WARNING: The following contains spoilers for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Episode 2, "The Star-Spangled Man," now streaming on Disney+.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Episode 2, " The Star-Spangled Man," sees Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes go head to head with the Flag Smashers, who appear to all be super-soldiers. This raises many red flags, especially for Bucky, as he believes they may be connected to Hydra, which leads him to the conclusion that he needs to confront Helmut Zemo.

Zemo was arrested after the events of Captain America: Civil War, where he framed Bucky for attacking the UN, used the Winter Soldier journal to turn Bucky back into the asset and supposedly killed off all the remaining Winter Soldiers. This was all part of his plan to destroy the Avengers, and it worked until the original team got back together in Avengers: Endgame.

It's unknown what else was in that journal; however, Bucky believes that from what Zemo read, he may know more about these new super-soldiers. Originally, some believed Zemo would take on the role of the primary antagonist, which is still possible; however, at this moment, he is being set up as a consultant to the titular heroes. This role is similar to that of Hannibal Lecter's in The Silence of the Lambs.

Baron Zemo in the MCU.

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In that film, the FBI and Clarice Starling are trying to find and stop the serial killer Buffalo Bill, but to do so, they need to turn to Lecter, a convicted serial killer and cannibal. While he draws out the consultations with Starling and has his own personal agenda to break free, in the end, he does give her the information she needs to find Bill.

With Bucky and Sam confronting Zemo for information on Hydra and these super-soldiers, he could play the same role, toying with them while also giving up crucial information. His initial beef was with the Avengers who fought Ultron in Sokovia, and Bucky and Sam were not part of this, so he may be more compliant with them. Zemo's overall goal was also to take apart the Avengers because he lost his family in the collateral damage of that fight, so he may be willing to help Sam and Bucky if he believes the Flag Smashers pose a threat to civilians.

It's unclear at this time where he stands on the Snap and Blip; however, as someone who does not have faith in superheroes, it's unlikely he would be in support of a group of super-soldier anarchists. In fact, in Civil War he killed the other Winter Soldiers, telling Steve Rogers, Tony Stark and Bucky that he didn't want any more of them. Because of this, he may be willing to give whatever information he has to Sam and Bucky to stop these new super-soldiers; however, that doesn't erase their history, which could lead to Zemo dragging this out or exploiting the situation for personal gain, like Lecter did to Clarice.

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Since he is so against superpowered people, he could want to end all enhanced individuals, starting with the Flag Smashers and then continuing his work from Civil War by taking out other heroes. Plus, his work in Civil War put Bucky in the line of fire, so both of them could be holding a grudge against each other.

Furthermore, in classic Lecter fashion, Zemo is a cerebral villain, playing mind games to break up the Avengers and turning Bucky back into the Winter Soldier thanks to a few words. While it's likely the trigger words won't work again on Bucky since Shuri helped with his rehabilitation, Zemo has proven he can get under the skin of some of the most respected heroes by exploiting their emotions. Given his past, he could be willing to play the role of consultant for Sam and Bucky since it plays into his anti-supe agenda, but that doesn't mean he won't use this opportunity to further his own plans, cementing him as another villain in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

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. A new episode debuts each Friday on Disney+.

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