let's see what happens.
01:50And so for me, Anthony and I go way back to theater in the 80s.
01:55We came up, you know, in each other's proximity and never worked together.
01:59So it's play to work with him.
02:01And it's interesting because he reads people well.
02:06And I do too.
02:07And yet when he can be one way all the way till action's called.
02:12When action's called and those fierce eyes look at you, you better be ready.
02:15You were talking about your villainous characters who show their humanity.
02:18I feel like Stan Edgar is one of those characters.
02:20What do you hope happens for him in the final season of The Boys?
02:24You know, I have many thoughts on it.
02:25I've got to call Kripke before I can let go of my ultimate dreams of what should happen.
02:31Stan is unafraid of anyone, including Homelander, and they need him.
02:35They need him.
02:36Homelander's out of control.
02:38And someone needs to be able to stand up and, especially now after this last season, to
02:45tell him that he's not the be-all and end-all and I'm not afraid of you.
02:50And there's a way that Stan Edgar does it that no one else does it.
02:53But it's going to have to have a little twist behind it this time.
02:57And I'm hoping that little twist can mean that he has something that Homelander never
03:03expected that he would have.
03:05So let's wait and see.
03:06I'm going to suggest some stuff.
03:08I'm sure they have some stuff up their sleeve.
03:10And you'll see me soon there.
03:15I'm going to suggest some stuff.
03:16I'm sure they have some stuff up their sleeve.
03:17And you'll see me soon there.
03:18I'm going to suggest some stuff.
03:19I'm going to suggest some stuff.
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03:32I'm going to suggest some stuff.
03:33I'm going to suggest some stuff.
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03:35I'm going to suggest some stuff.