Warning: Spoilers for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier episode 5.

Episode 5 of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier has seen the return of a familiar face: Georges Batroc, a.k.a. Batroc the Leaper, who showed up with a briefcase filled with weapons for the Flag-Smashers. First introduced in the MCU in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Batroc’s considerable athleticism and reputation as a thorough killer make him a splashy mercenary useful for dangerous missions. Although he has professional standards, Batroc is apparently available to the highest bidder; in The Winter Soldier, Batroc is revealed to have been hired by Nick Fury, taking over the SHIELD ship the Lemurian Star so that Fury could interfere with HYDRA infiltration in SHIELD.

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Batroc first appeared in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier in episode 1, as a part of the LAF forces that had kidnapped a Captain of the U.S. Air Force. Though he is the better close-quarters fighter, Batroc still lost the fight with Falcon when the LAF forces that accompanied him were defeated and the hostage recovered safely but Batroc escaped unharmed. In episode 5, Batroc arrives with an array of advanced weaponry for the Flag-Smashers to use in an assault on a GRC board meeting, apparently at considerable personal expense. This arsenal appears to include explosives and guns, as well as some unidentified advanced tools.

For all that Batroc is coming to the aid of the Flag-Smashers, his motivations appear to be substantially personal; having been delivered a defeat at the hands of the Falcon, he wants revenge. A previous scene showing Sharon Carter speaking with an unidentified French speaker on the phone may cast doubt on Batroc’s true intentions, however. Having worked for SHIELD once already and been liberated from SHIELD custody by Carter, he may be planning to turn on the Flag-Smashers or being used as a plant. After all, Batroc was also defeated by Captain America but there is no sign that he sought a similar revenge; the degree of financial loss he experienced may have been less, however, or he may have grown more vengeful in the passing years.

If Batroc is not acting as an agent for Carter, and is germane in his intentions to kill the Falcon and support the Flag-Smashers in their attack, the rebel group has gained a valuable ally. Batroc was able to challenge (but not defeat) Captain America simply in a contest of combative skill; when supported by Super Soldiers, his tactical abilities and access to potent weaponry could make him a potentially lethal threat to Sam and Bucky. While Captain America noted that “assassination isn’t Batroc’s line,” he is unquestionably a practiced killer with thirty-six kill missions. He is not a Super Soldier, but would not have to be. For example, Bucky, with his expert sniper abilities, could take out a threat at long range even without using his Super Soldier powers. There is no reason that Batroc, an expert marksman, could not do the same.

Whether Batroc is cooperating with the Flag Smashers as a hidden asset in the fight against them, or whether he’s genuinely interested in killing the Falcon, he is an additional wild card in the mix for the final episode. The advanced weaponry that he has provided the Flag-Smashers will allow them to do more damage. Whether or not Batroc is pulling the trigger, if he is maintaining a cover, his aid will have to be at least somewhat genuine to keep it up. Batroc embodies an ideal villain for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier; skilled, dangerous, and ambiguous in his precise motivation.

Key Release Dates
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  • Black Widow (2021)Release date: Jul 09, 2021
  • Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)Release date: Sep 03, 2021
  • Eternals (2021)Release date: Nov 05, 2021
  • Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)Release date: May 06, 2022
  • Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)Release date: Jul 08, 2022
  • Black Panther: Wakanda Forever/Black Panther 2 (2022)Release date: Nov 11, 2022
  • The Marvels/Captain Marvel 2 (2023)Release date: Feb 17, 2023
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About The Author


Drew Dunlop
(82 Articles Published)

Drew Dunlop is a short story author, and a feature writer for Screen Rant. A former movie review blogger, Drew has spent a great deal of his adult life writing and talking about films and comics. Now, he writes and talks about comic book films – DC Cinematic Universe, and Marvel Cinematic Universe films.

A hobbyist chef, Drew enjoys the company of his partner, his parrot, and his philodendron.

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