Wyatt Russell portrays John Walker in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, starting with the streaming television series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021) and will reprise the role in Thunderbolts* (2025).

Though Gruenwald said he would not have done this if it had not been a logical development from the preceding storylines, he also openly acknowledged that the motivating reason for replacing Steve Rogers as Captain America was to boost sales: With Iron Man, for example, we had James Rhodes take the lead character's place, and we did it for two years—which I'm sure was about a year and a half longer than anybody thought we would do it.

Walker soon developed a following of his own, with Gruenwald admitting that his best selling cover of the comic was #321 which had an image of Captain America shooting a firearm, and that this resulted in many fans wanted him to "Rambo-ize" Cap and make him more Punisher or Wolverine-like.

Thurm secures financial backing, helps Walker design a costume, and sets out a strategy that allows him to debut as the corporate-sponsored Super-Patriot who then travels the country promoting his image to the nation through patriotic rallies and community service.

[7] At a rally in Central Park, he holds a secretly rehearsed performance in which he publicly criticizes Captain America and is subsequently attacked by three extremist supporters called the Bold Urban Commandos or "Buckies".

[10] This high-profile act makes him an instant celebrity, appearing in The Washington Post and on national television where he claims himself to be "America's future", which in turn brings him to the attention of Valerie Cooper in her role as a Presidential advisor.

Though repulsed by the notion of giving up being Super-Patriot and taking on the Captain America identity he has criticized so much, Walker ultimately answers, "Ma'am, if Uncle Sam wanted me to be Mickey Mouse, I'd do it."

[16] Left-Winger and Right-Winger, the two rejected Buckies, crash the press conference arranged by Cooper to reveal the "new" Captain America and Battlestar, and announce Walker's name and birthplace on national TV.

Unable to continue his costumed career because of the guilt he instead decided to set up the organization to atone for his failings as a crime fighter and battle those criminals who would undermine America's moral character.

Agent remained a member throughout the team's tenure, fighting threats such as the Kree,[51] alien parasites The Scatter,[55] Slorenian supernatural threat Ember, Slorenia's armored protectors Black Brigade,[56] The Mandarin,[57] fighting alongside Australian super hero Dreamguard (Willie Walkaway) against the dream-manipulating Orphan,[58] Slorenia's undead shock troops The Targoth and Volkhvy the Eternal One,[59] teaming up with the Avengers against the Kree commandos Excel,[60] intergalactic mercenary The Broker,[61] battling Force Works' own rogue security system VIRGIL,[62] an alternate reality version of deceased former Force Works member Wonder Man (Simon Williams),[63] and the Serpent Society.

"[73] Walker eventually became a member of the New Invaders,[74] wearing a Captain America-like costume,[74] serving alongside the likes of the original Human Torch, Union Jack (Joseph Chapman), and the Blazing Skull until the team disbanded.

Agent – captive for the time being – receives word from the Thin Man requesting a distraction, which Walker provides by breaking his bonds and aggressively approaching Captain America, growling that the New Invaders operation is sanctioned by the U.S., Britain, and Atlantis, and that the Avengers have no grounds to interfere.

[78] Thin Man later informs the team that they have been formed to tackle a new threat – the "Axis Mundi" – a creation of the Red Skull and something born out of the ashes of Hitler's Third Reich, who have an army of assassins armed with sub-dimensional technology that gives them the ability to move instantly to wherever they wish without fear of barriers or borders and a plan to replace world leaders with synthezoids.

[volume & issue needed] The Red Skull uses trigger words embedded within Todd Zillers psyche to activate his powers, resulting in him losing control and attacking the city in his Kaiju form.

Bucky thanks Walker for checking him before he killed American Kaiju and invites him to join the Thunderbolts team for the final assault on the Red Skulls facility in Latveria [98] In August 2012 a teaser image for the Dark Avengers displayed U.S.

Together while aiding other allied group of superhero and super-villain resistances, they battle the Superior Octopus (Otto Octavius) and the forces of Steve Rogers's Hydra organization which took over America.

Assembled to act as the U.S government's last, best line of defense against an uprising of robots and artificial intelligences, they are sent to the fictional South American nation of Lingares where their aircraft is shot down by local rebels.

Once the arc reactor has been re-energized, James Rhodes has Quake distract Ulti-MODOK in the War Machine armor to buy the rest of Force Works time to figure out how to stop the Deathloks.

After finishing the lecture by stating she has sent out a scrub team with flamethrowers and EMP guns to destroy the evidence of what happened on Lingares, she fires them from Force Works and takes the flash drive with MODOK's Deathlok plans from U.S.

[111] It is revealed that Katie has followed in her brother's footsteps by becoming a government contractor herself and has developed a grudge against John, considering that he had forgotten about her in favor of concentrating on his career as a costumed hero.

[112] Back at the Office of National Emergency in Washington D.C, Val Cooper attempts damage control by contacting Walker's one-time partner Battlestar to try and persuade him to drop his interest in events at Ephraim.

Agent, who refers to himself as Saint, is shown to derive his powers from periodic injections of a mysterious blue substance that also increases his height, mass, and build (as well as causing him to grow a moustache).

Both Walker and Saint fear that Katie is suffering a psychosis induced by prolonged exposure to the damaged fuel cells and intends to use the retrieved helicarrier to wipe out the town of Ephraim and its people who she professes to hate.

Together the assembled Captains past and present travel to a top secret facility where Sin, Warrior Women and a brainwashed Speed Demon are seeking to release Hate-Monger who they propose to set up as a new leader for a divided America.

Agent promises to keep them on a short leash and make sure they play nice so that everyone stays safe and Fisk ends up looking good, adding "I don't walk the line.

Agent prevents the Thunderbolts from keeping diamonds stolen during a robbery they stop for themselves by beating each member single-handedly and promising to turn them into a team, threatening that anyone who thinks otherwise "is gonna find themselves under my boot".

[127] As a result of the experimental mutagenic augmentation process conducted on him by Dr. Karl Malus on behalf of the Power Broker, John Walker has superhuman strength (capable of lifting 10 tons under maximum exertion), agility, reflexes and endurance.

He further notes that "despite his passionate love for his country, Walker’s dogmatic belief in America first, together with his own involvement with a campaign of retribution and revenge, shows him to be wholly unfit to assume the mantle."

[135]: 51 In an alternate reality, John Walker is Captain America and battles with Steve Rogers, with only the intervention of Nick Fury and then-President Ronald Reagan bringing the hostilities to an end.

[149] This version wields a firearm and Captain America's shield, which Steve Rogers had bequeathed to Sam Wilson, who in turn gave it to the government and subsequently issued to Walker.