The Best Time Zemo Ever Broke Character In The Falcon And The Winter Soldier
"Captain America: Civil War" features a quietly ominous villain who single-handedly tears down the Avengers with his elaborate planning (okay, and a little bit of luck too). That man is Helmut Zemo (Daniel Brühl), and he wants revenge on the superheroes he blames for destroying his precious Sokovia and, by proxy, causing the death of his family. The movie version of Zemo is an unassuming but scary man — a highly trained Sokovian EKO Scorpion death squad officer who stops at nothing to carry out his complex mission. As such, when the events of "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" become serious enough to require his assistance, it's clear that Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) and Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) still consider Zemo the nuclear option.
Imagine the audience's surprise and delight, then, when a new-and-improved Baron Zemo waltzes in. Since he's not on a self-commissioned black ops mission to rain retribution on the Avengers this time, he turns out to be a surprisingly laid-back guy with deep pockets, vast connections, and a penchant for Marvin Gaye, goofy dancing, and getting on Bucky's nerves with his patented head tilt maneuver. Zemo can still be ruthless when needed, though, and it's a delight to see actor Daniel Brühl effortlessly juggle the character's newfound likability and his famously negative attitude toward super-powered individuals.
Zemo's geeky, comedic undertones have gained sweeping acclaim — to the point that the Zemo dance scene is already the stuff of legend. However, you might be surprised to find out that the good Baron has an even stranger scene out there.
Let's take a look at the best time Zemo ever broke character in "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier."
Zemo becomes a spokesperson for a clothes company in this secret scene
One of Baron Helmut Zemo's most notorious changes between "Captain America: Civil War" and "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" is his wardrobe. He spends the duration of "Civil War" in nondescript, functional, and deeply unfashionable clothes that underline his comparatively everyman nature and utilitarian approach. However, "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" makes it clear that movie-Zemo is very much in Special Ops mode, doing Special Ops things, when he dresses that way. The Disney+ series shows the Sokovian wearing the clothes he actually enjoys — up to and including the iconic, purple mask from the comics.
This Zemo is a very stylish one, and a scene in Disney+'s docuseries "Marvel Studios: Assembled" makes the absolute best of this change ... by turning Zemo into a spokesman for a clothes company called "Suitkovia."
The 32-second scene sees Zemo lounging on a couch — surrounded by creepy, gilded ape skulls — and peddling fashion items to the viewer. "Do you like my style?" the Baron asks in his trademark Sokovian accent. "You can have it as well. Suitkovia! We offer elegant clothes, but also casual clothes. Pajamas, sweaters, T-shirts, socks, sneakers, everything." Having finished his pitch, Zemo reaches for a glass of vodka and toasts to the viewer's health in Russian. "Come visit us in Sokovia," he says. "Check out Suitkovia!"
In just four episodes of "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier," Daniel Brühl transforms Zemo from a tortured man on a mission to an absolutely delightful anti-villain who seemingly exists to rub everyone's faces on the moral grey area — but even then, the idea of him openly advertising a clothes store is a hilarious break in character.