Wyatt Russell Disputes Wikipedia Claim About His Casting as John Walker in the MCU

In a recent interview, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier star Wyatt Russell addressed a claim on Wikipedia that suggests Marvel Studios intentionally cast a white actor to make a political point. According to the claim, Marvel hired Russell to play John Walker as commentary on the U.S. government not wanting a Black man, like Sam Wilson, to take up the mantle of Captain America.

But Russell, speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, called the idea “Wikipedia bullshit” and denied that race played a role in his casting. He added that John Walker was white in the comics, and he was simply cast in line with the character’s original identity.

Russell’s Perspective on the Role

Russell emphasized that, to his knowledge, Marvel never mentioned race as part of his casting:

“He’s a white guy in the comics, and he’s an overzealous war hero turned superhero by the government in the void left by Steve Rogers. And Sam Wilson didn’t want the shield, so they needed somebody to take it.”

He acknowledged that the series tackled heavy topics like race and American identity, but he believes those themes were explored in the story itself, not through the casting process.

“You can play an insecure superhero who’s still good at his job, but needs to learn things about himself to become fully realized.”

What Kevin Feige Actually Said

The Wikipedia article references a roundtable discussion hosted by Andscape (formerly The Undefeated), in which Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige and the creative team behind The Falcon and the Winter Soldier discussed the series’ themes.

Feige noted that within the story, the U.S. government encouraged Sam Wilson to give up the shield. Then, they handed it to “a blond, blue-eyed white man.” Whether that decision was made consciously by the government within the narrative or not, Feige acknowledged that it still sends a strong message:

“Whether that was conscious or not on the part of the people that made that decision within the government of the story, it certainly is making a statement.”

While Feige did not explicitly confirm that race was a deciding factor in casting Russell, his comments suggest the show deliberately leaned into the symbolism of a white Captain America replacing a Black man who chose to step aside.

The Reality May Be More Complicated

Russell’s comments are coming several years after the show aired, which makes it possible he was not privy to every creative decision made behind the scenes. He played the role as written and was focused on the personal struggles and flaws that made John Walker an interesting and conflicted character.

Meanwhile, Feige and the creative team have made it clear that racial dynamics and systemic bias were major themes in the show. Whether casting Russell was directly intended to represent that or simply a continuation of comic book accuracy is a line that remains blurred.