You know that feeling when a character walks on screen and you just immediately think, "Oh, this guy is gonna be a problem"? That was Frank Grillo in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. He didn’t need a cape. He didn’t need a glowing hammer. He just had this grit—a sort of "I’ll fight you in an elevator and enjoy it" energy that most Marvel villains lack.
Honestly, the Captain America Frank Grillo connection is one of the biggest "what ifs" in superhero cinema. We’re talking about an actor who was basically born to play a street-level menace, yet his time as Brock Rumlow (aka Crossbones) felt like it ended just as he was getting warmed up. Fans still talk about it. Grillo himself still talks about it. In fact, he hasn't exactly been shy about how he felt things went down behind the scenes.
Why Brock Rumlow Was More Than Just a Henchman
When we first met Rumlow, he was leading S.H.I.E.L.D.’s STRIKE team. He looked like the ultimate soldier. He was the guy standing next to Steve Rogers, jumping out of planes without a parachute. But if you’re a comic book nerd, you knew that name. You knew Brock Rumlow wasn't there to be Cap’s best friend.
The reveal that he was a HYDRA sleeper agent wasn’t a shock, but the way Grillo played it was perfect. He wasn't some mustache-twirling Nazi; he was a guy doing a job he happened to love. That elevator fight? Still one of the best choreographed sequences in the entire MCU.
"Winter Soldier is the best Marvel movie," Grillo recently told GQ in 2025. "I love them over at Marvel... but I hope they can get back to the glory of where they were and not just be spectacles."
It’s hard to argue with him. That movie felt like a political thriller that just happened to have a guy with a vibranium shield. And Grillo’s Rumlow was the grounded, terrifying tether to the reality of that world. He was the one who survived a building falling on him, only to come back looking like he’d crawled out of a microwave.
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The Crossbones Letdown and the "Almost Fired" Rumors
When Captain America: Civil War opened, we finally saw the full transformation. The mask. The hydraulic gauntlets. The name Crossbones. People were hyped. This was the guy who, in the comics, is synonymous with the death of Captain America.
Then... he blew himself up. In the first ten minutes.
It felt like a waste, didn't it? Grillo thought so too. He’s mentioned in several interviews that he had a seven-picture deal. He expected a long-term arc, maybe even something that crossed over into other franchises. Instead, he became the inciting incident for the Sokovia Accords and then disappeared from the timeline (mostly).
There’s also this hilarious story that made the rounds about Marvel almost firing him. Grillo joked in late 2024 that the studio nearly axed him "36 f*cking times" because he couldn't keep his mouth shut about spoilers. He later cleared that up with TMZ, saying he was mostly being petulant and "being an asshole" because he was frustrated his character was killed off so soon.
The Breakdown of Grillo's MCU Appearances:
- Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014): The introduction of Brock Rumlow.
- Captain America: Civil War (2016): The brief but brutal debut of Crossbones.
- Avengers: Endgame (2019): A time-travel cameo that Grillo initially turned down.
- What If...? (2021-2023): Voicing the character in various animated realities.
Interestingly, it was Grillo's son who convinced him to do the Endgame cameo. Grillo was so annoyed about being killed off that he told Marvel "no" when they asked him to come back for the "Hail Hydra" elevator scene. His kid basically told him he’d be an idiot to miss out on the biggest movie of all time. Good call, kid.
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Leaving the Shield for the Stars and Stripes of the DCU
If you’ve been following the news lately, you know the Captain America Frank Grillo era is effectively over. He’s moved on to the competition. James Gunn snatched him up to play Rick Flag Sr. in the new DC Universe.
The contrast between his time at Marvel and his new gig at DC is pretty telling. Grillo has praised Gunn for being "script-driven" and giving him a role that spans animation, live-action TV, and movies. He’s playing Flag Sr. in Creature Commandos, Peacemaker Season 2, and even has a spot in the Superman (2025) film.
It’s sort of the "anti-Crossbones" experience. Instead of being a one-off villain who gets exploded in the first act, he’s becoming a "connective tissue" character for an entire cinematic universe.
Does he have any regrets? Sorta. He’s said that Crossbones never "manifested into what it should have." But he’s also 60 years old now and looks like he could still bench press a small car. He’s realistic. He told fans in 2025 that if Marvel ever wants to bring Crossbones back for real, they should probably find a "younger Crossbones."
The Legacy of the "Bad Mofo"
What most people get wrong about Grillo’s time in the MCU is thinking it was a failure because it was short. It wasn't. He provided a physical threat that actually felt dangerous. When he fought Sam Wilson (Falcon) at the end of Winter Soldier, you actually worried for Sam.
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The Captain America Frank Grillo dynamic worked because it represented the "old world" of combat versus the new "superhero" era. Rumlow didn't have powers. He just had training and a complete lack of a moral compass.
If you’re looking to revisit his best moments, don't just stick to the movies. His voice work in What If...? actually gives Rumlow a bit more personality, showing that "bad mofo" attitude Grillo loves so much.
What You Can Do Now:
- Rewatch the Elevator Scene: Go back to The Winter Soldier and watch the choreography. It’s a masterclass in tight-space action that modern movies still haven't topped.
- Check out Kingdom: If you want to see Grillo in his absolute prime as an actor, skip the capes and watch the series Kingdom. He plays an MMA coach, and it’s arguably the best performance of his career.
- Follow the DCU Transition: Keep an eye on Peacemaker Season 2. The rumors say his Rick Flag Sr. is looking for revenge against John Cena’s character for what happened in The Suicide Squad. It’s going to be personal, and knowing Grillo, it’s going to be violent.
The Marvel chapter might be closed, but the "Grillo-verse" is just getting started. He’s one of the few actors who can jump between these giant machines and keep his soul intact. Whether he's hunting Captain America or leading a squad of monsters, you know exactly what you're getting: 100% intensity, zero apologies.
Actionable Insight: If you're a fan of the gritty, tactical feel of the early Captain America movies, track Frank Grillo's move into the DCU. James Gunn has explicitly stated that Rick Flag Sr. is a "morally complex human being," suggesting we're getting the depth for Grillo that was missing from the Crossbones arc. Watch Creature Commandos first to get the backstory before he hits the big screen in Superman.