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Fans React to John Walker’s Desecration of Captain America’s Legacy

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Posted on by Nathanial Eker 3 Comments
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier episode four

Credit: Marvel Studios

Spoiler warning: For those who have not yet seen the latest episode of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, do not keep reading.

john walker
Credit: Marvel Studios

The most recent episode of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier ended with one of the most brutal moments in MCU history. And it’s all thanks to the new Captain America, John Walker (Wyatt Russell).

The newest super-soldier on the block brutally murdered Nico, one of the Flag Smashers. It harkened back to a moment in Captain America: Civil War but reaffirmed that Walker will never be Steve Rogers.

Unsurprisingly, the internet was ablaze and astounded by Walker’s actions.

Related: OpEd: Does New Captain America Symbolize White Supremacy?

The-Falcon-and-the-Winter-Soldier
Credit: Marvel Studios

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier sets up the fall of John Walker

It’s been clear that Walker has been living in Cap’s shadow since he was introduced in the second episode. However, the latest episode pushed him to his limit.

The episode sees Walker ruin Sam Wilson’s opportunity to talk down lead Flag Smasher Karli Morgenthau (Erin Kellyman). Additionally, he’s then thoroughly beaten by the Dora Milaje, a group of Wakandan warriors. Walker finds this loss particularly devastating as “they weren’t even super soldiers”.

However, his day gets even worse when he seemingly loses his best friend, Lemar Hoskins / Battlestar (Clé Bennett). His colleague is killed by Morgenthau and Walker sees red. It’s at this point that we realize he’s also taken the last vile of super-soldier serum and now possesses the true Captain America strength, stamina, and speed.

The episode ends with a bloody murder as Walker chases down Morgenthau’s second in command, Nico. He chases him to the edge of a very public fountain and slams his shield into his chest again and again. This act is witnessed by Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), Bucky Barnes (Sebastien Stan), and Karli Morgenthau. However, it’s more importantly caught on camera by several bystanders. The final shot sees Walker raise the iconic shield, only to see it covered in blood.

Anthony Mackie Falcon
Credit: Marvel Studios

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Fans react to John Walker’s unforgivable actions

Unsurprisingly, fans of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier were quick to critique Walker, as well as praise his actor, Wyatt Russell. Many noted that the scene was similar to a moment in Civil War, where Steve Rogers slams his shield into Tony Stark’s Iron Man power suit. However, it was quickly pointed out that neither Steve nor Bucky had any intention of killing Tony, and the two men could not be more different.

Many took to Twitter to express their outrage at Walker and assert how he has corrupted the legacy of Captain America, and possibly, all of the Avengers.

One Twitter user who goes by TASK, writes:

“So, you thought you could live up to my legacy.”

#JohnWalker #FalconAndWinterSoldier #FalconAndTheWinterSoldier

And another fan who goes by mads on Twitter said:

“Hi, John Walker, Captain America”

Aniq expressed:

John Walker snapped and the implications of that should be huge. Not only has it tarnished the meaning of the shield and what it represents, but it will tarnish the reputation of the Avengers. Peter is never going to catch a break after being framed for Mysterios murder

Another Twitter user who goes by gladys said:

ok but john walker didn’t kill the person who killed lemar, he killed an innocent man and y’all are saying that steve would’ve done this ????

And Chris Adams on Twitter wrote:

If you’re interpreting John Walker’s character and arc as anything but terrifying and metaphorical, you are intentionally choosing to not see and understand a point the writers were trying to convey. It’s intellectual dishonesty at its peak.

These actions should not be cheered.

And lastly, Ellie pointed out the difference between Steve Rogers and John Walker, writing:

#tfatws spoiler

This is the difference between Steve Rogers and John Walker

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The Falcon and the Winter Soldier episode four shows John Walker is no Steve Rogers

Captain America
Credit: Marvel Studios

Super soldier serum or no super soldier serum, John Walker is no Steve Rogers. The Marvel Cinematic Universe needs its Captain America, but it certainly isn’t Walker. The fourth episode just confirmed what we already suspected, as many fans noted that even Baron Helmut Zemo (Daniel Brühl) came off better than Walker. Even though he saw Lemar die, there was no excuse for his actions.

Notably, now that Walker’s a super soldier, he’s also put himself at the top of the kill list of Zemo. Along with Bucky Barnes, that is. Zemo has made his hatred of superheroes clear since his initial appearance in Civil War, and his attitude towards the Flag Smashers and attempt on Karli’s life shows he hasn’t changed one bit. Whether you’ve an Avenger or a Flag Smasher, if you’ve got super soldier serum in your blood, you’re fair game for Zemo.

We can’t wait to see how Captain America is held responsible for his actions in the next episode of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which will hit Disney+ on Friday.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is a Disney+ exclusive, with new episodes every Friday. It’s created by Malcolm Spellman and stars Anthony Mackie, Sebastien Stan, Daniel Brühl (Zemo), Emily VanCamp (Sharon Carter), and Wyatt Russell. 

Sam Wilson Steve Rogers Natasha Romanoff
Credit: Marvel Studios

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What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.

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Nathanial Eker

Movie buff, Hufflepuff, Comic stuff. Nathanial is a film and game critic based in England with a love for all things Marvel. He's a writer for several publications, including the UK Film Review.

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