The Falcon and the Winter Soldier pilot sees Bucky Barnes pining for inner peace, but becoming Wakanda's White Wolf isn't the best future for the MCU's Winter Soldier. Bucky's tumultuous past as a ruthless HYDRA mercenary clearly haunts him and his conversations with his therapist in the first episode streaming on Disney+ suggests he yearns for the solace he found in Wakanda. But assuming the role of White Wolf as it exists in the comics is complicated for the MCU iteration of Bucky, and not necessarily what he needs.

After being pried from HYDRA's grip by Captain America in Captain America: The Winter Soldier and its sequel Civil War, Bucky found his way to Wakanda where he was undergoing rehabilitation to remove the mercenary programming from his brain. There, he learned again to function as a normal person in spite of his enhanced abilities. But he was faced with a new struggle: instead of fighting against his assassin programming, he was forced now to grapple with the guilt of his past actions and associations. The consequences of his past formed the primary third-act conflict of Civil War, as his involvement in Howard and Maria Stark's death drove a schism between the Avengers that would ultimately lead to Thanos succeeding in Infinity War.

Related: Falcon & Winter Soldier Recap: Sam & Bucky's MCU Story So Far (All Movies)

And it would appear as though The Falcon and the Winter Soldier takes a similar aim at guilt in the way WandaVision tackled grief. While speaking with his therapist, Bucky says that he wants peace and calm—like the brief respite he had in Wakanda—to properly deal with his guilt. Given the MCU's apparent prior inclination to transition him into the White Wolf, and the self-imposed isolation his therapist touches on, it would make sense that he hopes to recede into the background, only coming to the fore in times of great need. But this role of the White Wolf is incompatible with Bucky's future for two reasons: first, the future of Black Panther 2 and the MCU's Wakanda is a large question mark right now, and second, Bucky must confront his guilt directly and atone for his past actions instead of eschewing them by becoming the White Wolf.

Who Is the White Wolf in the Comics?

White Wolf Costume

Introduced in Black Panther (Vol. 2) #3 (January 1999), The White Wolf was an orphan named Hunter whose parents died in a plane crash in Wakanda. An outsider, he was adopted by King T'Chaka and raised as his own son. Hunter faced discrimination from his fellow countrymen, as he was the first outsider ever to integrate into Wakanda. He and T'Challa endured a challenging fraternal relationship, marked by jealousy and conflict. In this way, Hunter was Black Panther's answer to Thor's Loki. King T'Chaka gave Hunter command of the Wakandan secret police, the Hatut Zeraze, or Dogs of War. When T'Challa ascended to the throne, he sought to disband the Hatut Zeraze for their infamously brutal methods, but the soldiers under Hunter's command were loyal to the Wolf, and the Hatut Zeraze went rogue, becoming international mercenaries.

Nevertheless, the White Wolf has always been fiercely loyal to Wakanda. Even after his de facto exile, Hunter would return to Wakanda in times of crisis, and out of respect for the monarchy, would follow orders from his brother-king if given by the office rather than requested by T'Challa himself. In a similar sense, it would appear as though MCU Bucky hopes to exist in this space: peaceably living behind the scenes, coming through in times of crisis.

Bucky and The White Wolf in the MCU

Bucky and White Wolf in Avengers Infinity War

The MCU has found creative ways to integrate different minor characters into its cinematic canon in the past. While Bucky and Hunter are by no means the same, the opportunity to reconcile these two arcs was certainly there in Infinity War. Bucky and Hunter were both stateless fugitives with no familial connection who found purpose by serving a larger cause. Hunter devoted himself to Wakanda and the Hatut Zeraze, and Bucky the Avengers. Children even refer to him as "The White Wolf" in a post-credits scene from Black Panther which sparked wild speculation that the new moniker would supplant his "Winter Soldier" name in Infinity War and beyond.

Related: Bucky’s Phase 4 Story Makes Scarlet Witch’s Tragedy Way Worse

Moving forward, Bucky could serve as the White Wolf insofar as he could assume a position of authority in Wakanda and serve the king, aligning himself most closely with the Black Panther storyline in the same way Thor looks to integrate into the Guardians franchise. In The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, he seems to yearn for this, pleading with his therapist to find peace by secluding himself. But there are problems with this approach that Bucky will have to grapple with in Phase 4.

Why Bucky Can't Become The White Wolf

Bucky in therapy session

If Bucky were to step into the White Wolf role, he would need to do so opposite T'Challa, as their storylines are intertwined in the same way as are Thor and Loki's. With the passing of Chadwick Boseman and the confirmation that Disney will not recast or digitally replace Boseman as T'Challa, all things Black Panther are currently in flux. The details of Black Panther 2 are being kept tightly under wraps, and if Bucky is to play any part in this narrative, it would so distantly resemble the White Wolf from the comics that there's hardly even a point to bestowing the name unto Bucky in the first place.

More specifically, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier seems to direct Bucky away from the White Wolf fast track he appeared to be on in that post-credits scene. He's no longer stateless, having received a pardon. The therapist positions Bucky's yearning for peace as counterproductive to his need to confront his guilt and self-actualize. At Tony Stark's inclination to put away his time travel discovery and go to sleep in Endgame, Pepper asks "But could you rest?" Bucky's therapist is functionally asking him the same question. With the jingoistic call for a hero in the new Captain America that closes the pilot, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier poises Sam and Bucky to assume larger roles in the hero landscape, roles which would expand beyond the confines of the White Wolf. Only time will tell which path the former Winter Soldier will follow.

Next: Falcon & Winter Soldier Can Finally Show How Much Wakanda Changed Bucky

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