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Six Riri Williams icons

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Yelena: Bucky no!

Bucky, watching the person Sam is laughing with through the sniper scope: Relax. I didn’t bring any ammo. Believe me, I’ve already pulled the trigger three times.

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IRONHEART 1.03 | "We in Danger, Girl"

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CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD 2025, dir. Julius Onah

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SIMU LIU as XU SHANG-CHI Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings | dir. Destin Daniel Cretton

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Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) || Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) || Ironheart 1x01 (2025)

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IRON MAN (2008) IRONHEART (2025)

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Ironheart vs. Thunderbolts - how to properly reference Sam Wilson

I truly think the writers of Thunderbolts did not understand the genre they were working with down to the simplest exchanges. And one of the best examples of this is the moment where John Walker says “on your left”. Anyone who has watched the movies knows that this line is very significant for Sam and Steve’s relationship. The phrase evolved from their fateful connection in Captain America: Winter Soldier all the way to Endgame. “On your left” starts as a playful exchange that leads to an unbreakable friendship. The phrase grows when it is repeated in Endgame by Sam, ushering in one of the greatest sequences in the MCU. It represents Sam and Steve’s devotion to each other, the fact that they will always have each other’s backs.

Which is why it is beyond baffling that anyone thought it was a good idea for JOHN WALKER to say this line in Thunderbolts!

This moment doesn’t land at all. The intention behind John saying this line wasn’t for him to be consciously referencing Sam, because this is something that was just shared between Sam and Steve. The *intent* is that this moment is a moment of serendipity. Characters saying the same things without knowing it, connecting them together. And it would be a nice moment, if it worked. But it doesn’t! Because John harassed, insulted, threatened, and finally tried to murder Sam. And now he’s the one parroting a phrase that genuinely means a great deal to Sam. All the positive feelings the audience has regarding the phrase belong to *Sam*. So when John says it, he’s essentially appropriating the line. This white character takes it from the Black character who gave it meaning and uses it himself for a cheap but ultimately hollow callback. 

Thunderbolts is guilty of a lot of wrongdoings to many characters, but one of the greatest in my opinion is how it treats Sam. Because Sam has no presence in this movie until he’s mentioned offensively in the post credits scene. Despite the fact that Sam’s best friend Bucky, who *just* told him he loved him in Brave New World, is in this movie. And even though Sam is literally Captain America and would be the first person to call when shit goes down, he’s not mentioned. Sam is a victim of erasure, he is actively removed from a story that he should be a part of. For a thinking audience, this moment provokes a combination of confusion and disgust.

Now compare this to a more recent example in episode two of Ironheart. Near the end of the episode Riri says the phrase “aliens, androids, and wizards”. Now in comparison to John saying “on your left”, this moment sparked delight for me and other members of the fandom. Why is that the case when it is, on paper, so similar to what Walker did? The answer is respect. The writers of Ironheart clearly demonstrated respect when referencing Sam in this moment. Because while “aliens, androids, and wizards” is another iconic phrase of Sam’s, it does not bear the emotional significance of “on your left”. Sam says the former line during his delightful back and forth with Bucky in episode two of Falcon and the Winter Soldier. It is a cute phrase, but it doesn’t grow in emotional significance over multiple movies like how “on your left” did. It doesn’t represent, say, Sam and Bucky’s entire relationship. So Riri repeating it does legitimately feel like a moment of serendipity. I heard the line and thought “oh, Sam <3!”. Which is all it meant to do. 

So that is how these two seemingly similar moments contrast. Walker saying “on your left” is a moment of appropriation and erasure that fundamentally disrespects Sam’s character. Meanwhile, Riri’s repetition of “aliens, androids, and wizards” is a delightful moment that uplifts Sam’s character and connects him to a new hero.

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ANTHONY RAMOS Ironheart 1.03 "We in Danger Girl"

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Ironheart 1x02 "Will the Real Natalie Please Stand Up?"

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Thor (2011) | Ironheart (2025) 1.03

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THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER (2021) IRONHEART (2025)

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Ironheart Will the Real Natalie Please Stand Up? | 1.02

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Ironheart Will the Real Natalie Please Stand Up? | 1.02

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IRONHEART 1.01 - Take Me Home

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IRONHEART 1.02 | "Will the Real Natalie Please Stand Up"