Falcon & The Winter Soldier Explains Zemo’s Civil War Victory Plot-Hole

Zemo is one of the very few villains who succeeded on their goals in the MCU after he motivated the split of the Avengers in Captain America: Civil War, and Falcon and the Winter Soldier explains how he’s able to do that. After their less-than-ideal encounter with the Flag-Smashers was made worse by John Walker and Battlestar’s surprise arrival, Sam and Bucky are more than motivated to get to the bottom of the Super-Soldier Serum mystery. They’ve become so desperate for any leads, they decided to team up with Zemo despite their ugly history.

Teased at the end of episode 2, the villain properly returns in Falcon and the Winter Soldier episode 3, titled “Power Broker.” This marked the first time he’s been spotted in the MCU since Civil War where he pitted Iron Man and Captain America against each other as part of his revenge plot against the Avengers for what happened in Sokovia. Fueled by the tragic death of his family during the final battle of Avengers: Age of Ultron, he dedicated himself to dismantling Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. His role in Civil War was primarily to kick-start its events by framing Bucky for the explosion at the U.N. summit in Vienna that killed Wakanda’s King T’Chaka. But his final move was to catch Tony Stark off guard with the revelation that the Winter Soldier killed his parents — something that Steve Rogers purposefully hid from him. More than the Sokovia Accords, this was what ultimately broke up the Avengers.

During his debut in Civil War, there’s not much known about Zemo other than he’s a Sokovian intelligence officer and a commander of an elite paramilitary tactical unit known as EKO Scorpion. Despite his impressive resume, it’s difficult to imagine that a lone ex-military man can take down the Avengers that elegantly. Now, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier provides more context about his background, making what he’s able to accomplish in Civil War more believable. Aside from having his specialized skills, Zemo is a Baron and is also very wealthy. Having the funding to go through so much for a personal vendetta is very important. Zemo didn’t have to worry about the practical worries that a street-level criminal would when going up against the Avengers. He wasn’t concerned about transportation or other access to resources to achieve his goal. If anything, he might have even used some personal connections to execute his plan.

This was effectively shown in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. While Zemo’s knowledge of the origins of the Super-Soldier Serum was what Sam and Bucky wanted from him in the first place, teaming up with the villain turned out to be practical as well. The fact that the titular heroes didn’t have to worry about transportation — be it through the private jet or an automobile, was such a great help. Frankly, they were able to cover a lot of ground much more quickly with Zemo providing these necessities. It’s uncertain how long their partnership will last in the show as it’s in a very precarious state – even though he has been helpful with the heroes’ goals, supplying resources and leads, Zemo killed Dr. Nagel and is continuously challenging both Sam and Bucky.

Now, whether or not the reveal that Zemo was royalty and has the financial means to carry out any plan is good for the character is something that is yet to be determined. Captain America: Civil War portrayed Zemo as a regular citizen pulling off an elaborate plan against the Avengers, which highlighted how tactical and intelligent he is. The revelation that he’s wealthy detracts from that idea. Whatever the case may be, it’s safe to say that he is one of the more fascinating villains in the MCU thus far and it will be interesting where his arc goes in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.