Marvelhas a lot riding onCaptain America: Brave New World. Fans loved Sam Wilson, but his shared buddy cop series with Bucky failed to impress.Brave New Worldwill be his proper debut as the new Captain America. He’ll rebrand with a new cast of allies and enemies. MCU fans are thrilled to experience Red Hulk and the Leader, but there may be another antagonist in the mix. A new Diamondback may join the MCU inCaptain America: Brave New World.
It’s fair to say thatMarvel has overstuffedtheir cinematic universe. There are so many superheroes with very little screentime and massive expectations. The next generation will break into various teams, but each member will likely carry less than half of the iconography of their predecessors. Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson’s Captain America is a rare exception. Giving an established character a beloved name could make Sam one of the biggest stars of future phases.
Who is Diamondback in Marvel Comics?
Fans may remember Erik LaRey Harvey’s evil arms dealer, Willis “Diamondback” Stryker, fromLuke Cage. The Diamondback that will likely appear inCaptain America: Brave New Worldis unrelated. Rachel “Diamondback” Leighton is a minor antagonist who first appeared inCaptain America#310. Leighton was born in Texas and grew up in New York City. Her early life was difficult. Her older brother set her up with eitherthe mercenary Crossbonesor the supervillain Trapster, depending on the story. Both iterations involve unpleasant sexual assault implications. She left her retail gig behind to become a mercenary. She received training from a former steelworker named Blanche Sitznski. Sitznski underwent experimental genetic augmentation procedures to become Anaconda, a superhuman agent for the Roxxon Oil Company. Anaconda was a founding member of Roxxon’s Serpent Squad. Under Anaconda’s guidance, Leighton took the name Diamondback and followed her mentor into the new Serpent Society.
The Serpent Society wasn’t exactly the Legion of Doom. It was more of a labor union for superhuman criminals. Diamondback had no superpowers. Instead, she was a gifted gymnast who threw various diamond-based projectiles at foes. Diamondback is a notoriously fickle figure in the comics. She serves the Serpent Society but frequently turns against them to aid the heroes. She’sbetrayed Captain Americaand her villainous allies in the Serpent Society several times, occasionally switching sides several times in the same story. She worked with several other teams, once even working for S.H.I.E.L.D. A 2016Captain Americacomic depicted her escape as Captain America and his allies arrested the rest of the Serpent Society. She was last seen as part of Domino’s Posse.
What is Diamondback’s relationship with Captain America?
Diamondback fell in lovewith Steve Rogers the momentshe saw him. Though she’s routinely portrayed as an antagonist, she’s also one of Steve’s least-mentioned love interests. Their first encounter saw her fall head-over-heels for Cap, prompting her to spare him when asked to eliminate him in combat. Diamondback betrayed the Serpent Society several times to feed Steve information. They worked together to defeat Baron Zemo’s warriors while hunting an ancient artifact. This led to their first date, which Diamondback enlisted several allies to defend from lesser villains. Steve helped her escape the Serpent Society before they could execute her. She later risked her life to give Steve a chance to survive. She saved Steve’s life and continued their relationship, butthe Red Skull assassinatedCaptain America, leaving Rachel to find love elsewhere. She was broadly less kind to Steve’s replacement, Sam. She kidnapped the new Cap but changed allegiance again to save him before fleeing the Serpent Society.
Will Diamondback appear inCaptain America: Brave New World?
Fans have imagined Diamondback’s involvement since the late 2010s. Kevin Feige announcedCaptain America: Serpent Societyas a joke beforedebutingCivil Warin 2014. Many speculated on Diamondback’s involvement inBrave New Worldafter a casting call vaguely matching the character’s description entered public knowledge. The Instagram post above demonstrates aforeign ad for McDonald’s toys, including Red Hulk and Diamondback. Assuming the world’s largest fast food company isn’t making things up, this toy commercial spoils two of the major characters in the fourthCaptain Americafilm.
Diamondback could be a love interest for Sam Wilson inCaptain America: Brave New World. Her usual place in the plot won’t be available without Steve Rogers. Short of a big reveal depicting the serpentine supervillian as the former Cap’s lost flame, her position must be different. She could also just be an unattached antagonist, as she is in her brief appearancealongside Sam Wilson inthe comics. Diamondback could bring the Serpent Society to the big screen, just as Kevin Feige joked about a decade ago. Either way, Rachel Leighton will be one of the new villains to reach the MCU inCaptain America: Brave New World.
