The Winter Soldier took the stage in the second installment of Captain America. Bucky Barnes had been experimented on by Hydra to forget his identity and become an assassin.
The end of the sequel sees him recovering a bit of his past self and saving Cap from drowning. Then, he vanishes. But Civil War will reintroduce Steve Rogers's friend and foe. In what capacity, I dare ask?
It's not so simple to assume he'll be on Cap's side just because they used to be friends. And to infer a possible commitment to Tony Stark, that too has its shortcoming.
Plus, Bucky Barnes is consumed by an inner process: he has to live with the consequences of his former life as a Hydra dog of war. Being an assassin is not something to easily get over in order to start again with a clean ledger.
Winter Soldier on Cap's side?
Everyone is ready to assume that. Yes, they were friends. Best friends, even. Yes, in the end, the Winter Soldier remembers. Does that mean we can put money on his allegiance to Steve Rogers?
Not necessarily.
We speculated here about who's going to team up with Captain America. But the Winter Soldier can't be easily shortlisted here.
He is kind of lost. Literally and not only. He will return to Civil War after a soul searching phase of which we don't know if it's come to an end.
But will he come back at his own initiative? Will he be convinced by Cap? Will the Black Widow get under his skin and work her tricks on him in order to join the Avengers assembly?
What we know for sure is he was not seen at the end of Age of Ultron, next to Falcon, Scarlet Witch and Black Widow. So it's safe to assume he'll show up later. But will he tip the scale in favor of Steve Rogers?
In short, it's like this: Captain America has all the reasons to try to bring Bucky on his side. But the same can't be told about the Winter Soldier.
Or on Tony Stark's?
Indeed, the only argument fans usually bring to sustain the Winter Soldier won't play on Iron Man's side is the fact he killed Stark's parents.
Is this enough to rule out this possibility?
In my opinion, no. Consider this: it was a bomb signed by Stark that killed the Maximoffs' parents. But Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver eventually got over this.
They joined the Avengers convinced their goal couldn't be fulfilled by serving an agent of destruction. Sure, that doesn't mean they forgave Stark, but they did make the right move.
Could this be a lesson to learn for Iron Man? Stark could just as easily flip the story to his advantage and recruit the Winter Soldier. If he wanted to.
But if he does, is this a guarantee Bucky will jump in his wagon? It would be the second time he plays against Steve Rogers. So, from this perspective, it's quite implausible.
However, I don't underestimate Stark's power of persuasion. Or"¦ Bucky Barnes will be caught in the crossfire.
We brought you this theory, according to which he won't be a clear-cut player on either of the sides.
Could he actually play Switzerland in Civil War? Can the Winter Soldier clean his ledger by not taking sides?
What do you guys think?
Sebastian Stan is back on the set
As you can see from the above Instagram picture, yeah, Sebastian Stan is back on the set. That's the only solid piece of info we have so far about the Winter Soldier: by now, he must have done some shooting.
Anyway, what's your take on this matter? Who will the Winter Soldier team up with? Will he side with friend Steve Rogers? Will he discover a new ally in Tony Stark? Have your say below! And stay tuned, we'll bring you the hottest scoop on all things Marvel!
