Will John Walker appear in 'Thunderbolts'? Wyatt Russell talks about MCU return
A 'Thunderbolts' film, the adaptation of the Thunderbolts comics, is in the making with Jake Schreier hired as the director and Eric Pearson as the film's scriptwriter. With Kevin Feige as producer, production on 'Thunderbolts' is expected to commence in 2023. For those who are unfamiliar, the Thunderbolts are a team of former villains who accept perilous missions from the government under the oversight of General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross. A movie on Thunderbolts has been hinted at since Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ appearance in 'The Falcon and the Winter Soldier', where she recruited Wyatt Russell’s John Walker to her mysterious cause.
Wyatt Russell who recently gave an excellent performance in 'Under The Banner of Heaven', is also part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe as John Walker or U.S. Agent in 'The Falcon and the Winter Soldier'. With the announcement of 'Thunderbolts', many are speculating if Russell will be joining the movie.
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In an interview with The Playlist, Russell responded to a question asking if he would be reprising his U.S. Agent role in the 'Thunderbolts movie'. "You know the idea, right? I’m not a moron. I mean, I know what they’re thinking of, but you don’t know when they’re going to do it, if they’re going to do it, what’s going to happen," Russell explained. "When you get the phone call, you get the phone call. And they do a really good job of keeping it from everybody because, you know, they’ve got something to protect and I always say like, I’d just rather not know. Just don’t tell me. I don’t need to know. Just tell me when you want me to show up. Other than that, just keep me in the dark. I don’t care."
Russell also insists that he has not yet received a phone call from any officials at Marvel Studios asking for him to return as U.S. Agent. "No, I’m just waiting on it," he said. "You wait on it until, like, they announce it. They keep it really, really tight, and it’s like, you respect that because they’ve got other bottom lines to look out for than what they think I need to know." However, Russell added that he hoped that if Marvel did call him to put on his suit again, they would give him enough time to hit the gym, with the actor explaining that at the moment he "[doesn't] look like John Walker."
Created by writer Mark Gruenwald and artist Paul Neary, John Walker first appeared in Captain America #323 in 1986 as Super-Patriot. After a brief stint as Captain America, John Walker became the U.S. Agent, a name that has stuck with the character since 1989. Russell made his MCU debut as John Walker in the 2021 Disney+ limited series 'The Falcon and the Winter Soldier'. Walker was introduced in the first episode as the MCU's new Captain America. When his partner and best friend Lemar Hoskins was killed in action, Walker brutally murdered a surrendering foreign national in public, leading to him being stripped of his title and discharged with total loss of rank. Recruited by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), he was given a black uniform and rebranded as U.S. Agent.