With the upcoming release of A Different Man and The Apprentice, Sebastian Stan is hot right now. Although he’s the lead in these smaller films, his rise to fame started as a supporting character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as James Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes, aka the Winter Soldier. Going from Steve Rogers’ sidekick in Captain America: The First Avenger to a brainwashed villain in Captain America: The Winter Soldier to a misunderstood fugitive in Captain America: Civil War to one of the MCU’s greatest heroes in the projects beyond that, Bucky is one of the most complex characters in the entire franchise. His presence in the MCU has led to so many memorable moments.

Stan, as Bucky, has appeared in some of the most highly regarded and fan-favorite MCU projects and has been fortunate enough to appear in many of the franchise’s best fight scenes. Fight scenes are a staple of any comic book universe, and fights like the highway scene in The Winter Soldier, both the airport fight and the Bucky and Cap vs. Tony fight in Civil War, and, most recently, another three-person battle (Bucky and Sam vs. John Walker) in the Disney+ show The Falcon and the Winter Soldier are among Marvel’s best. Many of the projects Stan has been a part of with Marvel have included a big, memorable fight involving his character, which is always regarded as a highlight of whatever he’s in. The reason for them being so special, besides the wonderful work by fight choreographers, is simple: emotional stakes.

Bucky’s Debut as a Baddie Sets the Stage for His MCU Journey
Image via Marvel Studios

Starting off as the “lovable side character killed off too soon” in 2011’s The First Avenger, Stan really jumped into the pop culture lexicon with his performance in 2014’s The Winter Soldier. General audiences and obsessive Tumblr fans flocked to the character of Bucky Barnes, in part due to him being the misunderstood anti-hero of the beloved film. In the sequel, Bucky is brought back into Steve Rogers’ life in the form of a HYDRA sleeper agent, the Winter Soldier. A lot of emotional complexity is brought into the plot, with Steve having a moral crisis as he attempts to both save the lives of innocents being killed and save his friend from the clutches of an evil organization. Now, as the film has been out for a decade, it’s clear what decision was made, but it’s interesting to look back and see how important some of the scenes were to the greater franchise.

One of the most discussed moments of that film is the highway fight scene midway through the film. Bucky stops Cap (Chris Evans) and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) in their car and wreaks havoc, with the intention of taking out a HYDRA agent they’re escorting. Filled with knife flips, grenade launchers, and Captain America’s shield getting snatched, the scene ends with the revelation that Bucky is, in fact, the infamous Winter Soldier. The whole sequence hits so much harder thanks to this reveal, heightening the stakes for an already tense film. Winter Soldier is also one of the highest-rated and regarded films in the franchise, so when you add that on top of the emotional gravitas that comes with the fight, it leads to one of the most emotionally important moments in Cap’s arc throughout the MCU.

Related Sebastian Stan Reveals How Bucky Fits Into the ‘Thunderbolts’: “Way More Suited to Them” “I never would have though we would have ended up where we have with him.”

Bucky Enrolls in a Civil War in One of the MCU’s Best Fight Scenes

The road was not over for Bucky after Winter Soldier. After fleeing the crime scene at the end of the film (and having gained his memories and consciousness back), he reappeared and came back into Captain America’s life in Civil War, when he was pinned for the murder of the king of Wakanda. The film features what many consider one of the best action sequences in the entire franchise: the airport scene. Just saying that phrase evokes excitement in the nerd community. While it included the first MCU appearances of Spider-Man and Ant-Man in his “Giant Man” form, and offered up the novelty of seeing our favorite heroes duke it out with one another, at the end of the day, the fight is really all about one person: Bucky. Not only does Stan get some great action moments as Bucky in this scene (holding his own against Spider-Man with Falcon), he’s the catalyst for this entire altercation. If it weren’t for Cap breaking the law and protecting his friend, none of the events that occur within the brawl would ever have happened.

