See Sebastian Stan's Bucky Barnes As Captain America In MCU Concept Design
Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) is one of the most beloved characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The hero captured the audience's attention as Steve Rogers' (Chris Evans) best friend in the 1940s in "Captain America: The First Avenger," as a brainwashed super soldier in "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," and more of a hero in his later appearances in projects like "Captain America: Civil War," and "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier."
Despite his transformation, however, the metal-armed brawler isn't chosen to be the next Captain America, an honor that instead goes to Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie). Nonetheless, fan art reveals what Bucky could have looked like had that been the case.
Artist @skull101ify shared his vision for Bucky as Captain America on Instagram. The image features Stan's Bucky dressed in a suit that brings in elements from his Winter Soldier look, including his boots and fingerless long-sleeved shirt, with metal details on his blue armor. Of course, he wields the shield too. The caption reads, "I've always stated that Bucky most definetly [sic] earned the shield in the MCU and while I'm heavily disappointed this never happened, one can dream."
Choosing Captain America's successor
While @skull101ify's design showcases Bucky as Captain America, directors Joe and Anthony Russo have made it very clear why Sam is the right person to take up the moniker following Steve instead. Discussing the scene of "Avengers: Endgame" in which Steve passes his shield on to Sam with USA Today, the directors said Sam's mindset and past make him the perfect choice for the role, whereas Bucky still has work to do before even being considered a hero.
"So far as matching the level of integrity of Captain America, Sam is pound for pound as morally forthright as anyone in the Marvel universe. And Bucky's a damaged character," Joe said. "Sam spends his time trying to repair other people who are broken by war, and it just feels like he has the same values as Captain America," Anthony added.
While Bucky has come a long way since his time as the Winter Soldier (with Malcolm Spellman, the creator of "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier," clearing up that big question), becoming Captain America feels like it would stunt his growth — he needs to fix himself before he can ever consider taking up such a prominent role. He works better as a sidekick and confidant.
The comics have tried Bucky as Cap
In the comics, Steve, Sam, and Bucky have all had long stints as Captain America. Bucky picks up the shield in "Captain America" #34 after Steve dies, holding on to the mantle until the original comes back. He does a good job in Steve's absence, but the role never entirely suits him and his more violent approach to being a hero. Since then, he's continued as the Winter Soldier, more recently adopting the code name Revolution.
As in the MCU, Steve handpicks Sams to be his successor when he later retires. While Sam bounces back to being the Falcon for a while, he eventually becomes Captain America on a more permanent basis, with Sam and Steve coexisting in the role to this day.
As @skull101ify's design suggests, it would be fun to see Bucky become Captain America in the MCU one day, but the current Caps own the role, and his promotion shouldn't come at the expense of Sam or Steve. Adding Bucky to the mix would be a mistake since he has proved that he works better without the shield.