Daniel Brühl, the face of MCU’s Baron Zemo, recently expressed curiosity about Kevin Feige and Marvel’s potential reaction to his upcoming project, dubbed The Franchise. In an interview conducted recently to discuss his newest movie, Race for Glory: Audi vs. Lancia, the Captain America: Civil War star also talked about the nature of a supposed comeback of the cunning multi-faceted adversary who we last saw in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier.
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Since The Franchise is set to be a satirical piece on a superhero—you guessed it—franchise, Brühl commented on how the one spearheading a massive franchise like MCU would feel about it. The actor’s stint in Marvel films adds to the situation’s humor. Besides anticipating Feige’s response, the Rush alum teased the possibility of Zemo’s story continuing, considering that his character hadn’t been killed yet.
MCU Alum Daniel Brühl Anticipates Kevin Feige’s Reaction To His Satirical Series
Daniel Brühl is set to star in the HBO comedy TV series The Franchise. The project, which is being co-created by Armando Iannucci and Sam Mendes, will center on the problems that a film crew faces during the production of a superhero film. Much of the premise remains shrouded in mystery. But based on what we know from existing reports, the show will satirize and mock superhero movie franchises.
Brühl, no stranger to a superhero franchise, contemplated Kevin Feige, President of Marvel Studios, and his potential response upon learning about the actor’s latest pursuit. Knowing that the producer wouldn’t harbor any grudges, the star implied that Feige’s sense of humor would allow him to accept his upcoming endeavor wholeheartedly (via Screen Rant):
“They haven’t killed me [in MCU] yet… [Right] now I’m doing a series … called The Franchise. But if there are people who have a lot of sense of humor, then it’s Marvel, and it’s Kevin Feige. I’m very happy to shoot something about the franchise world and with a comical approach.”
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On the question of Baron Zemo’s return to the MCU, Daniel Brühl appeared to hold no aversion to coming back.
The Captain America: Civil War actor did, however, clarify that he is presently involved in other projects and that his current goals would have collided with the franchise role if he were to, right now, star in Thunderbolts or a different initiative. There may be hope down the line.
Daniel Brühl Wouldn’t Say No To Coming Back As Baron Zemo
The last time we saw Baron Zemo was in the Disney+ miniseries The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which aired in 2021. Due to the gravity of his misdeeds, he was brought to The Raft, an underwater jail designed to incarcerate enhanced people. This temporary conclusion to Zemo’s character arc leaves possibilities for his return—perhaps in a more sinister fashion. Fans initially speculated Daniel Brühl’s comeback as the antagonist in 2025’s Thunderbolts.
However, when Kevin Feige unveiled the main team roster to constitute the ragtag ensemble, Baron Zemo was missing. Now, Brühl has discussed (in the same Screen Rant interview) the possibility of the much-anticipated continuation to Zemo’s lore, and it doesn’t seem too bleak:
“… It was nice with that Zemo guy because he was so […] different. Also, the second time around, I was invited to explore the sense of humor in that character […] So again, it was a surprise—I was invited to surprise the people. So I guess that if he shows up again, you really need to carefully think: what is this crazy little guy up to this time around?”
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Continuing, the actor stated:
“If the right opportunity would come, I wouldn’t say no … But for now, I’m into other things that … might have collided. I think they’re shooting [Thunderbolts] right now, so the destiny and fate always. I strongly believe in that.”
Brühl concluded by affirming that he’s content in following the path he was “offered to follow.”
With how intrinsic Zemo’s presence had been to the Thunderbolts in the Marvel comics, many have speculated that Brühl’s potential return in the 2025 movie may be deliberately kept under wraps. A surprise cameo or appearance wouldn’t be too far-fetched. We are talking about the MCU, after all.
That being said, he is not yet officially scheduled to appear in the anti-hero ensemble movie. Here’s to hoping the future holds exciting news for Baron Zemo fans!
