Tony Stark Was Wrong About Captain America – But Right About US Agent

Tony Stark was wrong about Steve Rogers when he criticized him in The Avengers – but his assessment was spot on for Falcon & Winter Soldier‘s US Agent. They may have become firm friends and allies, but the partnership between Steve Rogers and Tony Stark didn’t exactly start well. As seen in The Avengers, the two initially clashed – spurred on by the influence of the Mind Stone.

One key argument, that came close to turning into a physical brawl, saw Tony lash out verbally at Captain America. “You’re a lab rat, Rogers,” he fumed, years of resentment hearing his father talk about Captain America pouring out of him. “Everything special about you came out of a bottle!” Iron Man was wrong about Captain America; Steve had been chosen to become the first American super-soldier precisely because of the strength of his character. In Avengers: Endgame, Captain America proved himself worthy of wielding Thor’s enchanted hammer Mjolnir. His spirit and soul had been judged, and he was found worthy. There’s a sense in which this scene was the ultimate response to Tony Stark’s criticism, because as he held that hammer aloft Steve proved himself more than just America’s super-soldier.

Tony may have been wrong about Captain America, but his criticism is perfectly accurate when ascribed to the US Agent. John Walker was given an “other than honorable discharge” because of his brutal murder of a defeated member of the Flag-Smashers, but he was approached by the Contessa who offered him a way to continue to serve his country. She made it quite clear this opportunity was not being offered because of Walker’s record, but rather simply because he had injected himself with super-soldier serum. “Anyway,” she told him, “you did the right thing in taking the serum… It has made you very, very valuable to certain people. I actually think it was the second best choice you’ve ever made in your life.” The only reason Walker is getting another chance is because he’s become a super-soldier.

It’s the ultimate confirmation that John Walker was never the right man to become Captain America. Walker is the very antithesis of Steve Rogers, in that he has been stripped of everything he used to define himself against, and now all he has left is the fact he is a super-soldier. As seen in Falcon & Winter Soldier episode 6, Walker is ultimately grateful for the opportunity to suit up once again. The U.S. government now has its super-soldier, one far more pliant than Steve ever was. The Contessa can be confident she can manipulate the US Agent with ease, because she knows all that matters to him.

And here is the irony; Steve Rogers was a good man who became great, chosen by a scientist because of the purity of his heart. In contrast, John Walker is an emotionally wounded man who chose himself in a moment of selfishness. He believes he is working for the government again, and that he has found – or, at the least, is in the process of finding – a measure of redemption. But he is working for the Contessa, a character who has been lifted straight from the comics, where she has been everything from Madame Hydra to a Skrull infiltrator. It is reasonable to assume the US Agent is being played for a fool, and is nothing more than a tool in someone else’s power game.

About The Author

Thomas Bacon
(4899 Articles Published)

Tom Bacon is one of Screen Rant’s staff writers, as well as a Peer Mentor for new writers and a member of the Care Team, offering support and a listening ear to members of the Comics group. A lifelong fan of major franchises including Star Wars, Doctor Who, and Marvel, Tom is delighted his childhood is back – and this time it’s cool. You can find him on Twitter @TomABacon.

A graduate of Edge Hill University, Tom remains strongly connected with his alma mater as a volunteer chaplain. He’s heavily involved with his local church, and anyone who checks him out on Twitter will swiftly learn he’s into British politics too.

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