Frank Grillo Plays Down Crossbones Comeback Rumors

Frank Grillo played Brock Rumlow — better known as the villainous Crossbones — in Marvel Studios' Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War, the latter of which saw the disfigured HYDRA agent perish after detonating a suicide vest in an attempt to take out Captain America (Chris Evans). Grillo seemed to hint at the character's return just last month, saying there was "some news nobody knows yet" about his character, but the actor clarifies his comments and shoots down the idea of a resurrection in a new interview with Metro:

"Look, Marvel's awesome," Grillo said. "I have a long-term contract with them and it's a superhero movie, you never know. I don't have any idea. I said that once before about two weeks ago and people jumped on that and thought I said Crossbones is back. No. That's ridiculous. But we'll see what happens. I'm not waiting for the phone to ring."

Earlier this year, Grillo made comments along the same lines, saying he was "done."

"There's nowhere for it to go, unless you're Captain America or Iron Man," he said. "They were talking about it, but I was like, 'You know what? I'd just rather not do it.' I'm so appreciative and grateful to have been a part of something that big."

Grillo has frequently praised Marvel Studios, saying "it's great to be part of Marvel."

"I'm also a small part of the Marvel world, but to be a part of something like this, if anyone tells you that's not a big deal, they're lying," Grillo said.

It's often said Marvel Studios plays fast and loose with death — some characters die, or appear to die, and return — and while it's not impossible for a suicide bomber in the Marvel Universe to have not been totally obliterated after a bomb went off in his face and enveloped him in a consuming fireball, it's likely Crossbones is as dead as Spider-Man's Uncle Ben. If Crossbones' character ever returns, it would probably be by way of flashback or some mystical trickery — like the kind conjured by the reality-altering Infinity Stones that will finally come together in next year's Avengers: Infinity War.

Stranger things have happened.

Marvel Studios' next outing, Thor: Ragnarok, hits theaters November 3.