After Captain America 4. By splitting the focus between Bucky and Falcon (Anthony Mackie), The Falcon and the Winter Soldier became the first MCU project to shine the spotlight on Steve Rogers’ original sidekick from the comics. And while he doesn’t have any confirmed roles coming up, there’s a good chance the MCU has secret plans for his character’s future.
Perhaps the most obvious place to put Bucky next would be Captain America 4. After all, it’s the destination for Sebastian Stan’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier co-star. In the movie, Mackie will reprise his role as Sam Wilson, who just took over the Captain America mantle. As things stand, there’s no word on who will be ing him on his first solo outing as the Star-Spangled Avenger, but it would make sense for it to continue the MCU stories of characters like Sharon Carter (Emily Van Camp), U.S. Agent (Wyatt Russell), and possibly Baron Zemo (Daniel Brühl). Winter Soldier could be included too, especially since his dynamic with Falcon worked so well in their Disney+ series.
The idea of Avengers: Infinity War started something truly interesting when it handed him the “White Wolf” moniker, but the MCU has yet to make the most of this development.
Bucky’s best MCU future could involve him finally becoming the White Wolf and moving on from the Winter Soldier title. In Marvel Comics, White Wolf was a superhero codename that belonged to a white man who fought on behalf of Wakanda and wore a white costume. Through the guest appearances of the Dora Milaje in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, the MCU continued to acknowledge Bucky’s White Wolf connections but still hasn’t fully transformed him into the character. There wasn’t much room for that in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, nor does it seem like a path the MCU would take in Captain America 4.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier exploring what makes Bucky tick and how he copes with his past proved that he’s an MCU character worthy of his own arcs. Similar to what’s being done with Sam, Marvel could take the next step with Bucky through a White Wolf Disney+ show, or potentially the rumored Thunderbolts movie. Another option would be Ryan Coogler’s untitled Black Panther spinoff show, which will be set in Wakanda. Either way, Marvel has some appealing options available to them for Bucky’s future that don’t have to involve Captain America 4.
