Why Seth Rollins Was Really Cut from Captain America: Brave New World

Seth Rollins was supposed to be part of Captain America: Brave New World, but when the final cut was locked in, he was nowhere to be found. Now, director Julius Onah has finally explained why Rollins’ role was scrapped, and it all came down to reworking the Serpent Society’s presence in the film.

Speaking with ComicBook’s Chris Killian, Onah made it clear that Rollins’ absence wasn’t about performance but about shaping the right tone for the movie.

“When you’re taking characters like Serpent Society from publishing, who, as you know, are individuals dressed up as snakes and have snake-adjacent powers, you’re always iterating and trying to figure out the version that totally works best in a movie like this.”

As the film evolved, so did the cast. When Giancarlo Esposito became available, Onah said it was a no-brainer to bring him into the MCU.

“I love Seth, Seth’s incredible. But as we were evolving and we knew we had an additional photography period, just one that we did early on in the process that’s planned. We were trying to figure out, ‘Hey, who’s somebody that can bring a very specific kind of gravitas that works with this tone.’”

Esposito, known for his intense, commanding presence in shows like Breaking Bad and The Mandalorian, was exactly what Onah was looking for.

“When Giancarlo became available, it was such a no-brainer. I have a very particular history with him. He’s iconic for working with Spike Lee. I interned with Spike Lee when I was 19 years old. Of course, fans have been fan-casting him for a long time in the MCU. So it’s really about making sure that all the elements worked in the grounded tone and vision that I have for this film. As we evolved and iterated, Giancarlo just made sense. What a blessing to have in this film.”

Rollins had previously confirmed that he wouldn’t be in the final cut, despite having filmed scenes. While fans thought they spotted him in the trailer, he shot that down, making sure no one watched the movie expecting to see him.

It’s a disappointing outcome for The Visionary, but this doesn’t mean his Hollywood ambitions are over. With his larger-than-life presence in WWE, it’s only a matter of time before Rollins lands another big acting role.

Would you have liked to see Seth Rollins in Captain America: Brave New World, or do you think Giancarlo Esposito was the better fit? Drop your thoughts in the comments!