The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is set to be a hugely important installment in the MCU’s Phase 4. Not just because it’s the first Marvel TV show to hit Disney Plus, but also because it’s going to explore where the legacy of Captain America goes from here in a big way. As we know, Sam Wilson is Steve Rogers’ personal choice for his successor, but the government will attempt to employ their own replacement in the show: Wyatt Russell’s John Walker AKA U.S. Agent.
Even though we fully expect Sam to earn the title as the next Cap by the end of the run, Walker’s the sort of character who could end up sticking around the MCU and appear in future movies and TV shows. And he might have his own sidekick from the comics by his side to boot. Back in November, Murphy’s Multiverse shared some set photos from production on Falcon in Atlanta which showed a local grocery shop transformed into a florist store named “Hoskins Family Flowers.”
As we’ve discussed before, the name Hoskins in the context of this show could mean a lot. In the comics, Lemar Hoskins is the trusted partner of John Walker, who likewise possesses super-strength. When Walker became Captain America, Hoskins suited up as the next Bucky. He later swapped this alias for his own unique superhero identity: Battlestar. We don’t know if Hoskins is in the cast, but his name being used on set can’t be a coincidence.
ScreenRant has theorized, then, that Hoskins could be reimagined as another contender to be the next Cap, but loses out to Walker. Alternatively, the government could decide to create their own Bucky, too, and this is where Hoskins fits in. After all, if Sam has a rival in Walker, it makes sense to give the Winter Soldier one as well. If this is the case, Battlestar could go on to become part of the extended next generation of heroes occupying the MCU.
In any case, we’ll find out soon enough, as The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is just a few months away, as it arrives on the streaming service this August.