A former MCU star has admitted that he was mistaken in declining a role in Avengers: Endgame in 2019.
As the culmination event of both Phase 3 and the Infinity Saga, Marvel Studios’ fourth Avengers film featured the largest ensemble cast for any comic-book film in history. While Endgame assisted a few of its original stars in earning send-off moments for their heroes, it also established new stars for Phase 4 while bringing back a few key players from previous films.
Many of those legacy actors appeared in the Avengers’ Time Heist, which transported fans to three different time periods and included glimpses into the events of The Avengers, Thor: The Dark World, and other films.
But a New York City scene almost didn’t happen because one MCU veteran reflected on a time when he wasn’t going to reprise his memorable role.
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Winter Soldier Star on Avengers: Endgame
Crossbones star Frank Grillo revealed in the latest issue of Empire Magazine that he almost didn’t return for his role in Avengers: Endgame, which featured Brock Rumlow as part of the STRIKE team that picked up Loki’s scepter.
Grillo had hoped to see Crossbones make more appearances in the MCU, but other “idiot characters” were brought back instead. He did, however, admit that he “was being an asshole” by initially declining the cameo:
“There was supposed to be more Crossbones. I was the one character who I believe should have appeared in more of them, and the other idiot characters remain. I was being a jerk and a bit petulant.
Grillo’s son was ultimately the reason he reversed his previous decision, recalling how much he enjoyed his time on set:
“He predicted, ‘This will be the biggest movie in the world,’ and he was correct. And I had a fantastic time. When they did the ten-year anniversary, Stan Lee was there, and I stood there thinking, ‘What an asshole I am!'”
Grillo explained to ComicBook.com in March 2021 that he was upset about not returning to the role because he had “signed a seven-picture deal with [Marvel],” only appearing in three total:
“Crossbones’ trajectory took a turn, and he was out of the series pretty quickly, right? And I was irritated because, you know, I signed a seven-picture deal with them.”
When Marvel called him back to do Avengers: Endgame, he was adamant about not being in the film because he felt cheated out of doing more in the franchise. However, he later realized his error:
“‘Oh, you’re going to be a part of the Marvel Universe, right?’ And it never happened. So they called me and said, ‘Look, we need you to come down for Avengers for a week,’ and I was like, ‘For what?’ ‘Well, we can’t,’ they say. ‘No, I’m not doing it,’ I say. As a result, I hung up. I receive a callback. ‘I’m not coming,’ I say. ‘Leave me alone.’ And who am I? Who am I, exactly?”
Grillo Remembers Being “An Asshole”
As Hydra rejoined the fold in Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War, Frank Grillo distinguished himself in two additional live-action MCU films and provided Steve Rogers with a formidable foe. It also made sense that he would be a part of the group that took the scepter in as Hydra continued to destroy its foe given his character’s history with the organization from the time Crossbones attempted to infiltrate SHIELD.
But in the end, Grillo understood that returning to the Avengers: Endgame cast was the right choice because it allowed him to reacquaint fans with his character’s deception for a fun reference to the SHIELD vs. Hydra battle in Avengers Tower.
Grillo believes he did the right thing by acknowledging his previous comments on the subject, even though he doesn’t anticipate getting another chance to play Crossbones in the MCU.
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