Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe marked a true changing of the guard in the billion-dollar franchise and if there was one character who benefitted from the massive turnaround, it's definitely Bucky Barnes. The former Winter Soldier is back to being a top-tier character in the MCU after years of being relegated to sidekick status.
Now, not only has Barnes made amends for his dark past, he's now being rewarded a position similar to Steve Rogers aka the ex-Captain America. Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige confirms that Sebastian Stan's character will serve as the chief of the Thunderbolts.
He shared: "That's another one. We've got a lot of things that start shooting relatively soon. What's fun about that, and I sort of said this at D23, is that they are barely heroes. None of them would consider themselves heroes. When your de facto leader is Bucky Barnes, that's sort of all you need to know. That's the trickle down."
Also Read: Captain America: New World Order Reportedly Gives Sebastian Stan Reduced Role
Well, all we can say is that it's about time Bucky got an upgraded role in the franchise because in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, although he was no longer living in Steve Rogers' shadow, it was obvious that Barnes was still playing second fiddle and this time to Sam Wilson.
With the character being given a more prominent role in Thunderbolts, there's no more doubt that he and Sam are now on equal footing. It'll be interesting to see though how the new Captain America reacts to Bucky aligning himself with a group of notorious villains.
Thunderbolts is slated for release on July 26, 2024. Meanwhile, Captain America: New World Order is hitting cinemas two months early on May 3, 2024.
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