Bucky's New Look In Marvel's Thunderbolts

Why Bucky's New Look In Marvel's Thunderbolts* Has Me Worried

Bucky's Appearance Looks More Like The Winter Soldier

Historically, Marvel movies have used a character's appearance to reflect the state of their mental health. This is most obviously done with Lebowski Thor in Avengers: Endgame, but it can be more subtle, like Steve Rogers' wearing more modern clothes as he acclimates to being a man out of time. As such, I do believe we can use Bucky's appearance to ascertain what sort of mental state he'll be in during Thunderbolts*, but his hair looks a lot more like the Winter Soldier than the last time we saw Bucky, and I'm worried it means Marvel is erasing his character development.

Bucky's story in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was about making amends for his actions while he was the Winter Soldier and moving forward (which is a problematic storyline for a character that was ultimately a victim). His short hair reflected the fact that Bucky was getting back to himself, after he'd spent so many decades as the brainwashed super-soldier assassin for Hydra, and was beginning to look like he had in Captain America: The First Avenger. However, his new look reverts him back to his appearance as the Winter Soldier, and I'm concerned Marvel may be handling his character carelessly.

There's Only 1 Reason I'll Accept Bucky's New Look In Thunderbolts*

There Could Be A Good Explanation For His Appearance

It's entirely possible that Marvel knows exactly what they're doing with Bucky Barnes' character in Thunderbolts*, and his look reverting back to his appearance as the Winter Soldier could be an indication of him backsliding on his healing journey. After all, healing from past trauma isn't linear, and given Bucky doesn't seem to have much, if any, contact with his best friend Steve Rogers, or his newer friend Sam Wilson, it seems even more likely Bucky would backslide without those support systems. So he could be in a dark place when it comes to his mental health.

This seems like a possible explanation for Sebastian Stan's new look as Bucky based on what fellow his fellow Thunderbolts* stars have said about the movie. At San Diego Comic-Con last month, David Harbour spoke to EW about where the Marvel movie finds his character, Red Guardian, while also alluding to the fact that the Thunderbolts* characters will all be struggling with mental health issues:

Part of the film is — for a lot of these characters, not to get too deep on it — but it deals a little bit with mental illness and self-hatred , for sure, and the tripping over yourself.

US Agent actor Wyatt Russell also spoke about the movie's underlying themes, saying, "Go for the kicks, stay for the emotional complexity and the mental health issues." It's clear from these very early interviews for Thunderbolts* that mental illness and its effects on the characters will be an important part of the movie, which may explain Bucky's new look.

Marvel Needs To Take Better Care Of Bucky's MCU Story

MCU Movies And Shows Have Made Bucky's Story A B-Plot In The Past

Although Bucky's assassin name has been featured in the titles of two separate MCU projects - Captain America: The Winter Soldier and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier - his story has largely taken a backseat to other characters. While that makes sense, since he's been billed as the secondary character to Steve Rogers' Captain America and Sam Wilson's Falcon/Captain America, it still means Marvel hasn't given Bucky the attention he deserves in the MCU. Sebastian Stan has been playing this character for 13 years, and yet he hasn't been the focus of any of the stories of which he's been a part.

That will hopefully change in Thunderbolts*. Since Bucky is the leader of the team, my hope is that Marvel will finally give his story the care it deserves. Bucky is a disabled veteran, a survivor of mental abuse, and a very complex character in his own right. While I'm concerned that Bucky's longer hair and goatee will be indicative of Marvel minimizing his healing journey so far, I hope Bucky's new look is actually reflective of the movie doing a deep examination of his mental health. It's what Bucky deserves, and it's what fans of Bucky, myself included, deserve to see.

More about the movie, how it deals with mental illness and complex emotions, and whether my concerns are valid will no doubt be addressed the closer Thunderbolts* gets to its release. At the very least, we'll know whether Thunderbolts* lives up to the promises made by the cast when it hits theaters next spring. Don't let me down, Marvel.