The Electric State is the latest original movie from Avengers: Endgame directors Joe & Anthony Russo, and it features an excellent supporting performance from the ever-reliable Giancarlo Esposito as the villainous Marshall. It’s the latest in a long string of antagonists that Esposito has played in recent years, and the film really takes advantage of his intimidating screen presence. While The Electric State’s reviews have been mixed, his performance has been widely praised.
There’s much talk about which actor is truly the MVP of The Electric State’s cast, but there are very few people who can command a scene quite like Giancarlo Esposito. He’s such a powerful and memorable actor, but his role in the Russos’ latest film is a painful reminder that most directors are only willing to cast him in one type of role anymore.
Giancarlo Esposito Keeps Being Typecast As Villains
It’s Been A While Since He’s Played A Hero
There are very few actors working today who are typecast as villains quite as frequently as Giancarlo Esposito. This is likely because of his excellent performance as Gus Fring in the hugely acclaimed crime drama Breaking Bad, but the trend has continued long after that show ended. Alongside reprising his role in Better Call Saul, Esposito has also played antagonists in several other projects most notably The Mandalorian.
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Since playing the unapologetically evil Moff Gideon in The Mandalorian, Esposito took on more villain roles, including Stan Edgar in The Boys and Stanley Johnston in The Gentleman. The actor continued the trend in early 2005 by playing Marvel Comics villain Sidewinder in Captain America: Brave New World. Now, The Electric State has taken this even further.
Giancarlo Esposito Plays Great Villains, But He Can Do More
The Actor Deserves A Chance To Branch Out
Giancarlo Esposito has starred in plenty of great movies and shows, but it’s only in the past few decades that he’s become known for his endless villain performances. Breaking Bad was the first project that really kicked off this trend, but before that, there were very few villainous performances in the actor’s filmography. Instead, Esposito was actually best known for his comedic performances in films such as Do The Right Thing and School Daze. He collaborated frequently with Spike Lee, who often cast him in much more eccentric and lighthearted roles than he’s known for now.
Although Esposito is a brilliant actor when it comes to dark, gritty performances, I’d love to see him return to a more comedic style in the future.
Although Esposito is a brilliant actor when it comes to dark, gritty performances, I’d love to see him return to a more comedic style in the future. He’s such a talented actor, but his various villainous performances over the years are too similar to his Breaking Bad role to get the most out of his range. The only problem now is that viewers may struggle to separate him from his darker roles, which is likely why he’s become so heavily typecast.
The Electric State
4/10
- Release Date
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March 14, 2025
- Runtime
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128 Minutes
- Writers
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Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely