At the end of Avengers: Endgame, Captain America returned to his original time period in the 40s, but why didn't he bring back Bucky along with him? Thanks to the amalgamation of elements that made time heist possible, the idea of time travel is now firmly established in the MCU. Aside from paving the way to defeat Thanos, the concept also allowed Steve Rogers to have the ending he truly deserved.

Once the Mad Titan was defeated, the Avengers only had one more mission left - return all six Infinity Stones that they collected through time heist to their respective place and time setting. Captain America was tasked to accomplish the goa all by himself. But as it turns out, after doing what he was supposed to do, he decided to go back further in time to the 40s where he's revealed to have reunited and spent decades of his life with Peggy Carter. Admittedly, the specifics of his final fate is murky, with Endgame's writers and directors providing contradicting details about it. Aside from those obvious questions, however, there's another one that's barely discussed - why didn't Steve take Bucky with him back to their era?

Related: Why Bucky Didn't Wear His Winter Soldier Mask To Fight Captain America

Like Captain America, Bucky was brought into the modern era from the early 20th century by being injected with the Super Soldier Serum, albeit a different formula. Following his perceived death in Captain America: The First Avenger, Bucky was taken in by HYDRA and brainwashed to be an assassin known as the Winter Soldier. A chance encounter with Steve in Captain America: The Winter Soldier kickstarted his doubts about his origins, resulting in him discovering what was done to him. Thanks to the help of King T'Challa, Shuri, and Wakanda, Bucky was set on a rehabilitation program, only to be briefly killed by Thanos' snap in Avengers: Infinity War, and then brought back by the events of Endgame. From a practical standpoint, it may have been for the best had Steve just brought Bucky with him back to the 40s, that way, he could personally oversee his mental healing. The Avengers have a template of the nano-suit used for the time heist and Hank Pym to recreate the Pym Particles so this is logistically possible to pull off. But, there are a couple of factors contributing to Steve's decision to leave him at the present time, including Bucky's rehabilitation progress and Sam Wilson.

Falcon and the Winter Soldier Captain America shield featured

Firstly, Bucky has already spent a considerable amount of time rehabilitating in Wakanda. By Infinity War, he's been doing a lot better, with no relapse regarding HYDRA's brainwashing. T'Challa appeared to also be confident with his progress, offering him a new arm. Based on the footage from The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, the former assassin seems to be much better moving forward. Given this, it's safe to say that Bucky has done a great job acclimating to the modern era as his old self, and not the Winter Soldier. Significantly changing his environment would force him to reacclimatize again, even if that's back in his original era. Secondly, Steve left Bucky in the modern world safe in the knowledge that his friend has The Falcon, Sam Wilson, by his side. After all, Sam helped Rodger immensely in his adjustment to the modern era and modern heroism, so it stands to reason that he'll be just as proficient at helping the reformed Barnes do the same.

On the flip side, leaving Bucky in the modern world in Avengers: Endgame also has benefits for Sam in a way that he has also has a loyal ally by his side. This is particularly important as he's left with the massive task to assume the mantle of becoming the next Captain America in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier.

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