The last time we saw HYDRA operative Brock Rumlow in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he had been retrieved from underneath the crumbled Triskelion, but those devastating injuries won’t keep him down for long. Frank Grillo is reprising Rumlow next year for Captain America: Civil War, but this time the villain will finally up his game as Crossbones. While there’s still five months until we see him unleash more chaos, we now have a better sense of what will be driving him this time around.
Commenting on Rumlow’s mental state when Captain America: Civil War begins, Grillo told The Huffington Post that because he’s furious over what happened to him at the end of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, he won’t let anything stop him from completing his mission. Grillo explained:
…if you’ve seen The Winter Soldier, Brock Rumlow was in bad shape and that was because of Cap and he’s not happy. I tell you, coming back as Crossbones, his alter ego, he is not a happy guy and there’s nothing that is going to get in the way of him doing what he's set out to do...But, yeah, he's out for a good time, Crossbones. He's going to have fun.
Rumlow was introduced in Captain America: The Winter Soldier as the leader of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s S.T.R.I.K.E. team, but was later revealed as one of the many HYDRA sleeper agents embedded within the organization. After hunting down Captain America and Black Widow several times in the movie, he fought Sam Wilson, a.k.a. Falcon, and Sharon Carter, a.k.a. Agent 13, during the climax. He was eventually taken out when one of the downed Helicarriers crashed into the Triskelion, and although he survived, his burns and injuries were severe. Once he’s gone through a lot of physical therapy and skin grafts, he’ll be back in action and ready to shoot up anyone getting in his way.
Although we’ve seen Captain America: Civil War set photos of Grillo in the Crossbones costume (and if you studied the recent trailer, you also noticed him in the background of one of the shots), Rumlow’s exact role in the movie hasn’t been disclosed yet. The D23 footage implied that he may be behind the "international incident" that results in the Sokovia Accords being passed, but it’s unclear whether he’s operating on his own or working for someone else, be it HYDRA still or Zemo. Grillo also previously hinted that Crossbones may have more mayhem to unleash after Captain America: Civil War, and considering that Marvel frequently reuses a lot of their villains, his brand of villainy would be welcomed in more movies.
Crossbones will be back to antagonize the Star Spangled Avenger when Captain America: Civil War hits theaters on May 6, 2016.
