Falcon and Winter Soldier episode 4: Fans horrified by brutal death as John Walker struggles to live up to Captain America
John Walker #JohnWalker
John goes to extreme lengths to become a perfect Captain America (Picture: Marvel Studios/Disney)
Warning: major spoilers ahead for episode four of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier.
Fans of Marvel’s The Falcon and The Winter Soldier were absolutely horrified by the scenes in episode four of the series on Disney Plus, as John Walker (Wyatt Russell) struggles to handle the pressure of filling Captain America’s shoes.
In the first Captain America film, before being injected with the super soldier serum, Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) is told to promise one thing to Dr Abraham Erskine (Stanley Tucci) – ‘That you will stay as who are you, not a perfect soldier, but a good man.’
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This advice has definitely not translated to the ‘new’ Captain America John Walker, who becomes so hellbent on becoming the perfect version of the superhero that he decides to recklessly take a vial of super soldier serum, resulting in him losing control and committing a brutal atrocity.
At the beginning of the episode, when he and his wingman Lemar Hoskins (Clé Bennett) track down Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) and Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) in Latvia, they end up going up against Wakanda’s Dora Milaje, who have come to apprehend Baron Helmut Zemo (Daniel Brühl).
The Wakandan warriors overcome John and his sidekick with ease, leaving him dismayed that he couldn’t hold his own in a fight against individuals who – unlike the Flag-Smashers – don’t have superhuman strength.
So when given the opportunity to inject himself with super soldier serum, when all but one of the vials stolen by Flag-Smashers leader Karli Morgenthau (Erin Kellyman) are destroyed, John takes it… with shocking results.
Many fans believe John doesn’t deserve Captain America’s shield (Picture: Marvel Studios/Disney)
In a face-off against the Flag-Smashers, Lemar, otherwise known as Battlestar, is killed in front of John’s very eyes.
With intense fury and the super soldier serum running through his veins, John chases after one of the Flag-Smashers, who he then kills in broad daylight using Captain America’s symbolic shield as crowds watch on and capture it all on camera.
The final frame of John standing up and holding Captain America’s bloodied shield is sure to have felt like a dagger in the hearts of fans of the superhero, who know that Steve would never have done such a thing.
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‘John Walker thinks he’s another version of Steve Rogers. BUT STEVE WOULD NEVER EVER ACT LIKE THAT. Never,’ one person tweeted.
‘My Captain America would never taint the shield with literal BLOOD. John Walker gotta go IMMEDIATELY,’ another said.
Someone else pointed out that Steve was himself ‘put in the same position’ with Iron Man in Captain America: Civil War, ‘but the difference is that Steve never let his anger take over no matter how badly hurt Bucky was’.
Another fan praised Wyatt’s disturbing portrayal of the character, stating: ‘Wyatt Russell has nailed John Walker. He’s charming. He’s troubled. He’s terrifying.’
They continued: ‘If the entire point of #FalconAndWinterSoldier is to illustrate what makes a person worthy of the shield, then #TFATWS clearly establishes who is worthy and who is just a pretender.’
Episode four of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier delves even further into the psyches of Bucky and Sam, with the opening scenes showing the former Winter Soldier in Wakanda finally able to withstand the power of the brainwashing techniques that previously controlled his mind.
Meanwhile, Sam uses his skills at helping veterans to connect with Karli on another level, with the pair seeing eye to eye on a lot of things – other than Karli’s increasingly violent means.
More: Marvel
Zemo is now on the loose again, having evaded the Dora Milaje, while Sharon is seemingly helping Bucky and Sam from Madripoor.
Will John’s savage show of violence mean that Sam will finally be handed back Captain America’s shield?
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The Falcon and The Winter Soldier is available to watch on Disney Plus with new episodes released on Fridays.
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