The tremendous ensemble in Captain America: Civil War seems like it may have been a double-edged sword for Joe and Anthony Russo. On the one hand, the directing brothers got to play around with just about every Marvel Comics character they could dream of, including new entries to the cinematic franchise like Black Panther and Spider-Man. But all these players meant having to be very careful not to let focus drift too far from the emotional centers of the film: Captain America, Iron Man, and Bucky.
We know Steve and Tony pretty well by now, so the invitation to delve into ideological (and, eventually, literal) warfare between the two has been accepted with open arms by the MCU fanbase. But the Russos had their work cut out for them in forging a path between the viewer and Bucky. As Anthony tells our own Amy Ratcliffe in the above interview, “He’s one of the most fascinating and damaged characters I’ve ever seen in fiction.” The pair were eager not only to explore James Buchanan Barnes in Civil War, but also to plant seedlings for future exploration of his story.
And while the Russos had the lion’s share of characters to tamper with here—in addition to Cap, Tony, Bucky, T’Challa, and Peter Parker, we’re reunited with Black Widow, Hawkeye, Scarlet Witch, Vision, and Ant-Man—there are still plenty others (notably from the TV side of the equation) that they might be able to rope into their next venture, Avengers: Infinity War… but they’re careful not to promise anything just yet.
What kind of future do you think is in store for Bucky in the MCU? Let us know in the comments, and find Amy Ratcliffe on Twitter @amy_geek!
Featured Image: Disney/Marvel
