John Walker (Wyatt Russell) may be the new Star-Spangled Man with a plan, but Marvel fans are saying he’s no replacement for Captain America. Spoilers for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Episode 2, “The Star-Spangled Man.” As the government-approved Cap, who wields the shield in battle with superhero partner Lemar “Battlestar” Hoskins (Clé Bennett), Walker tries to appeal to “wingmen” Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) and Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) when he tells the pair of Avengers: “I’m not trying to be Steve. I’m not trying to replace Steve. I’m just trying to be the best Captain America I can be.”
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But when Sam and Bucky decline an offer to work with Captain America and Battlestar to track down Karli Morgenthau (Erin Kellyman) and the Super Soldier Serum-fueled Flag Smashers — Walker and Hoskins have “rules of engagement” and “authorizations,” Sam says, whereas he and Bucky are “more flexible” free agents — the “new Cap” cools the nice guy act when he tells the pair: “A word of advice, then. Stay the hell out of my way.”
The series premiere, “New World Order,” ended with the United States government debuting Walker as the new Captain America after Wilson returned the shield — government property — to the Smithsonian. Audiences immediately reacted with the #NotMyCap hashtag to protest Walker Cap and his cheesy wink at the camera.
In “Star-Spangled Man,” the decision to hand over the shield is a point of friction for Bucky, who tells Sam during therapy with Dr. Raynor (Amy Aquino) that the shield is more than a symbol: it’s the legacy of the retired Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) and everything he stood for.
“People are probably going to hate it, and some people are going to love it,” Marvel Cinematic Universe newcomer Russell previously told USA Today. “[Movies and TV shows] are there to make people feel emotions, and I’m hoping that that’s what this show can do for people. Hopefully, they don’t hate me too much. It would be an honor, I guess, to be disliked in the Marvel universe.”
Here’s what Marvel fans are saying after “The Star-Spangled Man”:
Wingmen
#TheFalconAndWinterSoldier
— sara⁷ (@saramnaserr) March 26, 2021
KEEP STEVE ROGERS NAME OUT OF YOUR FUCKING MOUTH JOHN WALKER pic.twitter.com/bNLMpj0I5u
I don’t know why John Walker referred to Sam as captain America “side kick”bitch that’s the motherfucking falcon who do you think you are??? and then he kept calling Bucky by his name like sir stfu!! #TheFalconAndWinterSoldier pic.twitter.com/PpjZJ7LjIq
— Lea🦄 (@Myl3a_Broskii) March 26, 2021
Best Friends
#TheFalconAndTheWinterSoldier //spoilers
— ellie ❀ || rt📌 (@reindeerrgames) March 26, 2021
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john walker trying
to act familiar with bucky
bucky pic.twitter.com/zcHygO1WDv
#TFATWS // SPOILERS
— tabitha | spoilers (@buckymatters) March 26, 2021
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Leader of the John Walker hate club pic.twitter.com/hMrA5GjfY3
The falcon and the winter soldier spoilers
— Hannah • tfatws spoilers (@alpinebvrnes) March 26, 2021
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John walker: *exists*
Bucky: pic.twitter.com/XxpUNDSvmN
“You Don’t Get to Call Me That”
#FalconAndWinterSoldier SPOILERS
— pops 🍄 (@po_loves_marvel) March 26, 2021
did it piss everyone else off when john walker kept calling him bucky like i wanted to slap him every single time pic.twitter.com/BsVMxmFgve
#TheFalconAndTheWinterSoldier spoilers
— Myri | TFATWS spoilers (@buckyssteelarm) March 26, 2021
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John Walker: ‘Bucky’
Bucky: ‘I’m James Bucky Barnes and I will forget about rule no 2 if you keep calling me that’ pic.twitter.com/gn8a5CprRb
Not-so-Super Soldier
#TheFalconAndWinterSoldier SPOILERS
— Claudine ✌ (@LadyHorrorland) March 26, 2021
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John Walker talk a lot of shit for a dude who got not one bit of serum in him. Mf forgot he was talking to an assassin super soldier. Dont let that mouth get your ass beat John pic.twitter.com/AXsYDdURDh
#TheFalconAndTheWinterSoldier spoilers
— g ⩔ ✪ (@tomhollandpp) March 26, 2021
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the shade bucky and sam repeatedly throw at john walker and his friend 😭😭 pic.twitter.com/zhZvgGd7V0
The Winter Scrubber
Sam and Bucky every time John Walker opens his mouth #FalconAndWinterSoldier pic.twitter.com/CvTxCoaDSW
— Justin Tuell (@JustinTuell8) March 26, 2021
Bucky getting rid of the evidence after he kills (or seriously injures) John Walker: #TheFalconAndWinterSoldier pic.twitter.com/CucwBGkmAq
— maria✨ (@mariadempseyy) March 26, 2021
Nomad? More Like No Cap
tfatws spoilers#TheFalconAndWinterSoldier
— katie (@cevansavenger) March 26, 2021
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nomad steve did not become a whole ass fugitive for captain america to become this clown bye fuck john walker pic.twitter.com/fZ2dyE41SF
john walker: “stay out of my way”
— Rukhsanah (@Rukhsanah7) March 26, 2021
steve watching from the moon: #TheFalconAndTheWinterSoldier #FalconAndWinterSoldier pic.twitter.com/ku9YWC5JCT
