Captain America: Brave New World Brings Back A Beloved Marvel Hero In A New Role

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Contains spoilers for “Captain America: Brave New World“

In “Captain America: A Fresh World,” it wouldn’t feel like a Marvel film without an unexpected appearance or two. During the intense skirmish over the Indian Sea, the new Falcon, Joaquin Torres (played by Danny Ramirez), gets severely wounded. When Sam Wilson, aka Captain America (Anthony Mackie), is at his most downhearted, visiting the hospitalized Torres and feeling as if he has let his friend down, there’s a soft knock on the door. Sam expresses reluctance to converse, only for it to be revealed that his long-time companion Bucky Barnes (played by Sebastian Stan) has dropped by for a visit.

It’s clearly wonderful for fans to witness Bucky’s return, especially considering his long-standing friendship with Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), and their roles as co-stars in the Disney+ series “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.” By the finale, Bucky appears to be in a more peaceful state of mind, having worked towards atoning for his past actions as the Winter Soldier. In a heartfelt moment, he offers Sam some encouraging words as Sam questions why Steve entrusted him with the title of Captain America, a struggle that was also present during the series.

In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the cameo introduces Bucky Barnes with a fresh role. He’s venturing into politics, running for Congress, which is evident when he talks about attending a campaign fundraiser. Unfortunately, he has to depart prematurely: shortly following this, Sam Wilson engages in combat against President Ross (portrayed by Harrison Ford) as the Red Hulk. It would have been beneficial if Bucky had stayed around, as he could have provided assistance during that encounter.

Congressman Bucky Barnes shouldn’t be a surprise to most

It’s not the first hint we’ve received that Bucky may seek office as a congressman, but during the 2024 San Diego Comic-Con, Wyatt Russell (who portrays John Walker/U.S. Agent in “Thunderbolts”) confirmed this will be the case in the upcoming MCU film. Therefore, it’s safe to assume that “Thunderbolts” will take place after the events of “Brave New World,” as Bucky is still campaigning for office during this period, but has presumably won by the time “Thunderbolts” begins.

From the trailer for “Thunderbolts” at the Super Bowl, it becomes evident that Bucky might have taken on a new role. The trailer starts with Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus) speaking to Congress about the need for a new team as the Avengers are unavailable. This is followed by a scene where Bucky appears in the same room, indicating that her statement seems to bother him. While Sam suggests reassembling the Avengers by the end of “Captain America 4,” it’s clear from Valentina’s Congress speech that she is still recruiting for this new team. Furthermore, it can be assumed that Valentina, like Ross, might want a government-controlled Avengers team, whereas Sam and Bucky would prefer a politically impartial one.

The current focus is on understanding: What specific circumstances lead to Bucky’s election? Despite his heroic role in saving the world alongside the Avengers against Thanos (Josh Brolin) in “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Avengers: Endgame,” he has a complicated past. He served as the Winter Soldier, a Russian operative, for many years and is responsible for numerous deaths, including the assassination of John F. Kennedy within the MCU, making his road to redemption seem quite challenging.

Fans are split on Bucky becoming a congressman

As a devoted admirer, I must confess that Bucky’s decision to run for Congress caught me off guard. Was politics something he had harbored ambitions for all along? Nonetheless, the general sentiment among fans appears to be that this might not be the most favorable direction for his character growth.

User u/Interesting-Count815 criticized a plot point as “completely out of character and strange.” Many other Reddit users concurred, stating that while it helps explain why his character is part of “Thunderbolts,” it seems inconsistent with how he has been portrayed so far. It’s possible this plot twist is intended to allow his character access to information the other Thunderbolts wouldn’t usually have. Meanwhile, user u/D-Speak speculated that this development might lead to his character eventually becoming the President of the Marvel Cinematic Universe after Ross.

As a devoted Marvel fan, I’ve always been captivated by the character Steve Rogers, who’s run for president multiple times in the comic universe, even securing the position in the “Ultimate” timeline. With MCU’s Steve out of action, it’s intriguing to speculate that Bucky could step into his shoes. But then again, who can predict what Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has up its sleeve following “Avengers: Secret Wars”?

There are whispers that the finale of the Multiverse Saga might reshape the franchise, preserving some characters while phasing out others. However, considering Bucky’s widespread appeal, it seems counterproductive to phase him out post-“Secret Wars.” But fear not, fellow fans! We can anticipate seeing Academy Award nominee Sebastian Stan in action in “Thunderbolts*” and likely “Avengers: Doomsday” and “Avengers: Secret Wars” following that.

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2025-02-14 05:00