The Winter Soldier could be coming to Marvel's Avengers, according to a reliable leaker. This follows a developer's claims that the next character to come to the title would be new compared to previous iterations. This follows fan criticism around the inclusion of both Kate Bishop and Clint's Hawkeyes in Marvel's Avengers, as well as the recent addition of Jane Foster's Mighty Thor, who shares similar powers to the core game's Thor Odinson.
Criticisms of Marvel's Avengers have continued following its mixed launch in 2020, when a streamer accidentally revealed She-Hulk as an upcoming addition to the title, likely to coincide with the character's upcoming Disney+ show She-Hulk: Attorney At Law - much the same way Jane Foster's Mighty Thor was added alongside the character's appearance in Thor: Love & Thunder. Many saw this as yet another slightly tweaked character, who would likely have the same powers as her cousin, the Hulk.
According to Miller, who has accurately leaked information surrounding Marvel's Avengers on several occasions in the past, the next playable character coming to Marvel's Avengers is Winter Soldier, aka Bucky Barnes. Bucky fought alongside Captain America as a member of the Howling Commandos in World War 2 until his presumed death, and it was later revealed that he had been revived, kept in a cryogenic state, and hypnotized to work as a ruthless assassin known as the Winter Soldier. Barnes' inclusion could be seen as Marvel's Avengers having another take on Captain America's super-soldier abilities, especially considering how the character then went on to don the Captain America mantle in the comics. If Crystal Dynamics chooses to adapt Barnes' earlier persona as the Winter Soldier, however, it could be a different experience to playing as Captain America. The Winter Soldier would likely be more brutal in combat than Marvel's Avengers' version of Captain America, and his gameplay would take advantage of his bionic arm alongside a variety of weapons such as guns or knives.
Miller's Winter Soldier leak has come as a surprise to fans who had been following Marvel's Avengers and had seen the accidental She-Hulk reveal confirming her appearance, as they believed she was going to be the next addition to the title. It's yet to be confirmed whether Winter Soldier or She-Hulk will both be getting story missions like characters such as Black Panther upon their inclusion in the game, or whether their stories are comprised of new cutscenes and revisits of existing locations like the PlayStation-exclusive Spider-Man. Depending on how developer Crystal Dynamics chooses to approach this new content, it could factor into which character gets released first, as the developer previously confirmed that it was focusing on more short-term updates for the title to allow flexibility, rather than promising a long-term roadmap to players that could change and cause disappointment.
For now, there has been no official confirmation of Winter Soldier's arrival by Crystal Dynamics, and Miller's tweet didn't include any screenshots or concept art of the character within the world of Marvel's Avengers to back up his claim (although images purporting to be official concept art have previously circulated). If Crystal Dynamics is looking to add Winter Soldier prior to She-Hulk in Marvel's Avengers - whose show is due to air next month - fans shouldn't have to wait long for an official announcement.
Source: Miller/Twitter