Bucky Barnes’ outfit in Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe subtly hints HYDRA’s Winter Soldier is cured. Bucky has been through a lot in his lifetime. He enlisted in the army alongside best friend Steve Rogers in Captain America: The First Avenger, but he was presumed dead after falling out of a train during a fight with HYDRA agents. He was later revived by the scientist Armin Zola, who experimented on his body and mind, brainwashing him before turning him into the perfect weapon. In The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Bucky will be teaming up with Sam Wilson/Falcon and there is evidence to suggest his indoctrination is no longer an issue.
Prior to losing his arm and becoming a hardened HYDRA’s Winter Soldier, Bucky shared a lot of the same values as Captain America. During the events of The First Avenger, Bucky is wearing a navy blue bomber jacket with collars and buttons down the left side. The middle is carved into three sections that highlight the abdominal area, with a gently folded crease in the middle completing the look. To be clear, Bucky never again wore this jacket after the first Captain America movie, upgrading to a black leather jacket that stood out in contrast to his steely cybernetic arm. Even Bucky’s hair was much longer, signaling a change from his days before HYDRA hijacked his mind for their personal gain.
Fast forward to The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Bucky is once again sporting a short haircut. He’s also wearing a very familiar navy blue jacket, though this one is enhanced to accommodate his cybernetic arm. Gone are the buttons, replaced with a zipper and a seatbelt-like design on the chest. However, the commonalities between this jacket and the one he’s wearing in The First Avenger are too similar to go unnoticed. The MCU’s costumes have often been reflective of the state of each character. At the very least, their outfits are symbolic of something.
In the case of Bucky, styling his new costume in the vein of his pre-HYDRA days suggests that his mental state is far healthier than it has been in years. After all, the Winter Soldier was brainwashed and it took quite a bit of time to clear the cobwebs of his mind enough to recall his old life, friendships, and personal values. It can’t be a coincidence that The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’s costume department designed the new outfit so similarly to the old one. It’s possible that it’s meant to showcase that Bucky is finally in a better place and state of mind. It could also mean that any remnants of his indoctrination are completely and finally gone.
This is all speculation, of course, but visually returning Bucky’s costume to an era when he was fully himself and uninhibited by HYDRA says a lot about what fans can expect from his arc in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. This is a new, improved Bucky, one who may no longer be hindered by his past with HYDRA despite the chaos and mental devastation its scientists wrought on his mind and body. If he indeed isn’t brainwashed anymore, Bucky can start fresh. There’s no better way to reflect this new chapter in his life than with an outfit that draws from his past in Captain America: The First Avenger, but is made for the present.