Who is Batroc, and what is this existing MCU villain doing in The Falcon & The Winter Soldier? Having already set a high bar with WandaVision, the MCU’s Disney+ expansion continues. Starring Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson and Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes, The Falcon & The Winter Soldier begins with Steve Rogers’ best pals both struggling in the aftermath of the Blip. Bucky is enduring therapy, braving the world of online dating, and desperately trying to make amends for the crimes he committed under HYDRA’s brainwashing. Falcon, meanwhile, is working for the U.S. government, taking contracted missions under the Sokovia Accords and attempting to salvage his family’s business back in Louisiana.

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Falcon & Winter Soldier begins with Sam Wilson on one of these very missions. A U.S. military captain has been taken hostage by a newly formed, powerful criminal organization known as LAF, and Falcon must rescue the prisoner before they enter Libyan airspace. With help from Torres the intel officer and some ridiculously impressive aerial acrobatics, Wilson is able to rescue the captured military liaison without getting the U.S. in hot diplomatic water, taking out numerous members of LAF in the process. While many of the villains Falcon faces in the air are no-name goons, LAF (or this particular division of LAF, at least) are led by a familiar face – Georges Batroc from Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

Played by Georges St-Pierre, Batroc is a highly-trained former French military sergeant turned top-tier mercenary. Making his MCU debut, Batroc is the main target in Captain America: The Winter Soldier‘s introductory action sequence on SHIELD’s Lemurian Star ship. Initially, Batroc appears to be a terrorist looking for nothing more than a decent payday. However, Steve Rogers later discovers that the mercenary was hired by Nick Fury, who had started to suspect the HYDRA invasion of SHIELD and was using the hijacking as cover for Black Widow to steal data about Project Insight. Batroc has little interest in who he works for, good guys or bad, so long as he gets paid for the job. Despite having no superpowers, Batroc puts up a decent fight against Captain America using cunning surprise tactics and expert hand-to-hand combat. Indeed, Batroc may be the toughest human enemy without superpowers or hi-tech armor Rogers has faced, and the villain escapes the Lemurian Star in one piece.

Batroc was last seen occupying a SHIELD interrogation room in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, but makes his return for Falcon & Winter Soldier. Perhaps the merc was released after the SHIELD incident ended, or maybe Batroc was able to escape incarceration in the chaos of Thanos’ snap. Either way, he’s now involved with the LAF, suggesting Batroc has gone into business for himself and founded his own network of MCU terrorists-for-hire whose sole aim is monetary gain. Although the exact circumstances remain vague (just enough to explain Sam’s first mission), Batroc’s LAF has either been hired by an unknown agent to capture an important member of the U.S. military, or are looking to demand a ransom. They would’ve been picking up a sweet sum regardless. Once again, Batroc puts on a good showing against Falcon, more than holding his own fighting another Avenger.

Falcon & Winter Soldier‘s premiere sets up more appearances for Batroc further down the line. Sam Wilson rescues his target and blows up the last remaining LAF chopper, but Batroc himself is explicitly shown escaping the fiery blast. This would suggest the Frenchman remains part of Kevin Feige’s plans, either in a later Falcon & Winter Soldier episode, or another MCU project altogether. It’s also worth bearing in mind that, similar to the Lemurian Star incident, Batroc’s association with the LAF might not be all it seems. Rather than being in it for the money, Batroc could be secretly operating on behalf of the Flag-Smashers or, even worse, the U.S. government, which clearly has a sinister agenda after the unveiling of Captain America 2.0.

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About The Author


Craig Elvy
(3635 Articles Published)

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Craig first began contributing to Screen Rant in 2016, several years after graduating college, and has been ranting ever since, mostly to himself in a darkened room. Having previously written for various sports and music outlets, Craig’s interest soon turned to TV and film, where a steady upbringing of science fiction and comic books finally came into its own.
Craig has previously been published on sites such as Den of Geek, and after many coffee-drenched hours hunched over a laptop, part-time evening work eventually turned into a full-time career covering everything from the zombie apocalypse to the Starship Enterprise via the TARDIS.

Since joining the Screen Rant fold, Craig has been involved in breaking news stories and mildly controversial ranking lists, but now works predominantly as a features writer.
Jim Carrey is Craig’s top acting pick and favorite topics include superheroes, anime and the unrecognized genius of the High School Musical trilogy.

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