Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Thunderbolts: Doomstrike #1! MCU. The Thunderbolts are making their MCU debut as a team in Thunderbolts*, while Doctor Doom could make his MCU appearance as early as Fantastic Four: First Steps. And now, it seems those two MCU debuts could be connected, as Marvel Comics makes it clear that Doom really likes one of the Thunderbolts: Bucky Barnes aka the Winter Soldier.

In a preview for Thunderbolts: Doomstrike #1 by Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly, and Tommaso Bianchi, Doctor Doom - who has recently ascended to the rank of Marvel’s Sorcerer Supreme - reaches out to Bucky Barnes personally with an offer. At this point in Marvel Comics canon, Doom has used his newfound power to take over the world, reshaping it into “One World Under Doom”. And, as revealed in this preview, he wants the Winter Soldier to him.

Doctor Doom wants to make Bucky Barnes his “Right Hand”, and give him the leadership position over his secret police force called Fulgur Victoris. Of course, Barnes has no interest in being used as a weapon for a known super-villain, as he’s spent his fair share of time doing that as the Winter Soldier (which he is still trying to atone for). Barnes turns Doom down, and reveals that he only met with him to get confirmation that he does, in fact, have a secret police force, which is what the Thunderbolts will assuredly spend this series trying to dismantle.

Why Doctor Doom Likes (& Wants to Recruit) Bucky Barnes

Doom has a History with the Winter Soldier in Marvel Comics

While it’s interesting that Doctor Doom wants to make Bucky Barnes one of his own personal top soldiers within his new world regime, this development does beg one question: why? One doesn’t normally associate Doctor Doom with the Winter Soldier, so it seems odd that Doom is reaching out to Bucky now. Or, does it? In fact, as Doom points out in this preview, these two have a shared history, which explains why Doom would want to recruit Bucky for this role.

During a previous mission, when the Winter Soldier was trying to eliminate the Red Skull (and Zemo), Bucky used Doom to pull the trigger, as he knew Doom’s near-unparalleled power would be enough to kill them permanently. That earned Doom’s respect. Then, Bucky and the Thunderbolts toppled dictatorships around the world, which (unbeknownst to them) helped Doom consolidate power following his rise to world leader. That earned Doom’s appreciation. So, now that Doom is the ruler of the world, he wants to give Bucky a chance to have an authoritative place in it, even if Bucky has other ideas.

What This New Relationship Between Doctor Doom & the Winter Soldier Could Mean for the MCU

Will MCU’s Doctor Doom Try to Recruit Bucky Barnes?

Right now, it’s impossible to know exactly what Doctor Doom will be up to when he enters the MCU. One potential option is that he will try to recruit other heroes/villains to his cause (whatever that may be), and form something of his own ‘Dark Avengers’. It’s been theorized that Doom will partner with Hydra Cap (if that Captain America variant makes an appearance at all), so it’s possible that Doom might also try to recruit a known super-soldier/living-weapon: the Winter Soldier. Could this comic be teasing that MCU alliance?

It might be a bit of a stretch to think that Marvel Comics is teasing any sort of dark alliance between the MCU’s Doctor Doom and Bucky Barnes, though ittedly, the timing here is peculiar. Indeed, both Doctor Doom and the Thunderbolts are about to make their MCU debut, and right before that happens, it’s revealed that Doctor Doom secretly likes one of the Thunderbolts, which could be teasing their future in the MCU.

Thunderbolts: Doomstrike #1 by Marvel Comics is available February 19, 2025.