The Falcon and the Winter Soldier showrunner Malcolm Spellman discusses Baron Zemo's comic-accurate mask's debut in the series and debunks a rumor related to its origins.
When asked about Zemo's mask, Spellman told Unilad, "It’s his history from when he was in the military, and who knows what else, but no it’s nothing to do with Thanos."
Before Helmut Zemo made his appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, his character was part of the Sokovian Armed Forces and commander of the EKO Scorpion -- a secret paramilitary death squad. During the Battle of Sokovia in Avengers: Age of Ultron, Zemo's group tries to defend Sokovia, but ultimately his family and many others are killed. Zemo leaves the group and seeks revenge on the Avengers who he blames for their deaths.
In Avengers: Civil War, Zemo frames Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier for the assassination of T'Chaka, the king of Wakanda, and splinters the superhero group, but when the villain's discovered by Black Panther he's brought to justice and sent to a German prison.
In The Falcon and the Winter Soldier's third episode, Bucky helps Zemo break out of the prison to help find out more about the Super Soldier Serum that the Flag-Smashers have been using. Zemo first goes to his family storage garage and takes his mask to be used at a later date. Later, Sam, Bucky and Zemo fly to Madripoor in search of a criminal named Selby with more information. When the trio is attacked by bounty hunters, Zemo finally puts on his mask in a dramatic scene and retaliates.
In the comics, the title of Baron Zemo is passed down through generations of German nobility. Helmut Zemo's father, Heinrich Zemo, was a Nazi scientist during World War II and worked with Hydra. He wears a purple mask to hide his identity; but when he's doused with the chemical Adhesive X, the mask becomes permanently attached to his face. After a battle with Captain America, Heinrich Zemo is buried in a rockslide, leaving his son to take on the mantle and to avenge his death. Ironically, Zemo falls into a vat of Adhesive X when trying to drop Captain America into it and becomes disfigured himself, forcing him to depend on the mask to hide his disfigurement.
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. The entire first season is available to stream on Disney+.
Source: Unilad