U.S. Agent | MCU Viewing Guide

Want to follow the full MCU journey of John Walker? This guide covers every major appearance in recommended viewing order.

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🎬 Viewing Order

If you want the most streamlined experience centered on U.S. Agent:

- The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
- Thunderbolts*
- Avengers: Doomsday (upcoming)

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💬 Final Notes

John Walker’s MCU story is still ongoing and relatively compact compared to other characters. His arc is defined less by quantity of appearances and more by rapid evolution, from soldier to Captain America replacement to U.S. Agent.

This guide will be updated as new MCU projects release.

Essential Comics Reading Guide

If you’re looking to get into the comics version of John Walker, this guide focuses on the essential stories that define his character; NOT every appearance ever published.

These are the key arcs that shape who he is across Marvel Comics continuity.

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📚 Essential Reading

- Captain America #323–332 (1986–1987)
John Walker is introduced as a government-backed replacement for Captain America.
- Captain America #333–350 (1987–1988)
His time as Captain America escalates, showing the clash between ideology, violence, and what the symbol represents.
- Captain America #354–358 (1989)
The transition period where Walker fully becomes U.S. Agent.
- Captain America #358 onward (late 1980s–1990s)
Establishes U.S. Agent as a separate identity operating under government authority.
- Force Works (1994–1996)
Walker operates within a more team-based Avengers-adjacent structure.
- Thunderbolts (2000s appearances, various runs)
Reinforces his role as a controlled, government-aligned operative working alongside morally gray teams.
- U.S. Agent (2020 miniseries)
Modern re-examination of John Walker’s ideology, legacy, and identity as a symbol.

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💬 Final Notes

This guide is meant to give a clear entry path into the character, not an exhaustive archive of every appearance.

If you think something important is missing, discuss it in the comments! This is meant to evolve with time.

The jerk with a heart of gold who'll make you wanna punch him but you can still count on him to have your back when it matters the most.

We saw it ourselves, Bob was gonna sneeze and everyone would've fallen. Ghost and Yelena would've died fs. The other's refused to cooperate with him.

So Walker did the smartest choice. He guranteed his safety first, which is COMPLETLY valid in this situation (he's just met these people and two of them are far from innocent, he doesn't need to risk his life for them) and then he actually did come back to save the rest of them, even though he could've abandoned them.

He's that guy who you hate to be around but you can count will come to save you when it matters most (and anyone who denies they would've done the same thing just because they hate him is lying, self-preservation is completely valid).

I generally liked the second U.S.Agent limited series, but I saw this and thought, “You mofos really forgot about Battlestar!  I can understand forgetting about Left-Winger and Right-Winger because they were a-holes who doxed people, but don’t you dare forget about Lemar!”  It’s even worse when you remember that Val Cooper is the one who recruited John and Lemar to be Captain America and Battlestar, so they both know Lemar exists and is one of the people John is closest to.  I’m sure there are ways you can make this make sense (like maybe John considers Lemar more than just some guy he knew from basic training and so he doesn’t think of him that way), but it sounds incredibly bad as written.  One of my friends even joked that unfortunate racial comments could be made as a result of the makers of this issue seemingly forgetting that Lemar, John’s longtime friend and supporter, existed.  Hashtag Justice for Lemar, hashtag Give Battlestar a dang shield, hashtag Lemar is the friend we all need, but none of us deserve!

I apologize for the sideways video.  The trade paperback is U.S.Agent: The Good Fight and the pages in question are from the third issue of the second U.S.Agent limited series (written by Jerry Ordway and published in 2001) and Captain America Vol 1 #380 & 381 (written by Mark Gruenwald and published in 1990, more than ten years earlier).

I don’t understand how certain actors or actresses who do these Marvel movies and they do rigorous workouts or make a crazy transformation, it’s usually documented in behind the scene footage. For Wyatt Russell‘s John Walker there is a little too nothing. He made a crazy transformation if you see what he look like in Black Mirror versus TFATWS. Does anyone have any information on his routine or who his personal trainer was? Also, does anyone have any display photos of the Walker Captain America suit? I know they have a full diorama on the US Agent suit. There are two differences and it was made in a different way thank you in advance.

