Why The Wakandan Wanted To Take Captain America’s Shield

A Wakandan wanted to take Captain America’s shield in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, and here’s why the Dora Milaje member picked up the shield initially. Captain America’s shield has been a staple of the mantle since almost the beginning. Once Steve Rogers began going into battle, he was outfitted with a powerful shield made of the rare metal; vibranium. It wasn’t until later in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that the metal’s origin was confirmed to be tied to Wakanda, the home of the Black Panther.

Steve Rogers used the Captain America shield for almost the entirety of his MCU story, but Avengers: Endgame saw him pass on the symbol to Sam Wilson aka Falcon. Fans expected Sam to easily walk into the mantle and become the new Captain America. However, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier took the story in a different direction. Sam willingly gave up the shield only to see the government hand it to John Walker, the new Captain America. His short time with the shield has been surprising, to say the least, as he’s tried to work with Sam and Bucky Barnes, encountered Wakanda’s elite female fighters known as Dora Milaje, and most recently killed someone with the shield after Lemar Hoskins’ death.

John Walker’s encounter with the Dora Milaje didn’t go as he expected either. He was demoralized to lose another fight, but this time it wasn’t to a group of super-soldiers. At the end of John Walker’s fight with the Dora Milaje, he is trapped by a spear and disarmed of the shield. One of the Wakandan warriors, named Yama, kicks up Captain America’s shield as if she’s going to take it with her. Although she ultimately drops the shield, Yama might have wanted to take the shield to reclaim a weapon made from Wakanda’s most valuable resource that someone who isn’t their ally is using.

It is important to remember that Steve Rogers and T’Challa developed a friendship or mutual respect for each other by the time Captain America: Civil War ended. T’Challa demanded that Wakanda outfit Steve with new shields once he got there in Avengers: Infinity War. Now that Steve is not using the shield, Falcon turned it down, and John made it clear he isn’t interested in working with the Wakandans, it isn’t a surprise they’d consider taking the shield back. They don’t want any vibranium out in the world, especially in a context where it could well be used against them.

Even though the Wakandan gave the Captain America shield back to John Walker, she probably wishes that she didn’t. Now that there is blood on the shield (literally), the continued use of the vibranium weapon could make Wakanda want to take it back even more. Once Sam eventually regains the Captain America shield for good though, then the Wakandans could accept that it is in the right hands. But, the Wakandans could still try and take the shield again before The Falcon and The Winter Soldier ends.

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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