James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes has been a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe since 2011's Captain America: The First Avenger. He fought alongside the Sentinel of Liberty during World War II. The character has changed and grown quite a bit over the last decade of the Infinity Saga.
With the character's recent starring role on Disney+'s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, fans got to see Bucky in a new light as he found himself involved in the battle with the Flag-Smashers and the new Captain America. The series only further highlighted some sad details about the MCU's Bucky Barnes, the hero formerly known as the Winter Soldier.
10 His Oldest Friend In The World Left Him Behind
While it was a much-deserved retirement for Steve Rogers, his decision in Avengers: Endgame to return to the past and reunite with Peggy Carter may have mostly closed his chapter of the story. Bucky was unfortunately left behind to find his own path.
After years of being able to count on each other due to their friendship that dated back before World War II, Bucky was suddenly left on his own without his best friend in the world. They truly had reached the "end of the line" as they were fond of saying, though Bucky still has a long way to go without his buddy.
9 Bucky Hasn't Had Much Of A Break In 90 Years
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier explored a period of Bucky Barnes' life that the character and his fans weren't used to seeing, a period of rest and freedom following his mental deprogramming and a presidential pardon. Even Steve Rogers had downtime after he was thawed, yet Bucky was only brought in and out of his sleep for conflicts as the Winter Soldier.
He was either hiding or in recovery for the rest of his 90 years of active duty that began with World War II and continued through to Avengers: Infinity War. This made his small break with Sam Wilson and his family so rewarding.
8 He's Still Trying To Atone For His Past As The Winter Soldier
Bucky's main drive in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is his recovery from his life as the Winter Soldier. He went through court-mandated therapy, which saw him attempting to cross names off the list of the people he wronged.
This included a particularly troubling name to cross off as Bucky had become close friends with the father of one of the Winter Soldier's victims, which made it both satisfying and heartbreaking to see him finally confess his role in the death of his friend's son. This brought closure to both his friend and Bucky's list at the cost of their friendship.
7 Bucky Is Dealing With PTSD & Suffers From Vivid Nightmares
While Bucky was finally living a free life in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, no one who has seen that kind of death and war ever seems to truly escape it. Bucky served in multiple wars over his many years and seemingly died in two of them which led to ongoing mental struggles.
Bucky dealt with vivid traumatic nightmares from his days as the Winter Soldier and he struggled to reacclimate to life without war. He would sleep on the floor of his room instead of the bed, which helped him find solace through his hunt for atonement.
6 The White Wolf May Have Lost His Sanctuary Of Wakanda
While Bucky was mostly in action since he first signed on to fight during the Second World War, he did find a brief moment of peace after he was briefly frozen in Wakanda before Shuri was able to remove the mental programming left by Hydra to take control of the Winter Soldier. He was known as the White Wolf during his time there before he joined the fight in Infinity War.
However, when he freed Baron Zemo to help track down the Power Broker in The Flacon and the Winter Soldier, he betrayed the trust of the Wakandans and was warned to stay away from his newfound sanctuary, though that may only be temporary. He was still able to request the construction of Sam's new Captain America costume as a favor, so the relationship still exists.
5 He Wasn't Steve Rogers' Chosen Successor As Captain America
Bucky Barnes was not only Steve Rogers' closest friend, but he was also one of his closest allies. He fought alongside Captain America in WWII, the Avengers' Civil War, Infinity War, and the final battle with Thanos in Endgame. However, despite this long-lasting and trusting relationship, Bucky wasn't Steve Rogers' choice to take over the shield as Captain America.
While there are undoubtedly reasons for this decision as Bucky had already fought enough wars in his lifetime, it was still sad to see the role go to someone else, even though Sam Wilson/The Falcon was more than suited for the task.
4 The Shield Was The Closest Thing He Had To A Family
Bucky revealed a few sad truths during a forced therapy session alongside Sam Wilson, at the request of Bucky's therapist, who could see how important it was for her patient to maintain the few connections he had left in his life.
However, she learned how serious it was to Bucky when they were discussing Sam's decision to give the shield back to the government, as he revealed that Captain America's shield was the closest thing he had to a family after the loss of Steve Rogers and everyone from his past, making it even sadder that he wasn't entrusted with it in the first place.
3 He Still Doubts Steve's Ongoing Faith In Him
He also revealed the real issues he was struggling with following Sam Wilson's choice to give up the shield and John Walker's later debut as the government's new Captain America. It made him doubt Steve Rogers' decision to give the shield to Wilson.
In Bucky's mind, if he doubted that decision, then it could lead him to doubt Steve's own faith in him, which led his long-time friend to risk everything to break him free of the Winter Soldier. Bucky's ability to control himself and be a good man was still dependent on Steve's belief in him, which was almost rattled by Wilson's actions.
2 Sam Won't Let Him Flirt With His Sister Sarah
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier also touched on Bucky's troubled dating life, which he revealed had been a bit stagnant since 1943. There was a teased relationship between him and Black Widow that was never explored in the MCU.
Bucky did dip his toe back into the dating pool with some urging from his friends, though he was still struggling with his history as the Winter Soldier. Fans instantly saw a connection between Bucky Barnes and Sam Wilson's younger sister Sarah, though it was clear Sam saw it as well and he quickly warned his new friend away from a possible shot at happiness.
1 Bucky No Longer Has A Mission Or Purpose To Guide Him
Given the fact that Bucky has been active for nearly a century as a fallen war hero, a brainwashed Russian assassin, and an ally of The Avengers, he always seemed to have a goal or a mission that kept him moving.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier presented a new path for Bucky as he sought to leave Winter Soldier behind him while also helping Sam Wilson prepare for his role as Captain America. However, with both of those missions complete, Bucky is finally left without a mission to focus on, which sadly leaves him without a path in the MCU's next phase.
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