Captain America: Brave New World is a messy Marvel project. The first trailer finally showed off some footage that got a lot of people very excited, but everything before and after that teaser was less pleasant. The movie has at least one poisonous character and a questionable title change in its backstory. People are expecting Sam Wilson’s first solo film to flop and Marvel to learn the wrong lesson. Giancarlo Esposito seems to be the only aspect drawing positive attention. If he’s playing G. W. Bridge, that joy might wear off.
Marvel has a history of applying comic book character names to new creations that bear little resemblance to their source material. That’s often a disappointment, robbing longtime fans of the chance to see their favorites on the big screen. Black Widow‘s take on Taskmaster, for example, lacks the appeal of the original skull-faced mercenary. On the other hand, some MCU adaptations are massive improvements. Yondu and Drax have little to do with their comic-book counterparts, but they’re both beloved icons in their MCU iterations. G. W. Bridge could be another adaptation in name only.
Who is G. W. Bridge?
|
Full Name |
George Washington Bridge |
|---|---|
|
Creators |
Rob Liefeld and Fabian Nicieza |
|
First Appearance |
X-Force #1 |
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First Appearance Date |
June 1991 |
George Washington Bridge is a mercenary, soldier, and spy. He has no superpowers, but he is an extremely skilled combatant, with or without a selection of weapons. Bridge prefers to go by G. W. to avoid endless gags about the actual George Washington Bridge over the Hudson River. G. W. Bridge fought in Vietnam when he was 17, and that’s the earliest story the comics provide about his life. Bridge became impressive enough to draw Cable’s eye. The time-traveling mutant hero recruited Bridge onto his mercenary team, known as the Wild Pack. The group became the Six Pack after perceived legal threats from Silver Sable. Six Pack didn’t work out, leaving two of the six members with life-altering injuries. Bridge escaped relatively unscathed and carried a grudge against Cable after believing that he had abandoned the team. Thankfully, S.H.I.E.L.D. hired him to pursue his vengeance.
S.H.I.E.L.D. didn’t like the look of Cable’s new team, X-Force. They hired Bridge to investigate, and though he tried to offer Cable a warning, the time traveler didn’t take the hint. Bridge gathered other former Six Pack members and other warriors to stop Cable. They failed, realizing that Cable left the X-Force before Bridge’s team could move in. The members of Six Pack gradually made peace with Cable, including Bridge. He would offer Cable advice whenever the government attempted anything related to mutants. Bridge leaves S.H.I.E.L.D. and returns shortly thereafter. He gets orders to capture Frank Castle, but the Punisher escapes his grasp. Bridge tries to assemble a task force to bring Castle down. Micro, Castle’s resurrected ally-turned-enemy, took Bridge’s family hostage as part of a scheme to bring his son back from the dead. He then shot Bridge in the head, killing him instantly. Bridge mysteriously came back, and he’s now working for J.A.N.U.S.
Where did G. W. Bridge first appear?
G. W. Bridge first appeared in X-Force #1 in 1991. He is one of the many creations of Rob Liefeld, the much-maligned artist behind Deadpool and Cable. For all the hilarious gags everyone’s had at Liefeld’s expense, he has put his name on several engaging characters. G. W. Bridge is a Cable side character first and foremost. He’s in just over 100 comic books, most of them related directly to Cable. After leaving Cable’s side, he becomes a Punisher side character. Finally, in his most recent appearance, he’s part of the short-lived Ravencroft imprint. He has never been part of a Captain America story.
Is Giancarlo Esposito playing G. W. Bridge?
Giancarlo Esposito will be a central antagonist in Captain America: Brave New World. He and the film’s crew have been deliberately unclear about his character’s identity. People started speculating on his character’s source material. The most popular assumption is G. W. Bridge, largely due to several unsubstantiated rumors. On July 15th, Giancarlo Esposito made a statement, assuring fans that they had not successfully guessed the identity of his character. People have proposed everything from Professor Charles Xavier to Doctor Victor von Doom, but Bridge has been a common assumption. If Esposito is telling the truth, it’s likely that he won’t be Bridge. If he’s deliberately misleading the audience, it’s still an option. He seems to be enjoying the speculation, so there’s no reason to stop tossing out names.
G. W. Bridge is a fun character who would fit well into a grounded spy story like Captain America: Brave New World. He is, however, not a Captain America character, making him a weird choice for the film. In any case, Giancarlo Esposito will be a serious threat when he properly joins the MCU in Captain America: Brave New World.
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