In a recent interview, Sebastian Stan who plays Bucky Barnes aka The Winter Soldier opened up about his character’s failing mental state in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, referring to him as “kind of a mess”. His character has been a part of the MCU since its founding, first entering the role of Steve Rogers’ best friend Bucky Barnes for 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger.
“He was just tossed into another major war- the Infinity War, obviously. But once the war is over, he sort of goes back to his own demons and it’s like, ‘OK, now what? Who am I? What am I going to do? What am I about? When there isn’t a fight going on, who am I?”
(via The Direct)
During his time in the MCU, Bucky Barnes aka The Winter Soldier has been linked to Captain America. However, the Captain’s death, presents an opportunity to delve deep into Bucky’s character, which is a refreshing prospect. His brainwashing at the hands of Hydra on top of his experiences in the war, not to mention being a man displaced in time have left him with plenty of demons. While the character has always mirrored Captain America’s conflicts, Bucky has always had somewhat of a darker edge than the clean-cut Steve Rogers. It seems we’ll finally see these aspects of the character fleshed out in the new series.
Finally, fans can see the beloved MCU character confront the things holding him back and moving on with his life. This idea has a lot of potential for a very poignant character arc, one that Marvel fans are eager to see unfold on the small screen. Fortunately, they won’t have to wait all that long.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier will premiere on Friday, March 19 on Disney+ Hotstar.