The Winter Soldier What villain should be pulling Winter Soldier's strings?

Every time I see a photo of Benedict Cumberbatch, I spend the first couple of seconds amazed that there are people who actually find him attractive. I do like him as an actor though, so I'd be fine with that casting.

 

My vote goes for the Red Skull.

 

*drools* mmmmh...Cumberbatch...

Erm... sorry, I meant AIM

 

Zemo/AIM

 

Zemo/AIM, with direct ties to HYDRA.

 

I agree. CA's encounters with Red Skull in the first film seemed all too brief. I'd like to see that emnity expanded upon.

 

Zemo.
'No Escape", anyone? It would be perfect.

 

I'm partial to Zola-led AIM, myself. However, it would take work to make Zola a credible alpha villain.

 

The fact that Red Skull wasn't very effective or truly menacing in the last film, means he needs a major revamp before he can be the main villain again. I would say go with someone else, so they can least build up Red Skull and make him more like the comic version when he next appears. More hate filled psychopath, less generic James Bond villain.

 

How could Skully be pulling the strings, anyway?
MCU timeline so far:

Bucky: survives the train raid in WWII, unbeknownst to Cap or any of the allies. Most likely picked up by HYDRA, since they were deep in HYDRA territory.

Red Skull: goes almost immediately (within 24 hours of the train raid) to the bomber, where he is whisked away to Godknowswhere by the Tesseract.

Arnim Zola: captured by the Allies, and forced to betray HYDRA. With Skully and Zola gone, HYDRA apparently collapses, and/or goes underground, taking a captive Bucky with them.

So, most likely, Bucky is abducted and brainwashed by FORMER elements of a HYDRA that has collapsed and/or been forced to go underground, with Red Skull and Zola missing.

That makes the puppetmaster for Bucky most likely to be a former HYDRA loyalist, like Zemo or Von Strucker or Madam Hydra (Viper). Whether or not that villain keeps HYDRA alive, or goes renegade to form his own outfit, remains to be seen. (I could easily see Zemo or Viper abandoning the Nazis at the close of the war and turning their "idealism" to Stalinist Russia instead during the Cold War, thus bringing the classic Soviet background to WS into play.)

As for AIM: no. IM3 has proven that AIM is *not* what you guys think it is. Forget little mad scientists in beekeeper helmets: AIM is going to be an above-board tech company that's a front for a more sinister organization.

 

I'm all for Zemo pulling the strings. But will they go with they father/son (maybe even grandson by now) version to bridge it from WWII to present or will they go the A:EMH route and combine Helmut and Heinrich into a single character?

Also, where has it been proven that AIM is strictly an above the board front company? Did I miss something? As far as I've seen, there's only been been the one set piece of a sign. This doesn't mean that they aren't also a terrorist group of rogue mad scientists. I just hope they adapt the beekeeper suits into something a little more less dorky.

 

Just seems highly unlikely that a terrorist organization would have branch offices at the corner of 4th and Main, with their name brazenly advertised out front.

As for the Zemos: I could easily see WS being passed down from father to son, since Bucky's story spans the entirety of WWII, the Cold War and post-Cold War era. In fact, I could see it turn into a case where elder Heinrich used WS more wisely over the years, and now young hothead Helmut is "mis-using" WS more often and more brazenly and for stupid missions, and that's what attracts the unwanted attention of Cap.

 

I feel like Zemo should be saved for the third flick. But maybe use the elder Zemo in the flashbacks

 

Zola, Zemo and The Red Skull.

 

going with Zemo. Having Bucky AND SKULL with a movie hthat will most likely be cap dealing with being in modern times kinda lessons that story if so many people from his past keep coming back.

 

Zemo and Zola

 

How about Taskmaster?

 

Zemo. He and Bucky are the villains in this one. Red Skull comes back int he 3rd, more powerful after his trip to .... wherever he ended up at the end of TFA, kills Zemo in his brief appearance at the beginning of the 3rd and proceeds to find and attempt to kill Captain America.

 

Yes, I'm definitely interested in Lukin. And I firmly believe he'll be in this movie. But I think he'll "acquire" WS second-hand, off somebody in HYDRA. Or HYDRA's remnants. Maybe it's a benign "purchase" that benefits both the Soviets *and* HYDRA, or maybe the Soviets steal/abduct him from HYDRA.

 

Hopefully not just Zola. Zola is such a goofy villain if it's him most of the time audiences will reject it like Hector Hammond in Green Lantern.

 

Fine. No MODOK. Whatever.

I'd love for Lukin to make an appearance, but I think one of the other Marvel bigs should be pulling his strings. There might be some way they can make Zola horrific and powerful - some sort of cyborg-like machine/human hybrid -and that would be a nice bridge from the last movie. But, in my dreams, they would totally use Zemo. I cheer anytime he makes an appearance in the comics.

 

Zemo should definitely be the main villain in the movie. & then have Red Skull's return hinted at near the end of the movie.

 

Red Skull. Hugo Weaving as Red Skull.