Captain America's Films Never Handled Steve & Bucky's Relationship Well

Steve Rogers valiantly brings justice to the American people, but do the MCU's Captain America movies do justice to his friendship with Bucky Barnes? 2011's Captain America: The First Avenger introduces Chris Evans' Steve Rogers and Sebastian Stan's Bucky Barnes, two best friends from Brooklyn who hope to defend their homeland from the growing threat of Adolf Hitler's Nazi party. Steve and Bucky's story continues into modern day, as both become transformed super-soldiers and find themselves on a battlefield very different to the European fields of World War II.

Steve and Bucky are vital to each other's development, but their journey is far from straightforward. Bucky signs up to battle first, then Steve follows after taking the mother of all steroids. It's Steve, now under the Captain America mantle, who saves Bucky from Red Skull, but soon after their reunion, Sebastian Stan's character seemingly falls to his demise. Steve follows soon after with a heroic act of sacrifice. During the intervening years, Bucky is transformed into HYDRA's brainwashed Winter Soldier, while Steve is eventually defrosted and recruited into The Avengers. Upon discovering his friend's survival, Captain America fights for Bucky until the two are allies once again.

So often in the Captain America movies, Steve Rogers is driven forward by his friendship with Bucky. In Captain America: The First Avenger, Bucky's "death" during the snowy train mission inspires Steve to finish HYDRA for good, and when Cap's sacrifice follows, there's a bitterly realistic symmetry in how these two New York kids went to war together and never came back. As the MCU's overarching story unfolds, it's Steve's faith in Bucky that pits him against SHIELD at first. This refusal to betray a friend carries over into Captain America: Civil War, where standing by Bucky costs Steve both his freedom, and his friendship with Tony Stark.

Much like Steve Rogers, however, the MCU struggles to land smoothly. Friendship is the foundation of Captain America's story, but the pay-off always reverts to Steve's romantic interests instead. When Steve is preparing to die in the final moments of Captain America: The First Avenger, the focus is entirely on him and Peggy Carter - the promise of a dance and a love that never had chance to bloom. Even though saving/avenging Bucky was Steve's biggest motivation, the pay-off is all about Peggy. It's a similar story in Avengers: Endgame, where Steve is hell-bent on bringing back the victims of Thanos' snap. Although reviving Bucky isn't Cap's sole aim here, the promise of a reunion certainly adds personal stakes to the Avengers' time heist mission. And yet, it's Sam Wilson who greets Captain America when the Avengers assemble against Thanos, and Sam again who gets the shield, but only after Steve time travels to be with Peggy in the past. Bucky is a bystander in the closing chapter of Steve's MCU story.

The MCU friendship between Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes is omnipresent in the MCU, but there's rarely a moment of resolution between the pair. Even when Steve finally manages to undo his pal's mental conditioning in Captain America: Civil War, it's straight onto the next battle without any real acknowledgement that Steve has his best friend back. As arguably the best MCU release thus far, it's no surprise that Captain America: The Winter Soldier depicts Steve & Bucky's dynamic best. Their fights convey how desperately Steve wants to believe in his friend's survival, and the Smithsonian post-credits scene gives a glimmer of hope that the old Bucky might return.

The lack of pay-off between Captain America and his shiny-armed friend is perhaps the fault of Hollywood convention. It's traditional that a hero's "reward" should generally be romantic in nature, and fighting purely out of platonic friendship is somewhat of an alien concept for menfolk. Steve's romance with Peggy Carter remains a worthy and touching Captain America storyline - but perhaps not one that should've sidelined the more important bond between Cap and Bucky.

More: Chris Evans & Sebastian Stan's Friendship Vs Cap & Bucky's: Which Is Strongest?