The Falcon And The Winter Soldier’s John Walker turns to DIY as a coping mechanism
TV Features John Walker
Any notion of The Falcon And The Winter Soldier’s new Captain America, John Walker (Wyatt Russell), being right for the job obviously went up in the air in the fourth episode after he publicly decapitated someone with the shield. In the latest outing of the Disney+ drama, titled “Truth,” Walker faces the consequence of this brutal action, as his title and the accompanying shield are rightfully taken from him. Suffice it to say, he doesn’t take the news well. In the show’s first mid-credits scene, saved for its penultimate episode, Walker is then seen literally making a knockoff of the Cap shield. Who’s going to tell him he is missing a key component?
The original shield was designed by Howard Stark for Steve Rogers in Captain America: First Avenger when he became Captain America during World War II. The rare, almost indestructible metal vibranium found in Wakanda is what makes the shield unique. Walker seems to be whittling a circular weapon for himself—complete with a red spray paint—in a desperate move and desire to continue being America’s beloved icon. It’s just sad he’s doing it in what looks like a grimy garage and that this shield is going to dissipate as soon as Bucky’s (Sebastian Stan) metal arm punches through it. Or, if we’re lucky, Ayo (Florence Kasumba) and the Dora Milaje will return to skewer through it, and then hopefully jump directly into their own spin-off.
Steve passed his real shield, along with the massive responsibility of being Captain America, to Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) at the end of Avengers: Endgame. As Bucky points out in “Truth” and what the show has been slowly building towards, not enough thought went into what it means for a Black man to hold that position. At the end of the hour, Sam has decided to take on the mantle after a fresh training montage that reintroduces his biceps. Currently, he has possession of the vibranium shield, one that can extremely easily and quickly destroy Walker’s DIY version.
Walker’s inevitable defeat will probably steer him further in the direction of (spoiler alert!) comic book character Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, played by MCU newcomer and multiple Emmy-winner Julia Louis-Dreyfus. She appears in a brief scene in “Truth” to say a quick hello to Walker and his wife, before essentially letting him know she’ll be in touch. In the comics, Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine went by the moniker of Madame Hydra. She’s got a varied skill set, including being a trained fighter and Russian spy for a terrorist organization as well as a leader of an inner S.H.I.E.L.D.’s cadre called Femme Force. In the context of The Falcon And The Winter Soldier, Contessa might just be the yet unseen Power Broker, explaining her interest in Walker, who has apparently ingested the super serum and increased his strength—and volatility.
The Veep and Seinfeld actress knows how to crack up audiences but now, she will hopefully get to kick some ass while sporting heels and a streak of purple hair. According to Vanity Fair, Marvel has big plans for Dreyfus, who was originally supposed to make her debut in the long-delayed Black Widow movie. It makes sense because no one casts an actress with her caliber for a cameo. Maybe it’s Contessa who will ultimately aid Walker in next week’s season finale, because without some help, his DIY shield-making is doomed to fail.
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The original shield was designed by Howard Stark for Steve Rogers in Captain America: First Avenger when he became Captain America during World War II.
I hope when we get Ryan Coogler’s Wakanda series, that we get a flashback scene showing how Stark got hold of the Vibranium for Cap’s shield.
Poker game. 😀
This is unrelated to the topic here, but it just hit me that man would I want to see Bruhl’s Zemo in that show.Not even as an antagonist, but rather I feel there would some really interesting dynamics that could be explored there.
In the comics, Zemo continues to show growth and leads a team of former villains called the Thunderbolts.
As much as DARK AVENGERS screamed through my head when the Countessa showed up, just as much did THUNDERBOLTS scream in my head when Ayo said they were taking Zemo to The Raft.
Well, he leads a team of villains-masquerading-as-heroes called the Thunderbolts. IIRC, it doesn’t become a team of former villains until he’s out of the picture when said villains decide to turn hero and work for redemption.
He’s not even out of the picture – they *betray him* because they like being heroes.Kurt Busiek: Absolute genius.
