Just a few days after Robert Redford signed on to Marvel’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Latino Review is reporting that UFC star Georges St-Pierre will be joining the sequel as well. He’ll play French mercenary Batroc the Leaper, who happens to be “a master of the French form of kick boxing known as savate.” Makes perfect sense for St-Pierre to take on the role, right?
We already know that Frank Grillo will be the main villain, Crossbones, so it’s likely that Batroc will be one of his henchmen. For those unfamiliar with the character, here’s what Latino Review has to say about him:
Batroc has no superhuman abilities, but is in peak physical condition in every respect. He is an Olympic-level weightlifter and has extraordinary agility and reflexes. His leg muscles are particularly well-developed which enables him to leap great distances with the strength of an Olympic athlete. He is an expert hand-to-hand combatant and specializes in savate (French-style kickboxing). He is also a skilled military tactician, having formerly been in the French Foreign Legion.
Batroc is an experienced thief and smuggler, who also speaks French and English. Although, as a mercenary, he does not hesitate to perform any number of criminal acts for his clients, Batroc has, by his own rights, a strong sense of honor, and he will turn against any client whom he feels has unfairly deceived him into committing crimes to which he might not otherwise have agreed.
While I can’t see St-Pierre being much of an actor, the role does seem well suited for him. After all, he is French and he is quite the fighter. Plus, if nothing else, it will help draw UFC fans to the film who otherwise might not have been interested.
Directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, Captain America: The Winter Soldier stars Chris Evans,  Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Frank Grillo, Toby Jones, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson, Cobie Smulders, Robert Redford and Emily VanCamp, and will hit theatres on April 4th, 2013.
Are you excited to see Georges St-Pierre join the film? Let us know in the comments below.
