As a part of the Big Three alongside Thor and Iron Man, Steve Rogers has made his place in the hearts of MCU fans as Captain America. But now that Steve has retired, the first episode ofThe Falcon and the Winter Soldierhas revealed that the Captain America uniform and shield have been passed on to a new character named John Walker, played by Wyatt Russell. In an interview with USA Today, Russell explained that he understands why fans would have a problem with his character staking a claim to the iconic Shield.
“People are probably going to hate [my character being the new Captain America], and some people are going to love it. [Movies and TV shows] are there to make people feel emotions, and I’m hoping that that’s what this show can do for people. Hopefully they don’t hate me too much. But “it would be an honor, I guess, to be disliked in the Marvel universe.”
In the comics,John Walkerstarted out as a villain, who called himself “Super-Patriot”, and symbolized a darker take on the patriotism of Steve Rogers. Interestingly, fans responded positively to Walker’s more brutal actions as the new Captain America, to the point where many wanted him to take over the Shield permanently from Steve Rogers.
While theU.S. Agentwho appears inThe Falcon and the Winter Soldieris not a villain yet, it is clear that he is not trying to be the same kind of person as Steve Rogers. According toWyatt Russell, Walker faces a unique dilemma of trying to live up to the legacy of Captain America while fundamentally being a very different sort of soldier from Steve Rogers.
“I don’t think there’s really been many MCU characters who’ve had quite the dilemma [Walker has] had in terms of trying to fit into this sort of moralistic superhero world. He’s been thrust into this role as Captain America and he’s going to do it his way, and he wants to do it right. But his way is a very specific way that he has learned through being basically a trained human hunter. I mean, that’s what Marines are. They’re not Steve Rogers, they’re not the same. They’re not like Boy Scouts anymore. They’re a little bit more gnarly.”
Fans who were hoping to see Sam Wilson aka The Falcon become the new Captain America as Steve’s successor are already expressing outrage on social media, using#NotMyCaptainAmericato show their opposition to John Walker. It will be interesting to see whether Walker’s evolution on the show will have him becoming more of an anti-hero or a straight-up villain once the expectations and responsibilities of being Captain America start to take a toll on his mind.
Directed by Kari Skogland,The Falcon and the Winter Soldierstars Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Emily VanCamp, Wyatt Russell, Noah Mills, Carl Lumbly, and Daniel Brühl. New episodes debut on Fridays on Disney+. This news arrives fromUSA Today.
