The Marvel Cinematic Universe has introduced many characters to the general public, to varying degrees of success. Some characters make a splash right away and everyone loves them, but other characters have a harder time with fans. These characters definitely have their fans, but they also get a lot of scorn. A perfect example of this type of character is John Walker. Walker premiered in Falcon and the Winter Soldier, played by Wyatt Russell, and was positioned as the potential new Captain America, working for the government. Walker’s story was always going to go the opposite way of what the character expected, and his actions as Captain America have made him one of the more controversial MCU characters in recent years.

Walker is a way more complex character than many fans seem to understand, and their misunderstanding of the character is one of the factors in the way fans look at him. Walker is about to play a role in the Thunderbolts* film this year, and conversations about the character are going to intensify. John Walker is a fascinating character, one that deserves better analysis than what he’s gotten.