With the premiere of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier on March 19, fans were excited to get more of a look at the lives of some Marvel superheroes that haven’t seen a ton of emphasis as of yet- Sam Wilson/Falcon and Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier. The first episode definitely gave viewers some context to how these characters are coping with the aftermath of Avengers: Endgame, but for one of them, it was just a bit of déjà vu as opposed to real character development.
Bucky Barnes has been a massive fan favorite since his first appearance in Captain America: The First Avenger, but it isn’t until he makes his appearance as the Winter Soldier in Captain America: The Winter Soldier that he really makes an impact on the overall storyline. Bucky, best friend of Steve Rogers/Captain America, is first thought to have died in World War II however he’s later revealed to be alive and turned into a super-soldier called The Winter Soldier, and is now working for Hydra. Though first a villain to the Avengers, he comes around by the end of the film and becomes an asset to them in Captain America: Civil War, later seeking refuge in Wakanda before being reunited with Captain America again in Avengers: Infinity War.
Because of Bucky’s time spent as the Winter Soldier, he has suffered mental health issues. This is a very realistic response to what happened to him throughout the majority of his life, and it’s touched on in many points of his arc throughout the MCU. He’s constantly running away from his past because he’s ashamed of it. Much of his time has been spent in some sort of hiding or refuge, and he often needs persuasion to rejoin any kind of fight, even if he’s now on the good side.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier really did have the chance to introduce audiences to a Bucky Barnes they hadn’t seen before, because he’s in a setting they haven’t seen before. Instead, his story so far continues to be about his past and his PTSD. While it was only the first episode of the series, it can’t help but feel kind of jarring when compared to the intense character development the other main character of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier received.
Sam Wilson also first appeared in Winter Soldier, and since then has been a very much secondary character throughout the rest of his appearance in the MCU. At the end of Avengers: Endgame, an elderly Steve Rogers passes him his famous shield and it’s evident that Sam is about to come much more important to the story. The first episode of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier really does deliver on that. Viewers learn information about his family history, his struggles, and his family members are even introduced. There’s real detail and insight given to what he as a person is all about and not solely what the Falcon can do when he fights. But the series is not called “The Falcon.” To not see Bucky get the same treatment when his name is in the title of the show too, just felt kind of off-balance.
It really does feel like Sam is being primed to step into the role of Captain America. Though it isn’t confirmed, it’s implied and a probable development for his character given what’s already known. The conflict of him not feeling like it’s meant for him, and struggling with feeling capable of taking it on is such a strong theme of the show so far.
They’ve also already set him up with a storyline really showcasing that he is a Black character, a Black American character, and he’s living a very authentic experience for someone with that identity. It feels very well thought out and like there’s going to be a lot of development there, but with the character of Bucky it’s still kind of up in the air. All that’s known so far is that he is really struggling with the trauma of his past, and not dealing with his issues in the healthiest of ways. It’s an important story for sure, but how it will fit in or hold up compared to all of what seems to be happening on Sam’s end?
Of course, only the first episode of the series is out so getting overly critical of character development isn’t productive. But the issue kind of lies with the fact that, as previously mentioned, the series so far feels so off-balance when it comes to the characters of Bucky and Sam. One of them, viewers hardly know about except for what he has gone through in his past and how he is traumatized by that. The other, it’s like viewers know their whole life story and, to an extent, where his story is going to go. There’s lots of time however for the series to rectify that, and with Bucky being such a favorite the fans are really looking forward to more being known about him.
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