The Disney+ miniseries offers the MMA legend a meatier role than his first outing as Batroc the Leaper.
Georges St-Pierre was not expecting to return to the MCU universe after his role in Captain America: Winter Soldier (2014). Yet he could not help but notice “My character did not die,” St-Pierre told The Wrap.
With Batroc the Leaper alive and well and able to return to fight for the forces of evil, the creators of Falcon and the Winter Soldier decided to not only bring Georges St-Pierre back, but to expand his role. The miniseries premiere featured a ten minute fight sequence with the UFC Hall of Famer.
While Batroc did not fare so well in Captain America: Winter Soldier, he did far better in this most recent go ‘round, and St-Pierre has an answer as to why—jiujitsu.
“In ‘Winter Soldier, when he when he fought Steve Rogers, because of his background in the comics, he’s a champion in Savate, the French form of kickboxing…But when he fights the Rogers, you can see he’s only using Savate. When he fights The Falcon in the plane, he’s using a technique that we use in jujitsu and in wrestling called a power double leg takedown.”
To St-Pierre, this suggests Batroc has been working hard. “He slammed the Falcon on the ground. That is not a technique from savate, so it indicates he has grown and improved his fighting skills because he knows he is going up against super heroes.”
While St-Pierre is not allowed to comment on future episodes, it does seem Batroc is not through yet on Falcon and the Winter Soldier. When St-Pierre comments on his current career it sheds light on the rumors of a fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov that were only squashed in early 2021.
“When I did Captain America: The Winter Soldier I was focusing on competing in mixed martial arts, so all of my focus was on that. But after I retired two years ago, acting is now my full-time job. I’m training now for this just as much as I trained for mixed martial arts.”
Falcon and the Winter Soldier is on Disney+. The six part miniseries concludes on April 23.