Wyatt Russell, who plays John Walker in Marvel’s The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, recently discussed his future in the MCU and his experience being the subject of polarizing reactions on social media. In the series, Russell’s John Walker was appointed by the U.S. government to become the new Captain America.

John Walker made his debut at the end of the Disney Plus series’ first episode. The decorated U.S. Army Captain believes that he is doing his patriotic duty in filling the shoes of Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers. In the second episode of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, Walker told Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson and Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes to stay out of his way.

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While Russell would love to continue playing Walker, he noted that his future in the MCU is out of his control and is in Marvel President Kevin Feige’s hands. “That's just something that, later on, becomes apparent or it doesn't,” the actor said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, while adding, “it has a lot to do with what fans think, I think, and how they feel about you…and that's so far out of my control that I just try to do a good job."

MCU fans have been voicing their displeasures with Russell’s Walker on social media. Many have had a difficult time seeing someone other than Evans or Mackie hold Cap’s shield. Russell stated that it is “fun” to be Marvel’s punching bag and that he wasn’t trying to mimic or replace Evans. Ultimately, his character isn’t supposed to be beloved. “Polarizing people are fun to play as an actor, and if you do it in a way that is believable, hopefully, people really won't like you,” said Russell. He admitted that this is the first time that he’s played an unlikable character.

Russell ironically auditioned to play Captain America over a decade ago. The 34-year-old asserted in various interviews that he was never in serious competition for the role and wasn’t even sure if acting was for him at the time. Despite admitting to not knowing much about comics and not following the MCU, Russell was cast in the high-priced Marvel series in 2019. Marvel clearly runs in the former hockey player’s genes. The actor’s father Kurt Russell notably played Ego the Living Planet in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.

Agent Walker was created by comic book writer Mark Gruenwald and first appeared as the supervillain Super-Patriot in 1986’s Captain America #323. The character embraced U.S.’s military propaganda and had completely different morals than Steve Rogers. Walker enjoyed showing off his heroism and believed Rogers was an outdated symbol. In the comics, the character suffered a mental breakdown and adapted the name U.S. Agent.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is now available on Disney Plus.

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Source: Entertainment Tonight|YouTube