Batroc The Leaper: Everything MCU Fans Need To Know About The Forgotten Villain

Contains spoilers for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier episode 1

So, you've seen The Falcon and the Winter Soldier episode 1, and you probably have so many questions, especially about all these new faces. We were introduced to a handful of new characters, including Sam Wilson's (Anthony Mackie) sister Sarah Wilson (Adepero Oduye) and whoever the hell that new Captain America (Wyatt Russell) is.

And then there was one familiar face. Most MCU fans recognized this guy from the get-go and knew exactly who he was, but others had that moment of "wait, that's that guy from that thing." We're talking about Batroc the Leaper, also known as Georges Batroc, played by Canadian mixed martial artist Georges St-Pierre. Batroc appeared in Captain America: The Winter Soldier as one of the first adversaries Steve Rogers faced off against on the hostage-occupied SHIELD ship.

For years, it appeared as if Batroc was a one-and-done baddie in the MCU, but he's back. It's time to take a deep dive into his history to determine what we can expect from him in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier moving forward.

Georges Batroc is a French mercenary who masters in savate, the nation's variation of kickboxing which focuses on the use of the foot, and also happens to be extremely flexible and possesses a variety of other skills. We've seen most of his talents in Captain America: The Winter Soldier as well as in episode 1 of the new series, most notably in the insane plane and helicopter sequence that takes place in the first scene.

While Batroc the Leaper has faced off against many Marvel characters in his day, including Spider-Man, Deadpool, and The Punisher, he is primarily known as a Captain America villain, according to Marvel. Eventually, in the comics, Batroc is recruited by HYRDA and kidnaps Sharon Carter. This could be an important comic book storyline to pay close attention to, as Sharon, played by Emily Van Camp, will be reprising her role as the SHIELD-turned-CIA agent in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

Occasionally, Batroc has moments of clarity in the comics, or what he refers to as a "sense of honair," and he becomes a kinda-sorta good guy, aiding Captain America and Falcon in certain instances, according to Marvel's Fandom page. The baddie also has a history with Baron Zemo (Daniel Bruhl), who we know will also be popping up in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier sooner rather than later. Zemo hired Batroc's group of mercenaries, known as Batroc's Brigade, to steal the Bloodstone, but the two don't have much of an extended history beyond that.

Batroc is not expected to take center stage in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and will play second fiddle to Zemo. Fans can expect to see more of him as the miniseries progresses, and whether or not he will meet his end in the MCU remains to be seen.