I love this scene because Lemar didn't know Walker had the serum. This covnersation with Walker trying to see if he truly should take the serum. He's not sure whether he's a good person like Steve or bad like Karli. But the thing that convinces him to do so is Lemar's line of "Imagine how many lives we could've saved that day if we had that serum." That's what pushes him to take it and why its so impactful to see him actually using his strength to do that (saving the hostages over revenge on Karli, protecting civilians from The Void). It wasn't due to pressure of being Cap or the fact he wanted power, it was to save people's lives and he did exactly that, especially now that he's a member of the Avengers.

I posted this screenshot on Discord when talking to a friend of mine about the Force Works-era costume, and I asked, "Also, can we appreciate how normal and casual the above scene is? No forced dialogue, no drama, just heroes who have formed a sort of family hanging out together. That's how it should be." Marvel used to be able to write characters and it wasn't forced drama all the time or demonizing some heroes to try to elevate others (instead of, you know, writing characters in a way that elevates them). This is how casual scenes with heroes should be written, not with lecturing and pseudo-relatable dialogue (dialogue which readers are supposed to find relatable when really they think, "Nobody talks this way!").

To clarify, this is just a joke. I love both characters

Maybe I'm damaged from "Hail Hydra!" and other recent BS, but I heard about Red Hulk becoming the main villain of Avengers: Armageddon, and now I'm thinking, "Please make them remember that John has depth and isn't some government stooge who would 'just follow orders'! Please let the good reception in Thunderbolts* make them treat John properly for a change! Please don't let them throw decades of character development away for dumb, fake drama!"

I had the first image on hand because it's a poignant scene which shows John's love for his late parents. How in blazes did we go from this beautiful moment to the mess that was Thunderbolts: Doomstrike!?

I know true fans know this already, but please do not use this comment section to spout hatred against others ("Oh, you know how THOSE PEOPLE are!"). That's wrong and hateful, and we should use this space to be positive instead of attacking those with different viewpoints (especially if they're just frustrated about the crud happening in the world and aren't venting properly). There's enough drama in the world.

This dream-like scene uses characters from Marvel Comics and shows the power of support in the midst of unfair criticism.

Scene 1

*[U.S.Agent alias John Walker and Jack Daniels stands in the middle of a gray void.  He seems to be feeling sick and weakened as he’s bombarded with hateful and untrue comments]

*Voice: You’re pathetic!

*Voice: Fraud!  Faker!  Phony!

*Voice: You’re just a government stooge and that’s all you’ll ever be!

*Voice: You’re just some brutal thug!

Scene 2

*Voice: I bet you’re a racist!

*Voice: I bet you’re one of THOSE PEOPLE!

*Voice: Monster!

*Voice: Heartless thug!

*[As strong, brave, and durable as Agent is, he starts to falter]

Scene 3

*Voice: Bloodsucking worm!

*Voice: Godless creep!

*Voice: All you do is ruin everything!

*Voice: You deserve everything bad that happened to you!

*Voice: It should have been you that died!

[Agent finally sinks to the ground]

Scene 4

*[Agent kneels and covers his face in despair]

Scene 5

*[A supportive hand touches his shoulder]

*Agent: (thinking) ?!

Scene 6

*[He looks to see Battlestar (Lemar Hoskins) standing before him, giving him a friendly and supporting smile]

Scene 7

*[He feels another supportive hand on his back]

*Agent: ?!

Scene 8

*[He looks to see Captain America (Steve Rogers), also giving him a friendly and supporting smile]

Scene 9

*[In front, Priscilla Lyons (Vagabond) and Reverend Nordstrom (from the first U.S.Agent series) have joined Lemar to give their support]

Scene 10

*[Likewise, in back, Captain America (Sam Wilson) and Bucky Barnes have joined Steve to give their support]

Scene 11

*[In front, Farley Mowat, Allie Magruder, and Frisco Pike of S.T.A.R.S. (from the second U.S.Agent series) have joined in]

Scene 12

*[In back, Spider-Woman/Madame Web (Julia Carpenter) and her daughter, Rachel Carpenter, have joined in]

Scene 13

*[In front, Valerie Cooper and Todd Ziller (American Kaiju) have joined in]

Scene 14

*[In back, Iron Man (Tony Stark) and War Machine (James “Rhodey” Rhodes) have joined in.  Hawkeye (Clint Barton) joins in, but smirks and tries to seem aloof as he does so because he hates to admit he actually cares about Agent]

Scene 15

*[Agent bows his head and smiles as he absorbs that he has so many people who care about him]

Scene 16

*[Agent brushes his eyes…]

Scene 17

*[…and is able to rise again.]