I've Changed My Mind, The Thunderbolts* Director's Recent Comments About Bucky's Arm In The Dishwasher Have Me Hopeful Marvel Will Handle His Story Properly

By Molly Freeman

Published Nov 28, 2024

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Bucky Barnes pulling his metal Vibranium arm from a dishwasher was one of the few shots focused on Sebastian Stan's Marvel character in the first MCU. I also appreciated the insight into Bucky's day-to-day life as a superhero character.

However, in the context of both Thunderbolts* movie trailers, the scene of Bucky taking his metal arm out of the dishwasher seems to be played for laughs, which left me with a sour taste in my mouth. Marvel has gotten better about depicting the disabilities of its heroes in recent years, most notably by finally adapting Clint Barton's deafness in the Hawkeye series. But the MCU seems to have a blind spot for Bucky, despite the character being a disabled veteran. Often, Bucky's stories in the MCU are so one-dimensional, the character isn't given the nuance he deserves.

It seemed like Thunderbolts* cast previewed the movie at San Diego Comic-Con, they've been adamant that the movie deals with the mental health of its characters, even if we only see evidence of that in regard to Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) in the trailers. Now, director Jake Schreier's recent comments about Bucky's arm give me hope Thunderbolts* will give Bucky emotional depth.

The Thunderbolts* Director Addressed Bucky's Vibranium Arm In The Dishwasher

Sebastian Stan Also Recently Addressed The Marvel Movie Scene

While the reaction to the Thunderbolts* trailer scene seems to be much more light-hearted and less wary than my own response, it has become a favorite moment for many, including myself, and everyone seems to be eager to learn more about it. To that end, Sebastian Stan discussed the moment at his Comic Con Liverpool earlier this month, when a fan asked him whether Shuri told Bucky he could clean his arm in the dishwasher or if the character came up with that himself. Stan said:

I'm pretty sure he kind of looked at the dishwasher one day and thought, 'why not? [It] makes a lot of sense', y'know? I thought it was kind of funny when I first saw that in the script, but it is a quick way of doing it—at the end of the day, just throw it in there with a couple of leftover dishes. I think it was [Bucky's] idea.

Even Stan its the moment is funny, and he hints at the mindset of Bucky in the process, painting a picture of someone wanting to clean their prosthetic quickly and efficiently. Similarly, when Schreier addressed the Thunderbolts* scene with Bucky's arm in a recent issue of Empire Magazine, the director teased the idea of there being more to Bucky's story than meets the eye. The director simply said, "Come for the dishwasher jokes, stay for the deep emotional journey."

The Thunderbolts* Director's Comments Hint At A Nuanced Story For Bucky

The MCU Movie May Give Bucky A Deep Emotional Journey

What I find so promising about Schreier's comment—even considering how short it is—is that he's clearly saying there's more to Thunderbolts* than just dishwasher jokes. He is explicitly promising that there will be more emotional depth to Bucky's character, and he won't simply be a one-note side character. This is extremely heartening because the MCU has, in the past, struggled to show the true inner workings of Bucky's character.

Even though he was one of the two main characters of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Captain America: The Winter Soldier was a much better depiction of Bucky's emotional journey, in large part thanks to Stan's acting. Stan was able to show audiences Bucky's pain and turmoil as his memories of Steve Rogers warred against his Winter Soldier programming. Conversely, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier showed Bucky struggling, but the series didn't dig very deep into his journey of healing from being the Winter Soldier. Now, Thunderbolts* is the time to show Bucky's deep emotional journey, as Schreier said.

Why It's Important For Thunderbolts* To Get Bucky's Story Right

Bucky Barnes Has Been Part Of The MCU For Over 13 Years

Bucky Barnes is a fascinating character. Throughout the many years since he ed the MCU, Bucky has fought alongside Captain America, lost his arm, been brainwashed into a Hydra assassin, reunited with his best friend, and been stranded in modern day. He's a disabled veteran who's fought Nazis and alien armies—there is so much to explore with Bucky's character that it's been frustrating to watch Marvel flounder in recent years. While I understand why The Falcon and the Winter Soldier focused more on Sam Wilson, I'm excited to see Bucky get a richer, more emotional story of his own.

I'm absolutely going to see Thunderbolts* for the dishwasher jokes and the emotional journey—specifically Bucky's emotional journey.

There's also the unavoidable fact that Stan's time in the MCU may be nearing its end (or, at least, it's closer to its end than it was five years ago). If Bucky survives the events of Thunderbolts*—which I'm hoping he does—he might return for Avengers: Doomsday and/or Avengers: Secret Wars, but those films could conclude his story. If they do, it's difficult to believe it'll be as emotionally satisfying an end as Steve Rogers' in Avengers: Endgame, despite the fact that both Stan and Bucky deserve as much.

Although Bucky Barnes is an interesting character, he's not one of the major players in the MCU, so I'll take my scraps of character development and emotional journey where I can get them. Thankfully, it seems my concern that Thunderbolts* would relegate Bucky to a side character that's the butt of abelist jokes was unfounded. I'm absolutely going to see Thunderbolts* for the dishwasher jokes and the emotional journey—specifically Bucky's emotional journey—and the director's comment makes me more hopeful the movie does his story justice.