Well, yeah, I worded that awkwardly but that’s what I was trying to imply. And yeah, he is.I’m old enough to have picked up that series when it first came out. I might even still have one of the original promotional posters somewhere, but don’t quote me on that. That was a crazy time, setting-wise. All of the established non-mutant heroes had been shipped off to Heroes Reborn, and then you had this new team trying to make a name for themselves. Marvel’s making a big deal about it when advertising the comic, you get the feeling that this is going to be the Next Big Thing. And then you pick up the first issue and everything’s going great… until the Swordsman takes his mask off and it’s Baron freaking Zemo.And this was an era before internet leaks and spoilers, before every comics store had that one guy who would crack open the comics before they went on shelves just to scan and post dramatic reveals and such. So nobody was prepared for the Masters of Evil reveal. That was a heck of a book. There’s not a lot I clearly recall about the comics I read back in the day, but I remember Thunderbolts.
Spoiler Alert: all of this is also foreshadowed in the comics. John Walker loses the Cap role and gets a new identity as the more ‘take no prisoners’ operative called US Agent, complete with new shield. So while it will be likely different in the MCU, most everything you’ve seen in this show is based on original plotlines from a 1980s’ comics run when Steve Rogers chose to step down under the Reagan administration for a two year period.
I mean, yeah…Disney didn’t buy this company for billions to be original.
They bought them because they have over 80 years worth of stories and content that was well written, well illustrated, and evergreen to keep it fresh for any new era of entertainment.
I don’t even think we’ve gotten past the Silver age yet.
What I am curious about is how this Walker’s next direction, because I hated him as Captain America…but as U.S. Agent…I may root for the guy.
I think he got closer to classically heroic after joining the West Coast Avengers, where he befriended, of all people, the Scarlet Witch.
WHO is Madame Hydra?
Man, being denied soup can really twist someone around on the inside!
WHY is Madam Hydra?
I just love how sweeter and nicer Bucky has been turning since the beginning of the series. And it’s not even a forced change, his experience and methods are so vital he has to open up and accept help.
So when him and Sam are fixing a boat…I just smiled, so brightly, because…
Stan really doesn’t get enough respect as an actor.The way his eyes light up when he talks to Sarah and hangs with the boys…it hasn’t been there since the start of TFA.
Oddly enough, even though we’re just at the end of this season, I still feel like his acting range hasn’t been explored enough.
The first five minutes of the fourth episode to me was probably the best work he’s done in his whole MCU history, but they’ve done a good job of letting those emotional peaks of his characters come out at the best of times, making them feel more genuine.
How is something that Walker puts together in his garage not going to be a complete piece of crap compared to the original shield? There’s a bit in Iron Man 2 where Tony has a half-finished shield with lots of tech bits in it, and the implication is that he was trying to recreate the effects of the Vibranium shield with his technology but couldn’t get it to work. Walker’s going to do better?
I’m sorry but why are we not celebrating the return of Batroc ze Leapair?
I’m bummed that the season is so short…
It really feels like this most recent episode should be the midseason point. I know there’s going to be more MCU appearances for all these characters, but I can’t help but think the finale is going to feel extremely rushed.
One of the head-scratchers of having long-running comic characters brought to life is wondering how much the limitations of live action (contracts, the possibility that the project is a flop, etc.) get in the way. I keep wondering if we will see more of Zemo or John Walker after this show or if their arcs were mostly concluded (Walker’s next week, possibly). If Walker is going to fully embrace a US Agent role then I wonder just how much more he’s going to suffer first.Seeing JLD in a Marvel production is surreal. I know the more the MCU expands, the more people get involved, and this is probably not as surprising as, say, Robert Redford or Glenn Close, but it threw me for a loop. Now I am wondering if, in a few years, we’ll get Adam Sandler as Scourge or something.
“a fresh training montage that reintroduces his biceps”And how 👌🏼
no one casts an actress with her caliber for a cameo.Clearly you’ve never seen the vast majority of Muppet films.
John Walker has had a weird arc. They set him up as this legendarily cool-headed genius with three Medals of Honor – and then he loses his shit and goes psychopathically berserk at the first casualty. As if he’s never seen death before.
I guess I must have a missed a retcon along the way… because… since the ‘60s the Contessa was always known as a high ranking SHIELD agent constantly working with/for Nick Fury.Madam Hydra was always another woman… formerly Viper from Serpent Squad IIRC🤔