The Falcon and the Winter Soldier makes it clear that John Walker shouldn't be Captain America, and fans of the character are missing the point. The general nature of superhero movies, or rather, dramatic fiction in general, is to have a conflict at the center of the story. It's an age-old device, but conflict also often leads to violence, and violence is definitely something not lacking in the MCU. While their PG-13 ratings prevent them from getting too gory, more than a few villains and heroes have been murdered onscreen in the last decade.

There's certainly nothing wrong with a good action movie, as violence is something much better left to fictional entertainment than real life. Watching characters have a fistfight or shootout can be cathartic, but at the same time, it's an easy road to travel down in which the idea of violence being the only real solution to problems becomes overly glorified in pop culture. The MCU has slid into that at times, with many problems only finding their solution via lots of punching and shooting, despite most superheroes ostensibly preferring not to kill enemies.

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That's what's made The Falcon and the Winter Soldier an interesting departure from the MCU's past, as the level of violence used by the heroes has been lessened, and using one's head is also sometimes a way to solve things even more efficiently than one's fist. This is best exemplified by Sam Wilson who, if at all possible, would prefer a peaceful resolution to their conflict with the Flag-Smashers. The antithesis is John Walker, the new Captain America. Yet he now seems to be gaining favor with some fans.

Falcon & The Winter Soldier's John Walker Is Not A Character To Be Admired

John Walker stands holding Captain America's bloody shield in Falcon And The Winter Soldier.

Movie and TV history is full of characters that proved to be admired in spite of their clearly villainous actions, from Fight Club's Tyler Durden, to Breaking Bad's Walter White, and dozens more in between. While most MCU fans do still seem to view John Walker as a bad guy, especially after committed murder in front of a crowd of onlookers during episode 4 of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, not everyone agrees. A contingent of Walker cheerleaders appears to be forming on social media, and it's a bit disturbing.

The general point of John Walker's arc in Falcon and the Winter Soldier is that not just anyone is fit to be superpowered, let alone to be Captain America, even if they're considered a war hero and chosen by the government for the job. Steve Rogers was special, and picked Sam as his successor because of their shared moral values, and desire to do good. To be clear, Steve wasn't a saint, he certainly took lives in World War 2 and several times since. However, Steve didn't kill for fun or out of uncontrolled rage, he did it to protect others and to defend himself. Steve had no lust for violence, and as seen when Sam tries his best to talk Karli Morgenthau out of further terrorist acts, the Falcon would definitely rather not kill if it can be avoided.

By contrast, John Walker is an impulsive, overly aggressive hothead, and would rather charge into a situation guns blazing and sort out the casualties later. These negative qualities are amplified ten-fold after he takes the Super-Soldier Serum, murdering a Flag-Smasher in heinous fashion after Karli accidentally kills his friend Lemar Hoskins/Battlestar. To some though, these traits are being praised as heroic, or badass, and having the courage to do what needed to be done, including avenging his friend. This glorification of violence is entirely the opposite of the message The Falcon and the Winter Soldier wants fans to take away from Walker's actions. Chasing down a fleeing man who has surrendered and beating him to death is the furthest thing from heroic, and Steve Rogers would never approve.

More: MCU Phase 4's Super-Soldiers Show Why Steve Rogers Was Special

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