WARNING: There are Thunderbolts* spoilers ahead! The Marvel Cinematic Universe version of Bucky Barnes was in an odd place heading into this weekend, and after the post-credits scene on Thunderbolts, his position is not much clearer. The sleeper agent-turned-vigilante didn’t seem to be inspiring a lot of public trust at the end of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, yet he dropped in on Captain America: Brave New World to let us know he was running for congress. In Thunderbolts*, we learned that he had landed that job, and he was already frustrated with its limitations, leading him back to vigilantism with the New Avengers. The movie doesn’t make it entirely clear if his congressional career is over, but Sebastian Stan set the record straight in an interview with Entertainment Weekly.
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“Yeah, it’s almost like crossing it out, right?” the actor said. “He’s still been trying to find his way of how he can contribute in a way that he hasn’t before. Ultimately, he realizes, ‘No, I am who I am, and I do things how I do them, and I should just do that.’ But there’s a lot of strange congressmen these days anyway, so…”
In the same interview, Stan’s co-star Wyatt Russell said that Bucky shouldn’t necessarily have to give up his job in congress to work with the New Avengers as well. Director Jake Schreier disagreed, saying that Bucky’s political career is “pretty well done. I think he’s found a new place that makes much more sense for him.”
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As understated as all of these new developments seem, Stan said that there’s one scene in Thunderbolts* that felt really powerful for Bucky’s story: suiting up to track down the Thunderbolts. He pointed out that everything from the leather jacket to the motorcycle mirrored Bucky’s debut in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, but this time, he is more free from guilt and Soviet brainwashing than he has ever been.
“It was interesting because, after the TV show Falcon and the Winter Soldier, I think we got him further along in a good head space where I feel he is now just finally realizing how to incorporate some of those Winter Soldier characteristics and get a handle on them,” Stan said. “And so it was fun bringing back some of those moments with the new Bucky that we’ve established and to find the humor and the cool, dangerous factor as well. That was nice.”
On the other hand, Stan said that his character’s choice of hairstyle was his biggest issue with the story, as far as consistency goes. “The only issue I had was, ‘Well, why is he growing out his hair if he’s going to be a congressman?!’” he joked. “But I still wanted to grow it out, so I was like, ‘I don’t care.’”
The Winter Soldier is suspended in quite a cliffhanger going into Avengers: Doomsday, especially when it comes to his relationship with Sam Wilson. Thunderbolts* is in theaters now, and our next chance to see the MCU on the big screen is The Fantastic Four: First Steps, premiering on July 25th.
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