Disney’s ugly transformation of a US war hero into a villain

The same week President Joe Biden announced he would pull all US forces from Afghanistan, Disney+ turned an Afghan war-veteran character on its hottest new show into an out-and-out villain — as the character himself revealed that his three Medals of Honor had been awarded not for bravery, selflessness and going above and beyond the call of duty but rather for something vaguely evil.

The program is “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.” The character is John Walker, chosen to inspire the nation and the world as the new Captain America. It’s a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the most popular franchise in Hollywood history, with a collective box-office gross of $22.5 billion earned for 23 films released since 2008. Its fare is not merely successful but beloved, and you know why? Because the MCU is fun. It’s playful, high-spirited, emotionally resonant entertainment that knows how not to take itself too seriously.