Daniel Brühl has provided a cryptic clue when quizzed about his potential involvement in the upcoming Thunderbolts*. Speaking on the red carpet at London Film Festival, Brühl, who first appeared as Helmut Zemo in Captain America: Civil War (2016) before reprising his role in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021), revealed that he was still in touch with the core cast of the MCU, notably Chris Evans, Sebastian Stan, and Anthony Mackie.
“So you’re still in with them? Does that mean you will make a cameo in Thunderbolts?” Brühl was asked (via Yahoo!). “Next question!” Brühl replied, swiftly dismissing the question and leaving Marvel fans hopeful that we may yet see Zemo in action again. A resident of Sokovia, Zemo set out for revenge against the Avengers following the battle against Ultron, which led to the deaths of his family.

If Brühl was to return to the MCU and make an appearance during Thunderbolts*, he’d be joining an ensemble of returning MCU faces, including Florence Pugh and David Harbour from Black Widow, the first film to launch out of Phase 4, Hannah John-Kamen (Ant-Man and the Wasp) and Harrison Ford (who makes his first Marvel appearance in Captain America: Brave New World), as Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, otherwise known as Red Hulk.
Until 2025, Brühl can be seen in the superhero satire comedy, The Franchise, streaming on Sky Comedy in the UK. The series, created between Sam Mendes (1917), Armando Iannucci (The Thick Of It), and Jon Brown (Succession), follows the crew of a struggling superhero film in a wider, more popular cinematic universe.