Why The MCU Captain America Carries Handcuffs Now | Screen Rant
Though Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) never needed them, the MCU’s new Captain America (Wyatt Russell) carries a pair of handcuffs with him in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which itself is a reference to the comics and toy versions of the character. The handcuffs add another difference between how Steve Rogers and John Walker operate in the field.
With John Walker, the MCU now has a new Sentinel of Liberty. The person wielding the shield could have been Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), but his decision to give it up allowed the United States to choose their own Captain America. Since assuming the mantle, Walker has been going on missions with his partner, Lemar Hoskins aka Battlestar (Clé Bennet). On The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Walker and Battlestar’s main objective has been to track down the terrorist organization known as the Flag-Smashers and their leader, Karli Morgenthau (Erin Kellyman).
On the way to Mama Donya’s funeral in episode 4, Walker whipped out a pair of handcuffs and used them to shackle Baron Zemo (Daniel Brühl). While Captain America handcuffs were sold as toys between the 1970s and 1990s, this is not a tool that Steve carried with him on a regular basis. That’s because there’s a key distinction between what these two versions of Captain America are in both the MCU and the comic books. Steve was a superhero who fought for the people, while Walker acts more like an agent of the United States government - particularly, the US Agent.
This represents one of the fundamental qualities that sets John Walker apart from his predecessor. Unlike most superheroes in the MCU who act with a certain degree of independence, John Walker fights crime on the federal government’s payroll and has superiors who he will presumably have to answer to. In a sense, Walker is less of a superhero and more of a “super-cop”. He uses his position and authority to arrest criminals and give orders. That’s in contrast to what the original Captain America did.
In the comic books, government officials were often angry with Steve for not complying with their wishes, but Steve felt that being Captain America didn’t mean he was beholden to them in any way. Steve didn’t see himself as a soldier anymore, but as a symbol of something greater: freedom. He felt that to follow orders again would be a “betrayal” of his ideals. The MCU’s Steve deciding to do what he thought was right (and not what he was told to do) in Captain America: Civil War illustrated that he shares the same principles. Clearly, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’s John Walker is a different kind of Captain America, and that’s becoming more and more evident as the series progresses. He did what could prove to be irreparable harm to Steve’s legacy when he brutally killed a Flag-Smasher in front of numerous spectators. Walker formally losing his shield and all his responsibilities as Captain America is now in sight.
from ScreenRant - Feed
Join Our Email Newsletter Now!
Join over 1,897 people who get free and fresh content delivered automatically each time we publish.
