WARNING: The following contains mild spoilers for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Episode 3, "Power Broker," now streaming on Disney+.
The new Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier takes the Marvel Cinematic Universe in bold new directions, and in showing off its moves, it shows off those of its characters. Perhaps boldest of all were the moves of Baron Zemo, the devious devil turned dance craze in the latest episode of the series, "Power Broker." After the briefest snippet of the supervillain breaking it down on the dance floor, fans are demanding more. Fresh off the success of Zack Snyder's Justice League, fans have a new rallying cry: #ReleasetheZemoCut.
The trending tag comes as a good-natured joke on the heels of the latest episode. Desperate to gain any lead they can on the violent Flag Smashers, the titular characters Falcon and the Winter Soldier bust their former foe Baron Helmut Zemo out of prison to assist them. Leading them to the seedy locale of Madripoor where the criminal element thrives, Zemo blends into a neon nightclub by showing off his moves on the dance floor. The shot lasts for just a few moments before cutting away, but the funky moves stood out to viewers in a big way.
Much of the fun comes in the brief glimpse of levity from an otherwise dark and brooding character. Debuting in Captain America: Civil War, Zemo's story slowly unraveled over the course of the film where he staged terrorist attacks, brutally murdered innocent people in his way and waxed philosophical about the downfall of the hero. With his family murdered in the collateral of Ultron's attack on Sokovia, he became uniquely motivated to destroy the very idea that the Avengers stand to represent. But with actor Daniel Bruhl bringing his own charisma to the role, it's hard for fans to resist getting drawn into such attractive moments.
The few moments of Zemo's nightclub nirvana proved instantly memeable despite the episode's tepid reviews. Over the course of the past week, the hashtag demanding to see more started trending on Twitter, and there were even supercuts created such as Spider-Man 3's Bully Maguire cutting into the scene from the realm of Raimi memes. While the series does have an overall serious tone, reflecting on issues of post-traumatic stress and societal inequality, it's refreshing to see fans enjoy such snippets of pure joy where they can get them.
The hashtag comes, of course, in response to previous campaigns like #ReleasetheSnyderCut, which ultimately resulted in director Zack Snyder unveiling his own version of the critically panned Justice League, as well as the subsequent campaign #ReleasetheAyerCut, which aims to see director David Ayer get the same opportunity for Suicide Squad. In an age where fans' voices are more easily broadcast than ever, it can be hard to sort out the sincere from the insincere, the passionate from the half-hearted or the deadly serious to the purely joking. But #ReleasetheZemoCut seems to be a movement made in good humor across the board.
There has been no word yet on if extra footage of Zemo's dancing even exists, let alone if there are any serious plans to release it. But in a day and age where Justice League saw a re-release years after its box office bomb, it seems like anything is possible.
Directed by Kari Skogland, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier stars Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Emily VanCamp, Wyatt Russell, Noah Mills, Carl Lumbly and Daniel Brühl. New episodes debut on Fridays on Disney+.