The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is in the midst of exploring the post-Blip narrative of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with themes such as the financial status of the Avengers and the continued existence of the Sokovia Accords being pushed to the forefront like never before.
After the first three episodes, it's quite evident that Sam and Bucky are both benefiting from the franchise's long-form storytelling approach, which is giving the two heroes more chances to shine. On top of that, the show is also adding more depth to characters from the Captain America franchise like Sharon Carter and Zemo.
Zemo only returned in the third installment of the series, but it's clear that the popularity of the villain skyrocketed after last week's episode. This was mainly due to the fact that the show provided more history for the Civil War villain , letting viewers understand the character even more.
Now, the actor behind the famed Hydra operative has opened up about the next steps of the character in an interview.
DANIEL BRUHL PLAYS COY ABOUT ZEMO'S PLAN
Daniel Brühl, who plays Helmut Zemo in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier , recently sat down with Entertainment Weekly to talk about the Marvel series. One of the topics that was discussed in this chat was the villain's endgame.
Brühl admitted that he can't openly talk about Zemo's ultimate plan in the series, revealing that he is just being “secretive” like his character. Still, the veteran actor did hint that "t here will be interesting twists and surprises” in the upcoming episodes:
“No, no. I would never do that. Like Zemo, I just enjoy being opaque and secretive. So, I wouldn't answer that question. There will be interesting twists and turns and surprises, I can assure you.”
Furthermore, Brühl praised the “cinematic level” of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier , describing it as “mind-blogging:”
“Keeping up that cinematic level until the very end really impressed me because it's like six movies. These action segments, when you look at them, don't look much different than in the movies. To create this is mind-boggling. I sincerely don't know how they do that. But as in the story, I would prefer not to say anything. I'm the master of spoilers.”
On a separate note, Brühl confirmed that the presence of Dora Milaje member Ayo in the show presents all kinds of “trouble” for Zemo, with the actor describing the Wakandan group of warriors as “very intimidating:”
“Oh yeah. These are very intimidating warriors who are after me. As much as I enjoyed me, as in Daniel, seeing [Ayo actress] Florence [Kasumba] again and talking to her — the only other German-speaking actor on the set — for Zemo, this is trouble. He should better watch out.”
To recap, Zemo orchestrated the bombing of the United Nations in Vienna during Captain America: Civil War , leading to the death of Wakanda's former king, T'Chaka. It's possible that Ayo was sent by T'Challa to retrieve Zemo to seek justice for the death of his father.
ZEMO'S ENDGAME
Brühl's latest comments should add another layer of intrigue about the upcoming narrative of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier . The third episode clearly painted Zemo as one of the good guys, but the MCU is known for pulling off surprises in the end.
That said, it seems that the villain will be part of a big reveal soon, as evidenced by the actor's tease of “twists and surprises” in the latter episodes.
The surprising inclusion of Dora Milaje member Ayo in the Marvel series presents various story possibilities while also opening up potential appearances for other major figures from Wakanda down the road. Clearly, Zemo's escape from prison will not be ignored, and this will provide another hurdle for Sam and Bucky's mission.
It remains to be seen how this latest conflict will be addressed, but it's reasonable to assume that the titular pair will come to an agreement with Ayo regarding Zemo's escape.
Given that Zemo is technically still a villain, it wouldn't be surprising if he betrays Sam and Bucky for a chance to avoid Wakandan justice. This is more likely to happen due to the character's vast amount of resources combined with his strategist nature.
All in all, fans should brace themselves for action-packed episodes in the coming weeks, and Zemo will no doubt be at the center of the narrative when it's all said and done.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is now streaming on Disney+.
