Many Marvel fans kicked off summer with a newfound love of a group that dubbed themselves “The New Avengers.” The release of the popular film Thunderbolts* took superhero fans by storm, as the group of underdogs emerged as the next hot thing in the Marvel universe.
While there’s been no word on a potential sequel film, one thing fans can look forward to is the 2026 release of Avengers: Doomsday. Multiple members of the Thunderbolts* are slated to be in the latest Avengers movie.
Among the names set to jump into the star-studded superhero film is Wyatt Russell, who played U.S. Agent John Walker in Thunderbolts* and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
Interestingly, Russell explained what was so unique about playing John Walker in Thunderbolts*, but also detailed how it’s likely to be a “completely different” version of the character in Avengers: Doomsday during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
“…That was what I found interesting about the character — you can play an insecure superhero who’s still good at his job, but needs to learn things about himself to become fully realized,” Russell explained.
“So there’s an arc I can play over however many series or movies and still make the character interesting. And that’s what I enjoyed about it. The John Walker I played in Falcon and the Winter Soldier in 2020 is completely different version than the guy in Thunderbolts* and I think will be completely different again in Avengers: Doomsday.”
It’s an interesting comment from Russell, who also told The Hollywood Reporter that they began filming the next Avengers “about a month and a half ago.” Whether he’s been filming for the bulk of that or just a portion is unknown, but it could give some insight into his role in the film.
Avengers: Doomsday’s release date was pushed back in late May, and is now slated to hit theaters on Dec. 18, 2026.
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Wyatt Russell Hints at ‘Completely Different’ John Walker in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ first appeared on Men’s Journal on Jun 7, 2025