How Falcon & Winter Soldier Tackles U.S. Agent For Modern Audiences
What America does John Walker represent?
**SPOILERS within**
John Walker, the new Captain America of the Falcon And Winter Soldier series, is presented as a very different person than his comics roots, in which he's a hard-line Christian and Right-Wing Conservative, meant to show the harsher side of American Patriotism, bearing the name U.S.Agent.
He first appears in the series as a much humbler, kinder man, with an almost pointed emphasis placed on his Black romantic partner and Black best friend, sloughing off the Walker of the comics that was openly bigoted and nationalistic.
However, his connection to the much more harmful side of American patriotism is still present, at its worst presented in the climax of episode 4, but still presented, if subtly, from his very first appearance.
His expectation of special treatment due to his status as Captain America and tendency to involve himself in fights where he's unwelcome were early signs of his eventual spiral. His need to live up to an impossible ideal manifested in barely contained anger and aggression, only tempered by his field partner, Lemar Hoskins, aka Battlestar.
His multiple medals of honour, for which he is consistently praised, serve to remind him of his worst trauma as a soldier in a war that's highly contested to this day. In contrast to Sam's thoughtful and compassionate response to Karli Morgenthau's actions, John goes into situations guns blazing - like a soldier following orders, believing what they're doing is right without question.
The difference between Sam - a veteran counselor who doesn't believe he's worthy of the power or symbols he's been given access to as a Black man grappling with his relationship with America - and John - a soldier too eager to take what power he can, too quick to resort to violence in moments of vulnerability, and too convinced of his own authority, is stark.
No longer the easily identifiable bigoted nationalist of the comics, the John Walker of the MCU still presents an equally nightmarish picture of a self-righteous American soldier believing himself a hero in a war against enemies he has no qualms brutalising.
With the serum, mixed with his trauma, his almost fanatic need to live up to an impossible ideal, and the loss of his partner, John Walker isn't far off from the overzealous, patriotic villain of the comics, if he isn't there already.