Similarities between Steve Rogers and John Walker

In yesterday’s article we took a look at what makes Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) and John Walker (Wyatt Russell) different during their time as Captain America. However, they are not complete polar opposites and do share some characteristics. For the small section of fans that haven’t quite turned on Walker just yet, there is evidence to back up their claims that Walker is just trying to be the best that he can be and shouldn’t be hated because of it.

Firstly, Walker makes it clear that he doesn’t like all the attention that has been generated and he just wants to do the job. This is just like Steve as both men went sent out to the public as Captain America. Steve was sent out as a propaganda machine during World War 2 and Walker was sent out to what seems regain support for the government after the blip. As such both Cap’s have done their part in speaking to the nation. But, the main similarity is that neither man particularly wanted to do that, instead they would rather go straight into the mission they have been set. This does present Walker in a good light because we learn he isn’t doing it for the attention and actually wants to be the best he can be which is nothing less than what Steve Rogers did as Captain America.

Moreover, Walker just like Steve has a best friend which he shares a long history with. Lemar Hoskins (Cle Bennett) also known as Battlestar was introduced along with John Walker as a member of the military and Walker’s high school friend. They tease a long history between the pair both in school and in the military which is something Steve and Bucky (Sebastian Stan) fans can relate to. What is also similar between Walker and Steve is how Walker saves Hoskins from severe damage by using the shield. This while not directly replicated by Steve is a characteristic we know he would have done which in turn makes Walker look on the level of Steve as he weakens his chances in order to save his friend.

After the Flag Smashers manage to escape Walker begins trying to recruit Bucky and Sam as he thinks it will be easier if they work together. Although this changes at the end of the episode it is clear that Walker wants cooperation. He understands just like Steve that working as a team improves their chances at stopping the threat of the Flag Smashers. Steve was just like this in Avengers: Age of Ultron when he knew that as a team they stood a better chance of winning. This is where both men share their strong leadership qualities which are rare in the MCU.

Also, when Bucky questions Walker about being good enough to hold the shield, he asks whether he ever jumped on a grenade. Walker responds by saying he has 3 times. He continues and says he does it with a reinforced helmet. However, the point here is that jumping on a grenade no matter the reason would have taken guts and courage. Yes, Steve jumped on it to sacrifice himself and save everyone else and Walker will have done it because of his abilities to save everyone. Even though Walker hasn’t necessarily scarified himself something like this could go wrong and Walker could have died. As such there’s a large amount of bravery which is needed to do this no matter how skilful you are. This is another reason why Walker may be justified in taking the shield as with his skills he also has bravery, which are traits Steve Rogers had throughout his time as Captain America.

Another minor point to note about Walker is that he is feeling the pressure as Captain America. Bucky is the one who comments on this when he says things are getting intense for Walker. The pressure of being Captain America is something which isn’t easy for anyone no matter who they are. Walker is starting to feel this and it is something which Steve felt all through his time as Cap. Walker alludes to the fact everyone expects something of him and that he doesn’t want to let anyone down. This reminds us of Steve throughout his time as Captain America as he always felt the pressure to keep everyone safe.

Overall, it is pretty hard to completely write off Walker as a good guy from just one episode. Yes he may take a dark turn but for now his intentions are nothing but good. He is just as human as Steve and has the exact same problems as him. The big question is whether Walker has the moral compass to uphold everything that he and Captain America stands for or will he take an easy route to get the job done? 4

Images:

Marvel Studios

Disney+