In the finale of Marvel's The Falcon & The Winter Soldier, Sam Wilson took back the shield, put on the stars and stripes, and truly became the MCU's next Captain America. However, things are less certain for Bucky Barnes' Winter Soldier and his own MCU future. While Bucky displayed some decent growth over the course of the six-episode series on Disney+, there are still quite a few question marks as to where he's going to go next, and what he might do going forward. There's also the rather large question as to who he now is, exactly. Whether or not he's still the Winter Soldier he's become the White Wolf isn't certain, and it's possible that Bucky may not even fully know who he is yet himself.

In the series finale, Bucky and Sam managed to put a stop to the Flag-Smashers, while Sam also challenged the GRC to be better and to critically think about how their policies and decisions were going to affect people's lives. After the main conflict was resolved, Bucky went back to the home of Yori Nakajima, the father of the man Bucky had murdered, as Bucky was finally ready to confess and make true amends for his crimes as the Winter Soldier. At the end of the finale, it was also revealed that Bucky had crossed off every name on his list, seemingly giving him a clean slate to move forward with his life. As an example, he certainly looks happier and more content in the final scene, seeing him at a party with Sam and his family.

Related: Falcon & The Winter Soldier: Why Bucky Said He Failed Twice

However, there's no real follow-up that shows what's next for Bucky. Virtually every other character got an expected or teased future in the MCU, including the series' darker characters such as John Walker, the Power Broker, and even Zemo, to a degree. Likewise, the series got a retitle at the end, changing the name to Captain America & The Winter Soldier, signifying Sam Wilson's new status while Bucky's name remained unchanged. While he seemed primed to take on the White Wolf persona given to him by Wakanda, perhaps the tensions he created with them by freeing Zemo has made him reluctant to take that name, though that still doesn't fully explain why he would want to keep the name that has such dark and painful connotations. In any case, it seems as though Bucky Barnes could literally go anywhere going forward in the MCU.

Bucky Barnes in Falcon And The Winter Soldier

While Falcon & The Winter Soldier didn't really give Bucky full closure, it's possible that that could be amended with future appearances in the MCU. With the newly announced Captain America 4it's certainly possible that Bucky could be largely featured just as he has been in all three Captain America films prior. Likewise, Bucky would also be expected to be featured in a second season (though it would now be Captain America & The Winter Soldier) should a second season indeed happen. However, it wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility to imagine Bucky being featured in other MCU projects as well. There is a comics precedent for the Winter Soldier joining Nick Fury in dealing with extraterrestrial threats, so perhaps he could be involved in the upcoming Secret Invasion series. He would also fit in perfectly as an opposing force to whatever Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine is planning with John Walker, her new U.S. Agent.

Regardless, while there are certainly a lot of question marks about Bucky's future in the MCU, it doesn't appear as though Marvel's Falcon & The Winter Soldier finale was the last fans will see of the character. Bucky Barnes has come a long way as a character since being a brainwashed assassin, and it would be a shame to not see his future fully realized in the MCU's own future. Perhaps the end of the potential Captain America & The Winter Soldier season 2 could see a similar retitle to Captain America & The White Wolf? Fingers are crossed.

More: What Happened To Bucky After The Winter Soldier In The Comics

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