Despite appearing in three entries in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it always felt as though Frank Grillo had been shortchanged by his brief screen time in the franchise. His debut as Brock Rumlow in Captain America: The Winter Soldier got many fans excited about the actor getting a bigger role as Rumlow’s villainous alter ego Crossbones in the sequel, only for Civil War to kill him off in the opening scene.
The time travel elements of Avengers: Endgame allowed Grillo to reprise his role yet again, but once more it was a disappointingly fleeting cameo. The 54 year-old is one of the most underrated actors working today, and his tough-yet-vulnerable charisma and decades of martial arts training could have made him a huge asset to the MCU as a recurring villain if utilized properly.
Remarkably, Grillo signed an eight-picture deal with Marvel Studios, meaning there’s always the possibility of him being brought back once again. When asked about his future in the MCU while promoting Netflix movie Point Blank with Anthony Mackie, Grillo cut straight to the chase:
“You know what? I got five more movies that I’m obligated to do for Marvel if they ever call me. So who knows, man? Maybe I’ll be Captain America after Mackie. I’ll be a middle-aged Captain America. A middle-aged, Italian, Captain America. Think about that.”
As for Anthony Mackie, he hasn’t even suited up as the new Captain America yet, but is already feeling both the honor and pressure that comes with inheriting a role made iconic by Chris Evans, who was the one that told Mackie he would be taking over:
“It was a cool moment, the fact that usually they sit you down, and it’s Kevin Feige and all the producers and they’re like, ‘You’re gonna do this’, but it was a cool moment that I got to learn it from one of my dear friends, instead of somebody else.”
Mackie will next be seen in the MCU as the co-lead of Disney Plus show The Falcon and the Winter Soldier alongside Sebastian Stan, with speculation suggesting that this is where the actor will first don the famous red, white and blue costume of Captain America.
