Wyatt Russell on playing new Captain America: 'It would be an honour to be disliked'

Marvel's latest series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier premiered on Disney+ Hotstar on March 19. While the series premiere garnered the most-watched views for the platform, fans were dismayed after watching the cliffhanger ending where Wyatt Russell's John Walker becomes the new Captain America, a former military man, who is sanctioned America's new hero by the US government.

Wyatt Russell who plays the character, previously portrayed by Chris Evans for eight years and seven films, has said in an interview that he is prepared for any negative backlash from Marvel Cinematic Universe fans around his character. 

Wyatt Russell says it would be an honour to be 'disliked' by MCU fans

The 34-year-old son of actors Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn, revealed in an interview with USA Today that he is prepared for the negative backlash from MCU fans surrounding the "shocking" revelation of him becoming the new Captain America in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. He said that people are going to be divided on him donning the Cap-Am outfit. Since the shocking cliffhanger, memes with #NotMyCap began trending on Twitter. 

Wyatt Russell said that movies and TV shows “are there to make people feel emotions" and he hopes that people don't hate him "too much". He added that it would be "an honour to be disliked" by fans of Marvel Cinematic Universe. Russell also praised Chris Evans portrayal of Captain America. He said that Evans did a great job of bringing conflict with his character, who essentially had far fewer problems to deal with in comparison to his fellow Avengers. Russell said that Chris Evans was "perfect" as Captain America, so Rusell's Captain America would obviously be a different person.

Rusell also described his experience of donning the Captain America suit saying it was "hot, difficult and very painful". He added that his shoulders "kinda got screwed up and things started to hurt just because of the position that the suit would put you in all day." The actor was a former professional ice hockey player, whose father Kurt Russell is also part of the MCU as Ego the Living Planet in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Wyatt also revealed that went through the typical Marvel fitness routine, he was seeking a more realistic version of a superhero, saying that he was "strong, but not a super-soldier."

Meanwhile, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier's first episode featured the whereabouts of Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) and Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) following the events of Avengers: Endgame. The upcoming episode on March 26 would possibly feature the reunion of both the characters in an event of an imminent threat.

Promo Image Source: Still from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier