Who Is The Wakandan Hunting Zemo? Identity & Previous MCU Movies

Warning: Contains SPOILERS for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier episode 3, “Power Broker.” 

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier episode 3 ends with the appearance of one of Black Panther‘s Dora Milaje – here’s why Wakanda wants Baron Zemo and where you’ve seen the character before in the MCU. Following on from the end of Falcon and the Winter Soldier episode 2, Zemo makes his MCU return proper in episode 3, “Power Broker.” Because of his extensive knowledge of HYDRA history, he’s an invaluable asset to Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes as they attempt to take on the Flag-Smashers, but the installment also shows that the villain cannot fully escape his past.

Zemo may agree to work with Sam and Bucky in “Power Broker,” but it also serves as a reminder of just how dangerous he can be. From his prison escape to his taking out several of the bad guys hunting them, it shows that he still possesses an incredible mind as well as more physical skills. But while that may help in uncovering truths of the super-soldier program, it also paints a target on his back. After all, Zemo has killed a lot of people and brought down the Avengers, so it’s no surprise that his being out in the open again paints a target on his back, which comes into play just before the credits roll.

The character at the end of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier episode 3 is Ayo, one of Black Panther‘s Dora Milaje. Played by Florence Kasumba, Ayo has previously appeared in Captain America: Civil War, Black Panther, and Avengers: Infinity War. In Civil War, she escorted T’Challa to the Sokovia Accords ratification, and later had a run-in with Black Widow, attempting to stop her from speaking with T’Challa. In Black Panther, meanwhile, she continued to serve as one of the Dora Milaje as T’Challa became the new King of Wakanda, briefly (if reluctantly) serving under Erik Killmonger before turning back against him. Finally, she fought in the Battle of Wakanda in Infinity War.

While Ayo hasn’t been quite as prominent as her Dora Milaje commander, Okoye, she has still been shown as a key part of the group, and that’s only continuing with her role in Falcon & Winter Soldier. She seemingly put out Komoyo Beads to leave a trail for Bucky (or the White Wolf, as he’s known in Wakanda), which similarly have previously been used in both Black Panther and Infinity War as a communication device. This time their purpose is less to communicate, and more to simply point Bucky in the right direction, so that he can find Ayo and she can reveal her plan to him: that Wakanda wants Baron Zemo.

Zemo, of course, was responsible for the explosion at the United Nations that killed King T’Chaka (something Sam references earlier in the episode as a timely reminder, ahead of Ayo’s arrival). At the end of Captain America: Civil War, T’Challa had Zemo arrested so that he would face justice for his crimes, but it seems that the Wakandans no longer believe that hasn’t been served. Presumably him being imprisoned was reasonable enough, but they’ve obviously heard of his escape and wish to be the ones to ensure it will never happen again. As the murderer of T’Chaka, it’s easy to see why Wakanda, the Dora Milaje, and perhaps even T’Challa himself would want Baron Zemo to be taken down once more, and given their advanced technologies then it’s possible they’ve been able to track or monitor him (and this could even have been another use for the Komoyo Beads). Either way, with Wakanda now involved, then Zemo’s role in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier just got even more complicated.

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