‘Avengers: Infinity War’ Names Bucky the White Wolf but What Does that Mean?

It would be an understatement to say there's lots to unpack in Avengers: Infinity War. The is the culmination of the MCU's decade-long run, and it shows off its might with all sorts of nuanced references. Still, there are some blips in the movie the MCU hasn't started explaining, and one of those big moments has to do with Bucky Barnes.

After all, fans are wondering what kind of name White Wolf is and why the former assassin is going by it. So, as you can see, ComicBook is ready to dive into the title for all of you scratching your heads.

So, this is our obligatory spoilers warning. If you have not seen Avengers: Infinity War yet, do not read below this paragraph. Major spoilers for the film lie below! We repeat: MAJOR spoilers for the movie lie below. You've been warned.

As you will know if you've seen Avengers: Infinity War, Bucky finds himself pulled into battle when Thanos' war comes for Wakanda. The country is put in the Mad Titan's fire after King T'Challa agrees to house Vision and his Mind Stone within its borders. With the Black Order searching for the Infinity Stone, T'Challa knows a battle is coming, and he heads out to the country with Shuri to recruit Bucky.

The recruitment scene is short one, but it does feature an intriguing piece of dialogue. T'Challa is shown walking towards Bucky's hut, and the king is heard saying to another that the White Wolf has been away from battle for a long time. Bucky may be in recovery, but he is still a valuable fighter to have on your team, and T'Challa doesn't even have to ask the super soldier to fight. Instead, Bucky just asks where the fight is going to be.

For those of you unfamiliar with White Wolf, then you should know the name is really a title sourced from Marvel's comics. The name has deep roots with the Black Panther franchise, and it certainly looks like Bucky could step into that role within the MCU.

In the comics, the White Wolf is an actual person who goes by the name Hunter. Before T'Challa was born, the boy was brought to Wakanda after his family was killed in a plane crash, leaving him abandoned within Wakanda. King T'Chaka chose to keep Hunter and raise him despite his advisors being wary of the white boy. Hunter was brought up as T'Challa's adoptive brother, and the two had a difficult relationship growing up. However, things appeared to smooth out when Hunter adopted the name White Wolf and became the leader of Wakanda's secret police force, the Hatut Zeraze.

For awhile, the White Wolf was left to operate as he wanted, but everything changed when T'Challa became king. The Black Panther dissolved the force, leaving White Wolf and his men to flee Wakanda and become mercenaries, but Hunter still held his home country in the highest regard despite leaving.

If the MCU is prepared to give Bucky the title of White Wolf, then he never needs to revisit his years as the Winter Soldier. Bucky fits the hallmarks of Hunter as his relationship with T'Challa is a fraught one, and he's been welcomed by the people of Wakanda despite being an outsider. He willingly goes to bat for Wakanda when Thanos makes his mission known, and he heads to war to make sure it stays safe. Bucky may not be the White Wolf readers know already, but he's definitely becoming the White Wolf they want to learn more about. So, don't be too surprised if Bucky decides to keep to himself in Wakanda indefinitely once Thanos is taken down.

Do you think Bucky will take up the White Wolf mantle for real? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics, k-pop, and anime!

Marvel Studios' Black Panther is still in theaters, while Avengers: Infinity War hit theaters this weekend. It will be followed by Ant-Man and The Wasp on July 6, 2018, Captain Marvel on March 8, 2019, the fourth Avengers movie on May 3, 2019, the sequel to Spider-Man: Homecoming on July 5, 2019, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 in 2020.