James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes is one of the most beloved characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Starting as a loyal friend of soldier Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, during their campaign in World War II, Bucky was thought to be dead after falling off a cliff from a moving train.
Later, Bucky appeared as the fearsome Winter Soldier in the second installment of the Captain America movies, and, after being saved in Sebastian Stan's character.
How Is Bucky Out Of Prison?
It is understood by fans of the MCU that Bucky is mostly innocent for what happened to him and the terrible acts he was made to do. Being brainwashed by HYDRA, he didn't have much of a choice when he was sent throughout the 20th century to kill people and command illegal military operations.
But it boggles the mind to see him walking freely without even a trial. And yes, he might have an excuse for all the horrible things he did, but that shouldn't stop Thunderbolt-type government people trying to prosecute him. Although he was on the run, someone is bound to know that he helped in the fight against Thanos.
Why Doesn't He Use The Mask Anymore?
Bucky's return to MCU, after escaping death in the first Captain America, is in the form of the Winter Soldier, a ruthless masked assassin. But interestingly enough, that masked part is forgotten pretty quickly. Obviously, the studio didn't want to cover Sebastian Stan's face for all the movies.
However, it is weird that, after having his identity revealed, he doesn't use his badass mask anymore. A mask that surely would be helpful in movies like Civil War, where he is running from justice.
Why Isn't He The New Captain America?
Many changes take place at the end of Sam Wilson, aka Falcon.
That's not a bad choice, but his lifetime friend Bucky Barnes made more sense. He fought beside him in World War II and knows him better than anyone!
How Tony Stark Got Over Bucky?
Civil War is easily one of the most intensely dramatic movies in the whole MCU. Friends become enemies, tragedies happen and truths are revealed. One, in particular, is that of what really happened to Tony Stark's parents. At the end of the film, Iron Man discovers that a brainwashed Bucky killed them.
This results in a fight that's quite sad, with a bitter Tony unable to forgive Bucky. So, why is it all resolved in the last two movies? Sure, Tony could have time to think about things, but a grudge like that isn't very easy to forget.
How Was His Identity Concealed For So Many Years?
Everybody thought that Bucky died when he fell from the train but in reality, he was abducted by HYDRA and transformed into the Winter Soldier. Throughout the years, he was utilized as a weapon to kill rival targets, and his identity as this murderer was concealed from the world.
How could it be that, for all the years until his appearance in the second Captain America movie, nobody knew about his existence? Not even the truly good guys at S.H.I.E.L.D? It was quite convenient for the movie to introduce such a pivotal character without explaining that.
Why The Hair?
For an assassin turned superhero, with fighting abilities beyond any normal human being, having long hair shouldn't be a problem at the moment he engages in combat. But, why? Yes, Bucky might look good with his mane, but is it really necessary?
It can work against him as well. For people trying to take him out, he is easily recognizable and it could be even worse if someone gets a hang of his head in a hand-to-hand fight. It's simply not practical.
How Did He Survive?
Bucky Barnes is not Captain America. Not only because he doesn't get the shield at the end of Avengers: Endgame, but because he is not the recipient of the super-soldier serum. That means no superpowers. So, how does he survive falling from a moving train in the mountains?
In a flashback, it's revealed that, after making to the ground, he loses his arm. So, even if he could survive that fall, how could he stay alive while bleeding out from that massive injury? Movie magic or just pure luck?
Why Was He The Only Succesful Winter Soldier?
As HYDRA wanted to create their own super-soldier, they used Bucky to transform him into the killing machine of their dreams. And after that, they tried some more, but without the same results. In Civil War, it's learned that there were others like Bucky, but maladjusted.
So these failures of Winter Soldier were locked up, and never woken up again. But why wouldn't HYDRA try to recreate Bucky again? They were successful once and with a little more effort they could have been again.
How Did his Brainwashing Work?
Bucky was reprogrammed in a kind of torture machine to become an assassin. There were some words involved, that were meant to be repeated to him any time HYDRA wanted him to do their deeds, as demonstrated by Zemo while he was posing as a government psychologist.
But the effects of the brainwashing wears off quickly. While it's understandable that seeing his old pal Steve Rogers could diminish the strength of his programming, but how come he never had issues with being hypnotized in the past? Is snapping Bucky up an undiscovered Captain America power?
Why Was He Picked As The Winter Soldier?
Of all the people in the world that could be chosen to be the Winter Soldier, HYDRA chooses the best friend of Captain America. It is great for dramatic irony but it's a writing decision that obviously doesn't care about logic, considering Bucky was an average soldier.
Yes, he might have hung out with Steve during World War II but that was because he was his friend. Other than that, HYDRA could have chosen other soldiers, maybe one of their own, to create their version of a super-soldier. One that doesn't freak out whenever he sees his enemy.
