How Long Was Bucky In Wakanda?

Warning! Spoilers for The Falcon and The Winter Solider below.

The Falcon and The Winter Soldier has cemented just how ingrained Wakanda is in Bucky, raising the question of just how long Bucky was in Wakanda before the events of Avengers: Infinity War. In the past few years, Wakanda has become a part of who Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) is as a person, with the show even revealing he speaks fluent Wakandan. That, combined with a flashback sequence and the knowledge that Bucky had seemingly forged close ties with some of the Wakandans, indicated he was there longer than thought.

Captain America: Civil War's post-credits scene sees Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) dropping Bucky off in Wakanda. The decision was made that Shuri (Letitia Wright) and the advanced technology she has at her fingertips is Bucky's only hope at getting the Winter Soldier programming out of his head. But he decides it's best that he go back into cryogenic sleep while Shuri works. The next time Steve and the audience see Bucky is in a Black Panther post-credits scene. He's living in a simple hut and doing chores, showing that he's become deeply connected to Wakanda in his time there.

Just like WandaVision before it, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier has done an impressive job tying the series to past and future Marvel franchises. Wakanda has been steadily revealed to play an important part in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier by showing audiences that Bucky has a stronger connection to Wakanda than was previously revealed. Not only did he mention to his psychiatrist that living in Wakanda was the only time in 90 years he'd known peace, but he became ingrained enough in the culture to be able to speak the language fluently, suggesting he was there a considerable amount of time and awake outside of cryogenesis. As it turns out, Bucky was in Wakanda for two years.

Bucky cries after the Dora Milaje helps him overcome his programming

Civil War took place in 2016, which is also when Bucky arrived in Wakanda. He and Cap were reunited in Avengers: Infinity War, and that took place in 2018. As Bucky was one of the unlucky ones who were dusted by Thanos' Snap, he was gone for five years. The Falcon and The Winter Soldier takes place six months after Bucky and half of the population returned in the Blip. By the time the audience sees Bucky again in the Marvel series, he's stateside. While the timeline is never clearly established, it's safe to assume that Bucky was in Wakanda from 2016 to 2018, and that he was awake for a good portion of those two years.

Bucky had spent decades brainwashed as the Winter Soldier. Episode 4, "The Whole World is Watching," showed a flashback in which Ayo of the Dora Milaje worked with Bucky to test how successful the deprogramming efforts were. After that, his time in Wakanda was the first time in years he had his own mind back. Being so clear-minded gave Bucky the chance to become one with the land and the culture. As it was the first place he was truly free, Wakanda became his home. He was given the nickname White Wolf, proving that he became an honorary Wakandan in his time there. Being fluent in Wakandan is just the tip of the iceberg for Bucky's love for Wakanda, showing just how difficult the decision to betray Wakanda by breaking Zemo out of prison must have been for him. The rest of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier will likely continue to explore his connection to the country and how it will shape Bucky's future in the MCU.

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