It’s the question that’s been bouncing around fan forums since the first grainy concept art leaked: who is the Captain America in Thunderbolts? If you're looking for Steve Rogers, you’re looking in the wrong decade. If you're expecting Sam Wilson, he’s busy handling international incidents in Captain America: Brave New World.
The answer is John Walker. But it's complicated.
Calling John Walker "Captain America" in the context of the Thunderbolts movie is technically a bit of a misnomer, yet it’s exactly how most people identify his role on the team. He’s the guy with the shield. He’s the one wearing the red, white, and blue (well, mostly black and red now). He’s the government-sanctioned super soldier who didn't quite stick the landing the first time around. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Walker—played by Wyatt Russell—has transitioned from the "New Captain America" to the U.S. Agent.
But for the general audience asking who fills that patriotic archetype in Marvel’s team of misfits, it is undeniably Walker.
Why John Walker is the Thunderbolts' Version of Cap
To understand why people keep asking who is the Captain America in Thunderbolts, you have to look at the team’s visual DNA. Every iteration of a "dark" Avengers team needs a mirror image of the original icons. Red Guardian is the Russian foil to the legend. Taskmaster mimics the combat. But John Walker? He is the direct byproduct of the government trying to replace Steve Rogers.
Walker's journey in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was a masterclass in "right man, wrong job." He was a decorated war hero with three Medals of Honor. He had the jawline. He had the physical stats. What he didn't have was the specific, almost supernatural moral compass that allowed Steve Rogers to carry the weight of the shield without cracking. When Walker took the Super Soldier Serum—a bootleg version developed by Wilfred Nagel—and subsequently decapitated a Flag Smasher in a public square, he lost the title.
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However, the "Captain America" energy didn't just vanish. It curdled.
When Val (Valentina Allegra de Fontaine) recruited him at the end of the series, she gave him a new suit and a new name: U.S. Agent. So, while he isn't the Captain America anymore, he is the team's designated "Captain America figure." He’s the guy who thinks he’s the leader, even if nobody else on the team particularly likes him. Honestly, that’s going to be the funniest part of the movie. You have a guy who desperately wants to be the hero, stuck in a room with a bunch of assassins and spies who know exactly how messy the world really is.
The Shield and the Suit: A Different Kind of Hero
You've probably noticed in the trailers that Walker’s gear looks familiar but "off." That’s intentional. His suit as U.S. Agent is a darker, more militaristic riff on the Captain America uniform. It screams "enforcement" rather than "inspiration."
There’s a massive difference between being a symbol and being a weapon. Steve Rogers was a symbol. John Walker is a weapon. In the Thunderbolts lineup, he provides the heavy-duty frontline offense. While Yelena Belova and Ghost are using stealth and precision, Walker is the guy who just runs through a wall. He still uses a shield—though it’s a vibranium-star-less version or a reinforced steel replica depending on which scene you’re analyzing—but his fighting style is brutal. It’s angry.
It’s important to remember that Walker is technically more powerful than Steve Rogers was in some ways. Because he took a perfected (physically, at least) version of the serum without the "Vita-Ray" stabilization, his physical feats are off the charts, but his emotional stability is always on a knife’s edge. This makes him the perfect wildcard for a team like the Thunderbolts.
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Is he the leader?
Probably not. Everything we’ve seen suggests that Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) is the emotional and tactical center of this group. This is where the "who is the Captain America in Thunderbolts" question gets even more interesting. Usually, the Cap figure leads the team. Here, Walker is more like the disgruntled middle-manager of the group.
He’s a soldier who follows orders, which makes him the perfect tool for Val. Unlike Sam Wilson, who questions the ethics of his missions, Walker is looking for redemption through service. He wants to be "good" again, but he thinks "good" means "successful at the mission." That’s a dangerous mindset.
Comparing Walker to the Other Super Soldiers
The Thunderbolts roster is actually crowded with people who could claim the "Captain America" lineage.
- Red Guardian (Alexei Shostakov): He was the Soviet Union's answer to Captain America. He’s older, out of shape, and obsessed with a rivalry that Steve Rogers probably never even knew existed. He provides the comedy, but also a tragic look at what happens when a "Captain America" is forgotten by his country.
- Bucky Barnes (The Winter Soldier): Bucky actually was Captain America in the comics for a long time. He has the arm, the training, and the history. But Bucky is trying to move away from being a symbol. He’s trying to be a person.
- Isaiah Bradley: While not on the team, his existence in the MCU haunts the background of every super-soldier conversation. He’s the "Black Captain America" who was erased from history.
So, when we ask who the Captain America is in this specific movie, Walker wins by default of costume and codename, but Bucky wins by legacy, and Alexei wins by sheer ego. It’s a messy hierarchy.
The Comics vs. The Movie
In the original Marvel comics, the Thunderbolts were actually the Masters of Evil in disguise. Citizen V was the "Captain America" of that group—but Citizen V was actually the villainous Baron Zemo.
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The MCU is taking a very different route. They aren't villains pretending to be heroes; they are anti-heroes being used by the government for dirty work. Because of this shift, John Walker’s presence is vital. He represents the government’s attempt to own the "Captain America" brand without having to deal with the "Captain America" ethics.
If you look at the 2006 Thunderbolts run by Warren Ellis, the team was essentially a bunch of registered superhumans hunting down unregistered ones. It was dark, cynical, and gritty. Wyatt Russell’s John Walker fits that vibe perfectly. He’s the guy who does what he’s told, even if it feels wrong, because he believes in the chain of command.
What to Expect from Walker’s Character Arc
If you're heading into the theater or watching on Disney+, don't expect John Walker to be the guy everyone rallies behind. Expect him to be the guy who tries to give a "big speech" only to have Yelena tell him to shut up.
His arc is likely going to revolve around two things:
- Seeking Validation: He still wants the world to see him as a hero. He wants that Captain America respect back.
- The Serum’s Toll: We haven't fully seen the long-term mental effects of the serum he took. In the comics, Walker has struggled with extreme bouts of rage and mental instability.
He is the "Captain America" for a world that doesn't trust heroes anymore. He’s the "Captain America" for the black-ops missions that happen at 3:00 AM in countries the U.S. doesn't officially recognize.
Actionable Takeaways for Fans
If you want to be the smartest person in the room when Thunderbolts comes up in conversation, keep these points in your back pocket:
- Distinguish the Codenames: He is U.S. Agent, not Captain America. Using the right name shows you know the lore, but acknowledging he fills the role shows you understand the team dynamic.
- Watch the Shield: Pay attention to whether he’s using a government-issued shield or something he rigged together. It tells you a lot about his current standing with Val and the CIA.
- The Bucky Connection: Keep an eye on the tension between Walker and Bucky Barnes. Bucky was Steve’s best friend; he views Walker as a pretender. That friction is the engine of the team’s drama.
- Review the Serum History: Remember that Walker’s powers aren't "natural" like Steve’s were—he bought into the serum out of desperation. That desperation is his defining trait.
The "Captain America" in Thunderbolts isn't a hero in a shining suit. He’s a complicated, deeply flawed soldier named John Walker who is trying to find a place in a world that already has a Captain America it likes better. He’s the underdog you almost feel bad for, right up until he does something terrifying. And that’s exactly why he’s the most interesting person on the team.