Strong backlash to the new Captain America in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier shows that some fans are misunderstanding the point of the character. Played by Wyatt Russell, John Walker is the government’s appointed successor to Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) in the role of Captain America.

Much like the Marvel Comics version of John Walker from the late 1980s, Russell’s character has been given the Captain America mantle, the shield, and his own crime-fighting partner, Battlestar (Cle Bennett). He’s received a warm reception from the public, but not from Falcon (Anthony Mackie) and Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), who haven’t welcomed the idea of him serving as a replacement for Steve Rogers. Not unlike the two titular heroes, a large number of fans have problems with John Walker as well. Many feel that his personality makes him a poor choice to fill Steve’s shoes, and are actively complaining about him online.

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It’s unfortunate that John Walker is getting so much hate, but it’s important to keep in mind that this isn’t all that different from what happened in the 1980s when his comic book counterpart took Steve’s place. He was divisive then, just as he’s divisive now, but in both cases, that was part of the point. In the original story, Walker was presented as a flawed character who truly did want to do good as Captain America, but personal tragedies and a mental breakdown held him back. Walker was shown to be very aggressive and willing to take lives when pushed to that point. He also had a bad attitude that put him at odds with other heroes. Eventually, Steve had to take the Captain America mantle away from him, with Walker then becoming “U.S. Agent” and a member of the West Coast Avengers.

Wyatt Russell as John Walker (Featured)

The story made it clear that John Walker was not fit to be Captain America. That being said, he was shown to be a good person at heart. His arc in the 1980s demonstrated to readers how special Steve Rogers really is. Being a symbol of righteousness and dignity to millions of people is not an easy thing to do, as it comes with an enormous amount of pressure. Walker failing to be a sufficient Captain America didn’t mean he was undeserving of a place in the superhero community, it just showed that being Captain America is a job that only rare and extraordinary individuals can pull off.

Based on what Marvel has done so far with The Falcon and the Winter Solider, it seems likely that the show will take a similar route with John Walker. It’s true that he isn’t the best pick to replace Steve Rogers, but he was never supposed to be. He will help illustrate to viewers why Steve was so unique, and why it’s Falcon – and no one else – who has earned the right to wield the shield in the MCU. Once he loses the title, it’s possible that he’ll get a chance to shine as U.S. Agent, so that he can break free of Captain America’s legacy and no longer be dragged down by comparisons to Steve.

More: Why Bucky Keeps The Secret Captain America From Steve Rogers

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