Speaking of instigating fights, Bucky is also at the center of another seat-gripping fan favorite: the Cap and Bucky vs. Tony throwdown at the end of the film. After the reveal that Bucky, as the Winter Soldier, killed Tony’s parents, there’s an immediate switch in not only the stakes but also the emotion and thought process within Tony. His blind rage towards Bucky — this embodiment of the evil that ruined his life — disrupts his moral compass and causes a brawl to occur, the likes of which had not been seen in the franchise up to that point. It’s moving, brutal, and bloody. Many thought the fight might go in a darker direction before it ended with all of them keeping their lives.

Throughout the film, Bucky evolves into a person who believes they’re lucky to be alive but still grieves about the misdeeds that he brought onto the world while under the spell of HYDRA. While the debate of who was in the right in Civil War is still debated among fans, it’s clear to all that, if it weren’t for Stan’s heartfelt portrayal of the complex Barnes, it wouldn’t have been as effective.

The Winter Soldier Makes a Name for Himself on the Small Screen

With Disney+’s 2021 miniseries The Falcon and the Winter Soldier being lost in the sea of 2021 MCU projects, it’s easy for fans to forget that it includes some great moments for Sebastian Stan. As an actor, Stan is able to dive deeper into the nuances of Bucky in the show, facing the consequences of his actions and making amends for what he did. As one of the most underrated Marvel projects, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier may not have made the biggest impression on general audiences, but it did leave fans with some of the MCU’s most powerful scenes.

Many consider the highlight of the series to be Bucky and Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) taking on John Walker (Wyatt Russell), who was given the mantle of “Captain America” by the government, even though Sam was handed the shield directly by Steve Rogers at the end of Avengers: Endgame. This betrayal of Steve’s legacy left a sour taste in fans’ mouths, especially when, at the end of Episode 4, Walker brutally kills people with the shield, tainting the sacred nature of the “Captain America” title.

Episode 5 starts with a chase scene, which leads to an eventual fight pitting Bucky and Sam against Walker. The sequence left a lasting impression on fans thanks to its interesting choreography, secluded setting, and the intense anger on display from Walker, which leads him to destroy Sam’s Falcon wings. One of the notable things about this series, including this battle, is the fact that Bucky is now a sort of antihero. At the end of the day, he chooses good over evil, but the ways of getting there, and the people he associates with, are somewhat devious. At the beginning of the fight, you can tell he’s content with fighting Walker, after all the things that Walker put Bucky and Sam through up to that point in the show.

So, Bucky has gone from being the smiling partner-in-crime to Cap to a mind-washed, sleeper-agent terrorist to someone trying to survive being hunted to a pseudo-hero who sometimes associates with the wrong crowd (like in the upcoming Thunderbolts*). What Stan was able to do, with the help of the Russo Brothers and many other Marvel writers and directors, was develop and evolve what was really a side character in The First Avenger into being one of the MCU’s most important and beloved characters. All the killer fight scenes he took part in certainly didn’t hurt.

Following the events of ‘Avengers: Endgame,’ Sam Wilson/Falcon and Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier team up in a global adventure that tests their abilities — and their patience.Release Date March 19, 2021 Cast Anthony Mackie , Sebastian Stan , Wyatt Russell , Erin Kellyman , Daniel Brühl , Emily VanCamp , Danny Ramirez , Adepero Oduye , Dani Deetté , Indya Bussey , Desmond Chiam , Renes Rivera , Tyler Dean Flores , Cle Bennett , Noah Mills , Carl Lumbly , Amy Aquino , Chase River McGhee , Aaron Haynes , Gordon Danniels , Alphie Hyorth , georges st-pierre , Gabrielle Byndloss , Elijah Richardson , Florence Kasumba , Neal Kodinsky , Veronica Falcón , Tyler Merritt , Charles Black , Janeshia Adams-Ginyard , Zola Williams , Demi Castro , Ken Takemoto Seasons 1 Story By Malcom Spellman Writers Derek Kolstad , Malcolm Spellman , Michael Kastelein , Dalan Musson , Josef Sawyer Streaming Service(s) Disney+ Franchise(s) Marvel Cinematic Universe Expand

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is available to stream on Disney+.

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