What are some possible directions for John Walker's character in future MCU projects?
Executive summary
John Walker’s MCU future can swing between redemption, villainy, or useful ambiguity: the character has already been rebranded as U.S. Agent and been positioned inside Valentina de Fontaine’s orbit, a setup that enables him to join ensemble teams like the Thunderbolts or act as a government-sanctioned enforcer [1] [2]. Recent films and reporting indicate Marvel left multiple narrative doors open — from Thunderbolts* membership and a non‑villain turn there, to at least appearing in Avengers: Doomsday — which suggests a flexible trajectory rather than a single predetermined fate [3] [4].
1. Redemption arc inside a team setting: the Thunderbolts route
One clear route is the redemption-through-team narrative Marvel used in Thunderbolts, which cast Walker as part of a rag‑tag group of misfits where his rough edges become foils for growth rather than the central threat; critics and reporting note the film used Walker to provide friction and comic relief while exploring his moral grayness rather than making him the villain of the piece [3] [5]. ScreenRant and SlashFilm reporting on script iterations show Walker was considered for more antagonistic beats but that Thunderbolts ultimately leaned into making him a team member with room for continued development, which preserves a comeback arc for later projects [2] [4] [6].
2. Dark Avengers/U.S. Agent as an instrument of state power
Comics history and MCU teases frame Walker perfectly for a “state muscle” role — the U.S. Agent mantle ties him directly to government outfits and politically fraught teams in the source material, and analysts immediately spotted the Contessa’s recruitment as a signal Walker could be used as institutional force by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine [1] [2]. That gatekeeping function can make him an antagonist to other heroes without making him cartoonishly evil: Hollywood Reporter and ScreenRant pieces emphasize how Walker can plausibly serve as the Contessa’s enforcer or the centerpiece of a Dark Avengers‑style team, advancing institutional conflict in future phases [7] [2].
3. Villain turn remains on the table but is not inevitable
Multiple outlets detail earlier drafts and ideas that would have made Walker the primary antagonist in Thunderbolts or other projects, and writers admit those options were discussed and even abandoned in favor of other arcs — meaning a heel turn is narratively feasible but not foreordained [4] [6]. ScreenRant and SlashFilm both report Marvel considered darker trajectories for Walker, and creative choices in Thunderbolts show the studio can shift him from villain to foil depending on the needs of the ensemble and larger Phase 6 stories [4] [6].
4. Personal struggle and the ‘struggle of self’ continuing the character study
Actor interviews and analysis have emphasized Walker as a character defined by identity crisis and performative patriotism; Wyatt Russell explicitly framed Walker’s conflict as a “struggle of self,” a theme that lends itself to long-form character work across series and films rather than single‑movie payoff [8] [9]. That psychological core supports future MCU uses where Walker oscillates between seeking legitimacy, resenting being sidelined, and leaning into pragmatism — material that writers have already mined and that can be extended in sequels or crossovers [8].
5. Cross‑franchise utility: Skrulls, Secret Invasion, or Avengers-level stakes
Industry coverage flags other mechanics Marvel could exploit: Hollywood Reporter raised Secret Invasion as a context where Walker could be used against an alien threat or be compromised by one, and official listings show he’s slated to appear in Avengers: Doomsday, making high‑stakes involvement likely [7] [1]. That places Walker as either a frontline combatant in ensemble crises or as a potentially manipulated pawn — both uses that fit the MCU’s preference for recycling morally ambiguous figures into larger spectacle narratives [7] [1].
6. Practical constraints and narrative flexibility — what reporting does not confirm
While trade reporting and interviews map several plausible directions, none of the sources provide a single definitive plan for Walker beyond confirmed appearances; credits show returns in later projects but creative commentary confirms multiple discarded drafts and options, meaning predictions must account for Marvel’s iterative process rather than assume a single canonical arc [1] [4] [6]. In short, available reporting outlines possibilities — team redemption, state enforcer, villain turn, or cosmic‑scale pawn — but does not lock Walker into any one future, and Marvel’s production choices will determine which of these narrative doors actually opens [4] [6] [3].