Why Zemo has become one of Marvel’s best villains?

While showing some epic dance moves, Zemo (Daniel Bruhl) has also established himself as one of the most important characters in Falcon and The Winter Soldier. This is due to the fact in the show Zemo is currently working with the heroes Sam (Anthony Mackie) and Bucky (Sebastian Stan) despite in Captain America: Civil War being the man responsible for Bucky’s relapse and Sam’s arrest. There is unease around the Baron which has created much speculation about what he may do to double cross our heroes, but during episode 3 we also found a new appreciation for Zemo’s villainy which has elevated him to a top tier Marvel villain.

To understand why Zemo has been elevated as a villain we have to understand what he did during Captain America: Civil War. After the destruction of Sokovia which resulted in the death of Zemo’s family, he spent years plotting a plan which would tear the Avengers apart. This plan was successful even if it was long winded and worked in causing the Avengers to disband. During the movie we learn that the primary motivation for this plan of Zemo’s was all for his family which he lost. While this motivation was strong and made Zemo seem just in his mission, there wasn’t much else in terms of context. All we got extra was that Zemo understood he couldn’t compete with the Avengers physically which made the man from Sokovia seem smart and logical.

However, during the 3rd instalment of Falcon and The Winter Soldier we learn much more about the plan of Zemo and his motivations. In Civil War, his plan wasn’t given to us in full and we still don’t know the lengths Zemo went to in order to gain possession of Bucky’s trigger words and the mission report from December 16th 1991. But, during Falcon and The Winter Solder we learn much more about the lengths Zemo went to in order to learn of Hydra’s secrets.

Zemo reveals to us that he is in fact a Baron or at least he was before Sokovia was removed from the map. This gives us knowledge on how Zemo had the resources able to him in order to complete his mission. Moreover, on our visit to Madripoor Zemo comes across like an encyclopaedia of the criminal underworld due to his connections with Selby and knowledge regarding the Smiling Tiger whom Sam dresses as and the overlord of Madripoor, the Power Broker. Add this with his knowledge of Hydra and everything else he encountered and Zemo quickly becomes one of the smartest criminal minds in the world. I hate to be this guy but during the episode at times I felt Zemo was comparable with DC villain Lex Luther which is a big comparison to make.

Moreover, the episode elevates Zemo even further as we learn more about his motivations and his code. As Bucky says to Sam, Zemo has a code which we know is to destroy all super soldiers. This means that his mission to tear the Avengers apart was not the only part of the plan. As Zemo says he hunted those who had some version of the super soldier serum and those responsible for making it. This again adds so much to Zemo as his mission was so much more than we saw in Civil War. Shooting Wilfred Nagel also tells us how much Zemo wants to complete his mission as this move was drastic and could have seen Sam and Bucky send him back to prison.

Also, the motives of Zemo are just. Yes, the primary motivation still remains his anger after his family’s loss but we learn much more about the motives which actually make Zemo feel just in his actions. He discusses how when people are given powers they become symbols and we forget their flaws which is dangerous. He continues by saying that this could have resulted in a world ruled by the Red Skull. As such what we learn about Zemo is that he isn’t just a mad man like the Hydra leader, instead he has logical sense of the danger which he experienced first-hand. Overall what this tells us is that Zemo is one hell of a villain as although being a terrorist he took these actions with a sensible reason which then asks the question for some whether he is actually a villain at all.

Despite learning so much more about Zemo and his plan to stop an army of super soldiers there is still the question of what he will do next. Sam and Bucky will obviously want to see him return to prison but you can imagine that Zemo wouldn’t want to go back and will look for a way to escape. This then begs the question of whether a double cross may happen once the mission is complete which could see Zemo escape the clutches of the law.

If we want to go into complete theory mode about the future of Zemo, my rouge theory is that Zemo will actually side with the Flag Smashers. I know this goes against everything which Zemo currently believes in but as teased he is looking forward to meeting Karli Morgenthau (Erin Kellyman). This could be subtle tease that when he eventually meets her, he can relate to her motivations. This would explain why we are learning of the struggles the Flag Smashers are experiencing which are comparable to what Zemo would have experienced after the destruction of Sokovia. Also, Zemo wouldn’t know of their work and may just view them as an anarchist group. So when they inevitably meet I think Zemo may see a new side on what the super soldier serum could be used for which would go against his mission but would fit with his grief. This is a wild theory I know and is just a bit of fun so take it with a big pinch of salt.

While we may have moved a bit far into theory mode at the end we would still just like to bring it back to how much Falcon and The Winter Soldier has elevated Zemo as a villain. Civil War didn’t give enough time for Zemo to be fully fleshed out but with the ability of the Disney+ series we now have this ability. Zemo is one of the first characters that I believe when we go back and watch his previous appearance in Civil War that the movie will become better as a result of the Disney+ show. Therefore it has to be said that Zemo is a top tier Marvel villain and there is so much which could come from his character.

Images:

Marvel Studios

Disney+