It feels like not another day goes by without someone saying something less than complimentary about the state that Marvel Studios is in right now. Phase Four was poorly received overall, even if it did come out with bangers such as WandaVision, Loki, and Spider-Man: No Way Home, but one show that got middling-at-best fan reviews is actually now getting some acknowledgment.
In the wake of the poor reviews currently being received by Secret Invasion, some fans are choosing to look back at a show that, similarly, wasn’t the best-loved show a few years ago, to find a scene that actually gave them chills. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was the second Marvel series after WandaVision had everyone entranced (see what we did there,) but left viewers less than captivated overall. The villains of the series felt a little lackluster and uninspiring, with the pacing seeming sludgy at times, leaving many to feel it hadn’t quite hit the high notes of similar Marvel projects gone by, such as Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Civil War.
One thing that the show did well was the character of John Walker, the man chosen to replace Steve Rogers and take on the mantle of Captain America. Despite his Eurocentric good looks and stellar military career, he didn’t quite possess the “goodness” of his predecessor, and we saw the mental and physical struggle that taking on such a heavy mantle was having on him as the show progressed. This built up and came to head in one specific scene, in which Walker did something Steve would never have done, bludgeoned an unarmed individual to death, with the shield no less.
It is this specific scene that fans are still praising to this day, as they share their thoughts on what made it work so well on Reddit.
Many of the commenters loved it for just how shocking it was.
They compare the use of the shield, which symbolizes defense and peace, in the hands of Steve and the hands of John, bringing forth the good man/good soldier debate.
Some feel that the show as a whole deserved more praise than it got.
The sight of Cap’s shield covered in blood was one that made many people very uncomfortable.
This user, amongst many, praised the character and casting of John Walker and is excited to see what the future has for him in Thunderbolts.
Though we know that Walker was somewhat remorseful of his actions and realized that he was not the one suited for the role, we can’t help but wonder what he will do next as he joins some of the MCU’s less-than-squeaky-clean characters in Thunderbolts, coming out Dec. 20, 2024.