29 Brand New Characters Coming To MCU Phase 4

12. John Walker/US Agent - The Falcon & The Winter Soldier

Mandarin Tony Leung
Marvel Studios

After Captain America travelled to the past to return the Infinity Stones and Mjolnir to their rightful places, and returned an old man who had already lived his life, his famous shield was passed down to Sam Wilson to carry on his legacy.

Just like in the comics, fans expected Sam to subsequently drop the Falcon moniker, and become the new Captain America. However, clearly Sam will keep his name at least at the beginning of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, with the shield instead going to MCU newbie, John Walker.

In the comics, Walker was introduced as Super-Patriot, a villainous version of Captain America, before joining the government as US Agent. As the latter, the character was essentially a Steve Rogers replacement that worked under the jurisdiction of the US government. With the existence of the Sokovia Accords in the MCU, it would make sense that Thaddeus Ross prevented the title from going to Sam, instead giving it to someone he knew would follow his orders.

There could even be a further connection between Walker and another Black Widow character, as he was trained in Captain America's fighting style by Taskmaster in the comics. We already know that the MCU's Taskmaster has mastered Steve Rogers' skillset, so why not pass it on as part of Ross' Thunderbolts?

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This standard nerd combines the looks of Shaggy with the brains of Scooby, has an unhealthy obsession with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and is a firm believer that Alter Bridge are the greatest band in the world.