As the hype for Falcon and The Winter Soldier reaches a fever pitch, it’s hard to keep track of all the characters and how they came to be where they are in the MCU currently. To that end, here’s a refresher on Bucky’s journey through the years.
We first saw him in Captain America: The First Avenger, protecting Steve Rogers from bullies and then enlisting in the army during World War II.
He is captured and experimented on by the Nazi division of Hydra, before being freed by Captain America. He goes on several other missions with Rogers, and during one of them, falls off a train and is thought to be dead.
In Captain America: The Winter Soldier, we find out that Bucky was recaptured and brainwashed into a mind-controlled super-soldier called the Winter Soldier.
In this film, Barnes shoots Nick Fury, and towards the end engages in an intense fight with Cap, who keeps trying to bring his brainwashed friend back. When Rogers falls into the river unconscious, Bucky rescues him before disappearing.
During the events of Captain America: Civil War, Bucky is framed by Helmut Zemo for a bomb that kills King T’Chaka of Wakanda.
This of course culminates in the famous showdown between Team Cap and Team Stark, with Rogers and Barnes managing to get away safely. However, Zemo later shows Tony footage of the Winter Soldier killing his parents, resulting in a major fighting where Tony destroys Bucky’s robotic arm, and Cap disables Stark’s armor. Bucky is given asylum in Wakanda and is placed in cryogenic sleep until he can recover from Hydra’s brainwashing.
In Black Panther, Barnes is well on the way to recovering, under the guidance of T’Challa’s sister Shuri, and is given the name ‘White Wolf’ by the Wakandan people.
In Avengers: Infinity War, Bucky gets a new arm and participates in the fight against Thanos in Wakanda, before disappearing after the ‘snap’.
In Avengers: Endgame, Bucky returns in 2023 along with everyone else who disappeared, and takes part in the final battle against alternate Thanos.
After they win, he attends Tony’s funeral, and then witnesses Steve pass on the shield to Sam Wilson.
And that’s the end of that. You can watch The Falcon and The Winter Soldier on Friday around 12:30 PM IST on Disney+Hotstar. Enjoy!
