Marvel Studios' The Falcon and the Winter Soldier had an ample stock of Captain America wannabes when they were looking for someone to play John Walker, it just turns out Wyatt Russell was among the best in that first bunch. As fate would have it, Walker’s many Marvel identities now mean Russell finally gets to suit up as Cap in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, 10 years after first auditioning for the role.

Though Marvel Studios had been trying to make a Captain America film for many years, by the time The First Avenger came to be in 2011, the film already had the benefit of riding the superhero wave that Iron Man had started. Still, the shortlist of actors hoping to land the role didn’t include the household names an MCU feature would attract nowadays and this is perfectly shown by Chris Evans' eventual casting, who up to that point had enjoyed a somewhat modest acting career.

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Just like John Walker, Russell shared his anecdote on Good Morning America, telling the hosts he was motivated to audition for a chance to play Steve Rogers mostly at a time when he still wasn’t sure acting was a thing for him or that he was any good at it, never really thinking he was “ever actually in competition for the role.” A full decade later, Russell recalls auditioning for The Falcon and The Winter Soldier without even knowing what part he was up for, though it’s best to hear the story straight from him.

Of course, prior to his second MCU audition, his father Kurt Russell had already wound up starring as Ego the Living Planet in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2., so Marvel had already become a family thing. His casting strikes as a perfect choice given how impactful John Walker’s first full appearance was in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier’s second episode, signaling a character that could stay on for years in the MCU.

Russell wasn’t the only prominent Captain America reject who would end up basking in superhero success as the Winter Soldier himself Sebastian Stan was also turned down as a potential Steve Rogers, though he later ended up being repurposed as Cap’s best friend. A Quiet Place mastermind and Deepfake Reed Richards John Krasinski also auditioned to wield the shield and so did Jensen Ackles, who ironically will now play Soldier Boy in The Boys' third season.

Even if Russell knows he is destined to give up his Captain America identity sooner rather than later, there’s a chance he can play some version of the Super Patriot or U.S. Agent before The Falcon and The Winter Soldier is over, or in a future Captain America movie. It seems it’s a thing of destiny for him.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is now available on Disney Plus.

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Source: GMA|Twitter