The Falcon and the Winter Soldier: How is John Walker the exact opposite of Steve Rogers?

The Falcon And The Winter Soldier’s Episode 5, the title of which is yet to be released, is right around the corner. The episode that is its predecessor, namely “The Whole World Is Watching”, introduced its viewers to the dark side of John Walker's Captain America, who was seen executing a character during the finale of the same. This episode is essentially an enlistment of all ways in which John Walker's Captain America is different from the Steve Rogers' version that millions around the world love, adore and revere. Read on for more.

1) The Use Of Surveillance

 It is a known fact that Steve Rogers' Captain America had opposed the idea of surveillance ever since his MCU debut. He, at one point, was heard equating the same to “Keeping a Gun on someone’s head and telling them that they are safe”. But, as has been seen by many, Wyatt Russell’s John Walker, as the new Captain America, doesn’t shy away from using the tactical advantage that the surveillance technology affords, such as tracking down the show’s titular characters.

2)  Unlike Steve Rogers, John Walker loves public attention

The much-publicized introduction of Wyatt Russel’s John Walker in the series, an intricate and grand parade along with several photo ops that he has been a part of is a testament to the fact that the new Captain America prefers the shutterbugs. Steve Rogers, on the other hand, has been reluctant to step into the eyes of the public and become a spectacle of sorts since his very first film, in which, one scene saw Steve Rogers’ reluctantly going about his duties as the new Captain America, which involved standing on a podium and shaking hands with hundreds of Americans during the time of World War 2. Several eagle-eyed MCU viewers have cited the same as a testament to Steve Rogers’ nobility.

3)  John Walker doesn’t mind taking the lives of humans with the shield

The Falcon And The Winter Soldier Episode 4 ended with John Walker as Captain America doing something that was deemed unthinkable for someone who donned the star-spangled suit and the iconic shield up until that point. That deed in question was taking the life of an actual fellow human being with a shield which is known to be a symbol of patriotism for several reasons. The Whole World Is Watching episode showed viewers that very much unlike Steve Rogers, John Walker is not the one to hear the accused plea and will execute people with the object that is made for defence. Several people have opined that the bloodstain on the shield that can be seen in the final moments of “The Whole World Is Watching” is symbolic of the fact that the reputation of the shield is now tainted.

4)  John Walker thinks that he is superior to Sam and Bucky

One of the several traits of Steve Rogers' Captain America, as pointed out by many, is the fact that he treats all of his colleagues equally, even though he is several decades senior to them. John Walker's Captain America, on the flip side, is seen teaching and taunting Sebastian Stan’s the Winter Soldier, who is about 106 years old, as was revealed by him during the premiere episode. John Walker is also seen quipping and passing derogatory remarks towards the titular characters, which is also a distinction between Steve Rogers' Captain America and John Walker’s version of the same.

5)  John Walker asks Bucky to skip therapy for work reasons

The show has implied that due to Bucky’s past as the feared mercenary Winter Soldier, he has been seeing a counsellor. Viewers have opined that the scene in the Disney+ Miniseries, involving John Walker asking Bucky to come out of a therapy session in question due to Flag Smashers-related work, would have been very much out of character for Steve Rogers, who would have supposedly understood the need of therapy for an individual who has a past like that of Bucky. That aspect of Russell’s John Walker visibly irked millions who watched the show.

6)  Walker Embraces the PR part of the Captain America job

The second episode of the 6-part-long event makes it abundantly clear that John Walker Captain America is open to indulging in Public Relations activities as much as in other parts of the job. Steve Rogers was portrayed by Evans as someone who gets very uncomfortable during PR related events. One such example of the same is the sequence that had Captain America: The First Avenger’s version of The Star-Spangled Man playing in the background, which sees Evans’ Rogers being introduced to the United States as their new Captain America.

7)  Walker is a fan of fame, recognition, and fandom

Implied to be a Captain America fanboy during the very second moment he is seen on the screen, Walker makes it known that he does not oppose the fan culture, which is a significant part of Walker’s Captain America job: Maintain a fandom. Steve Rogers, on the flip side, has hardly been supportive of awards and medals and any public form of adulation or expression of gratitude. This aspect of Steve Rogers Captain America also separated Evans’ take on the character from that of Russell’s John Walker.