There's a strong possibility that the end of Marvel's Falcon & Winter Soldier will see John Walker (Wyatt Russell) becoming a dark Captain America for HYDRA. The fifth episode of the series, titled "Truth," saw John Walker facing the consequences for his very public murder of one of the Flag-Smashers after the death of his partner Lemar Hoskins, also known as Battlestar. Facing down both Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes at the beginning of the episode, the disturbed Captain America was defeated by the pair, and Sam took the iconic Captain America shield back before the Global Repatriation Council officially stripped John Walker of his title as their sanctioned hero.

However, John Walker seems darkly committed to continuing being Captain America, despite having lost the shield and official role. He's convinced himself that his actions were justified, regardless of the real truth that the Flag-Smasher he brutally executed wasn't even the one who killed his partner; he was simply in a rage seeking merciless revenge. That being said, John Walker might not be operating alone in the future as he goes down his dark new path in the MCU.

Related: Sam Cleaning The Blood Off The Shield Is Falcon & Winter Soldier's Key Scene

Thanks to the debut of Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus), it's possible that Walker could be recruited into a reborn HYDRA, being the face of their new rise to power as their primary U.S Agent, a name John Walker takes in the comics. However, this would be a much darker role for Walker in the MCU, though there's a pretty strong likelihood given what's already been revealed thus far in the Disney+ series.

John Walker Is Already Being Set Up As US Agent

Falcon and Winter Soldier US Agent New Shield

In Marvel comics, John Walker was selected by the government to become the next Captain America in Steve Rogers' absence, much like what's been seen in the MCU. However, Steve Rogers simply walked away from the role in the comics, and his eventual return would lead to Walker taking on the role of the U.S Agent, operating as a government operative and liaison while still working with different Avengers teams such as the West Coast Avengers and Force Works. That being said, this comics version of Walker still had his moments as Captain America where the pressures of the role caused him to lose control and become more aggressive, serving as the basis for MCU Walker's subsequent breakdown.

Now, it looks as though the MCU is going to take Walker losing control one step further, as the U.S Agent will be created not with support from the government, but the result of Walker's refusal to stop being Captain America, regardless of the government's decisions. In his mind, he is Captain America, and that can't be taken away from him, and he still feels as though he deserves the title. Additionally, the post-credits scene for the fifth episode sees him welding and painting, creating his own dark imitation of the legendary shield that Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes took back from him.

Madame Hydra Could Recruit John Walker

Madame Hydra Julia Louis-Dreyfus falcon and the winter soldier

While it currently looks as though Walker is operating alone in his decision to continue being Captain America, that might not be the case in the future. After the hearing where John Walker was given an other than honorable discharge and his title and rank were stripped, Walker was approached by Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, serving as her MCU debut. The Contessa made a proposition for Walker, giving him her support for his actions, while also telling him that the "best" decision he'll ever make will be to answer the phone when she calls.

Related: Isaiah Bradley's Scars Explained: Super Soldier Backstory Real Life Parallels

The Contessa has had a few different roles in Marvel Comics, so while it's not yet clear as to what her true motives are, her most notable role was her time as Madame Hydra, a key leader of the terrorist organization. It's possible that she's hoping to recruit Walker to be the new face of HYDRA as their Dark Captain America and premiere U.S Agent, which would certainly give a much darker connotation to Walker's traditional comics codename.

Is Hydra Still Operating In The MCU?

Hydra Logo Was Hard To Design Cropped

That being said, HYDRA hasn't really been a major threat in the MCU since HYDRA was rooted out with the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D. in 2014's Captain America: The Winter Soldierand the Avengers went on the offensive taking out several of their secret bases, culminating in their defeat of Baron von Strücker at the beginning of Avengers: Age of Ultron. Likewise, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. saw Phil Coulson and his allies taking down key HYDRA installations and they also took down the last heads of HYDRA. However, it's worth noting that whether or not Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is still canon in the MCU is somewhat up for debate.

Regardless, HYDRA is an organization that has long persisted: "Cut off one head, two more shall take its place." It's very possible that the Contessa is looking to rebuild and lead a reborn HYDRA, seeing an opportunity for the organization to rise to power once more in the midst of the chaos in the world post-Avengers: Endgame. The Contessa was also a leader of Leviathan in the comics, which was an equally dark organization that was formed out of the Russian Communist Bloc, much like HYDRA was birthed from the Axis powers. Considering that the Contessa was meant to debut in the delayed Black Widow film (which will largely be set in Russia), it's certainly a possibility that Leviathan could rise in HYDRA's absence, with John Walker's U.S. Agent as a key operative going forward into the future of the MCU.

Regardless of the specifics, the Contessa and possible Madame Hydra and/or Leviathan leader is making plans, and John Walker will more than likely accept her offer and become an asset in her efforts. Now that Sam Wilson has decided to reclaim the shield and become Captain America as Steve Rogers intended, it's very likely that he and John Walker will be exchanging more than just words with the upcoming finale of Marvel's Falcon & The Winter Soldier. One thing's for certain: whatever the future has in store for John Walker, he's most likely going to spiral even further than he already has in the MCU.

More: Falcon & The Winter Soldier Episode 5 Asks 6 Questions About Cap's Future

 

Key Release Dates