Battlestar’s Death Confirms Why Steve Was The Perfect Cap

Battlestar’s death in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier confirms why Steve Rogers was the perfect Captain America. Avengers: Endgame was the conclusion of Steve Rogers’ journey in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it paved the way for the Captain America title to live on. Sam Wilson received the shield, signaling that he’d be the next man to take on the mantle. However, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier saw the U.S. government give the Captain America shield and title to John Walker after Sam gave it up.

John Walker’s earliest days of trying to be the new Captain America have been covered in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. The differences between Walker and Rogers are becoming more apparent with each passing episode. The show has repeatedly shown how John operates differently from the original Captain America, and it is fair to say he’s struggling to live up to Steve’s legacy. His dwindling confidence and others not respecting his authority pushed John to take the last dose of super-soldier serum. In addition to increasing his physical attributes, the serum doubled down on his characteristics – including his more violent tendencies that come with his anger. This reached a boiling point when Battlestar died.

Immediately after Battlestar dies, John Walker’s next actions are an indictment on him being Captain America while also highlighting what made Steve Rogers so perfect. John hunted down a member of the Flag-Smashers after they accidentally killed Lemar Hoskins. He killed the Flag-Smasher in an act of revenge and didn’t hesitate for a second to deliver the final blow. It is difficult to imagine Steve ever doing something so violent to another human being, even after a tragic loss. This isn’t guesswork either, as the MCU’s Steve Rogers went through a similar tragedy and didn’t resort to John’s tactics.

John wanting revenge on the people who killed his best friend is understandable to some degree, but that is not the Captain America way. Steve lost his best friend too when Bucky Barnes died during a mission in World War II. While Bucky ultimately survived his fall from a train, Steve didn’t know that until 70 years later. As far as Steve was concerned, Bucky died during that mission trying to protect him. Instead of going on a rage-filled revenge tour determined to make Red Skull and Hydra pay, Steve remained fairly level-headed. He grieved the loss of Bucky and attempted to get drunk, but Steve never lost sight of who he was.

It all ties back to what Dr. Erskine said to Steve the night before the super-soldier experiment, “Whatever happens tomorrow, you must promise me one thing. That you will stay who you are. Not a perfect soldier, but a good man.” Steve proved time and time again that he is a good man who wanted to help people out of the pureness of his heart. He wanted to become Captain America to make that possible. John Walker doesn’t seem entirely sure he wants to be Captain America and takes the super-soldier serum to decrease the chance that he can be beaten. While he might have had the right intentions behind becoming Captain America before, it doesn’t appear John is as good of a man needed to carry the shield.

The reaction to Battlestar’s death is one of many examples in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier so far that proves Walker isn’t the right fit to be Captain America. Even though Sam might not believe it right away, he is the clear successor to Steve in terms of what the Captain America mantle stands for. Steve’s time with the shield established high expectations for what Captain America should do and what he stands for. John Walker hasn’t lived up to them so far, but Sam Wilson can, which is exactly why Steve’s final act as Captain America was handing him the shield.

About The Author

Cooper Hood
(5637 Articles Published)

Cooper Hood is a news and feature writer for Screen Rant. He joined Screen Rant in late 2016 following a year-long stint with MCU Exchange, which came after first developing an MCU blog of his own. He graduated college in 2016 with a Bachelor’s degree in Media & Public Communication, with a minor in Media Production. Cooper’s love for movies began by watching Toy Story and Lion King on repeat as a child, but it wasn’t until The Avengers that he took an invested interest in movies and the filmmaking process, leading him to discover the world of film journalism. Every year Cooper looks forward to seeing the latest blockbusters from the likes of Marvel, DC, and Star Wars, but also loves the rush to catch up on Oscar films near the end of the year. When he isn’t writing about or watching new releases, Cooper is a fantasy football obsessive and looking to expand his Blu-Ray collection – because physical media is still king! Follow Cooper on Twitter @MovieCooper.

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