Bucky Barnes is a staple of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Making his debut all the way back in 2011's Captain America: The First Avenger, actor Sebastian Stan is one of the franchise's longest-standing performers, and that doesn't look to be changing anytime soon.
He hasn't been as prominent in the Multiverse Saga, but he did feature quite heavily in one of the first titles in this chapter of the MCU, co-headlining Disney Plus series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which saw Bucky team up with Sam Wilson (played by Anthony Mackie). Of course, Sam has since gone on to take up the shield of Steve Rogers as the next Captain America, while Bucky joins a new team in Thunderbolts*, which has a release date of May 2, 2025.
With Captain America: Brave New World now out in the world, it's only natural that fans have been wondering if the film references Sam's new best friend. And, well, it does; oh, it does.
*** This article contains major SPOILERS from Captain America: Brave New World. Don't read on if you haven't seen it yet and would prefer the movie wasn't spoiled for you. ***
Bucky Barnes is running for congress in Captain America: Brave New World
Not only do we get an update on Bucky Barnes in Captain America: Brave New World, we get an update from the man himself. Sebastian Stan reprises his role in a cameo appearance (that absolutely had people in my theater screaming "Bucky!" at the top of their voices) as Bucky shows up in a suit at the Walter Reed Medical Center, checking in on Sam after one of his first big missions as Captain America made the news, and resulted in Joaquin Torres getting injured.
During that conversation, the two converse about what it means to be Captain America, with Sam claiming that Steve Rogers made a mistake giving him the shield. But Bucky wasn't having any of that, as he told Sam that Steve chose him because he was a human, adding that Steve may have given people something to believe in but that Sam gives them something to aspire to be. Sam was touched by the sentiment and then joked about whether Bucky's speech-writer wrote that for him. And that's when the big reveal came.
Bucky Barnes - or should that be James Buchanan Barnes - is running for congress, even being described as a "future congressman". It's a big twist for sure, but it's no doubt a way for Bucky to feel that he can still contribute some positive change to the world.
The former Winter Soldier was struggling in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, unsure of how to fit in in a new world and even less sure that he deserved to. With the weight of his past on his shoulders and without Steve Rogers by his side to give him a sense of hope, Bucky had lost his way. It was his mission with Sam to protect the world from the Flag-Smashers that gave him a renewed sense of purpose.
Now that we know congress is in his future, it's likely that he will continue to do some good, honoring the hopeful legacy of the original Captain America, his friend Steve. But how will that factor into his decision to join another team of super-powered individuals?
Bucky's new role directly sets up Thunderbolts* return
The reveal that Bucky Barnes is a future congressman undoubtedly surprised the vast majority of moviegoers, but it might have been less surprising to the most devoted of Marvel fans for two reasons. One, there had been rumors that a more political future awaited the former Winter Soldier. And two, the trailer for Thunderbolts* showed Bucky wearing a US Congress pin on the lapel of his suit (and, again, he is wearing suits in that film's trailers).
As seen in the film's Super Bowl trailer, Thunderbolts* will feature a scene in which Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus) speaks before congress, telling them that The Avengers won't be there to save them from any threats this time. Bucky looks visibly uncomfortable as she speaks.
The arrival of The Void is what ultimately forces him to take the suit off and return to his action-packed adventures, recruiting the likes of Yelena Belova, Red Guardian, Ghost, John Walker, and Taskmaster to help save the world from the threats that it faces as the world waits for the return of The Avengers.
Regardless of what type of suit he is wearing, Bucky Barnes is determined to do good, both in order to make up for his own past as Hydra's programmed Winter Soldier and to build towards a better, more hopeful future that his friend Steve Rogers always believed in.