Marvel fans are having a field day with The Falcon and the Winter Soldier 's new Captain America

Entertainment Weekly
·3 min read

Recently, speculation floated on the internet that Chris Evans might return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe someday to take up Captain America's shield once more. In a recent interview with EW's Nick Romano, Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige shot down that possibility (for now, anyway). So instead, a new character is stepping into the role on The Falcon and the Winter Soldier...and Marvel fans are not happy about it.

All throughout its first episode, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier has been teasing viewers about whether Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) would wield Cap's shield. It was, after all, gifted to Sam by the man himself at the conclusion of Avengers: Endgame. But Sam doesn't feel up to it yet, so he donated the shield to the Smithsonian while remaining the Falcon. His humility was not exactly rewarded; the U.S. government responded by passing the iconic shield on to John Walker (Wyatt Russell), who showed up in the final moments dressed in full Captain America regalia. Sam was shocked by this, as were viewers, and not just because Russell is now following his famous father into the MCU.

"If this Captain America wannabe doesn't give Sam his shield back I [swear to God]," Justin Tuell tweeted on Friday, placing a screenshot of Walker's triumphant smile next to an edited photo of Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) from WandaVision seemingly pointing a gun at the viewer.

She wouldn't be the first woman to shoot at Captain America; when Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) tried it way back in Captain America: The First Avenger, she found that bullets just bounce right off the vibranium aegis.

WandaVision's success among fans and critics is the context into which The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is stepping in as the second of Disney+'s new MCU shows, and fans drew funny comparisons. Another tweet, from @PapaKoalaYT, put the Walker screenshot next to another edited WandaVision pic — from the moment where Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings) first marveled at the recasting of Wanda's brother. Now even Captain America has been recast!

Despite the jokes and the jarring nature of the twist, John Walker does have a long history in Marvel comics, and some fans are excited to see what's in store with him. Tuell followed up his split-screen by noting "[okay] but also Wyatt Russell as John Walker is gonna be amazing."

For his part, Russell recently told EW, "he's a complicated character. That's what drew me to him."

Below, take a look at more funny tweets inspired by the premiere cliffhanger of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. For teases and previews about where the show is going, revisit EW's digital cover story from earlier this week, and stay tuned for more coverage of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier on EW.com.

Check out our daily must-see picks — plus news, celeb interviews, trivia, and more — in EW's What to Watch podcast, hosted by Gerrad Hall.

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