Relationship Spotlight: Sam Wilson & Bucky Barnes (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier)

Before seeing The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, I was excited for it on the grounds of 1) Marvel, duh, and 2) I love the characters of both Sam and Bucky. The 11^th-hour developments for Sam in Endgame gave me even more reason to look forward to it. However, none of my excitement really stemmed from the fact that it was the two of them together in a series. While there are some amusing bits between them in Civil War, I found the humor there a little forced, and I wasn’t eager for the “buddy cop vibes” I heard other fans crossing their fingers for. The series has some element of that dynamic between them, but it also digs deeper and gets at something that I find much more interesting (some spoilers.)

We need to start with an important establishing fact: Sam and Bucky have never been friends. Not really. When Steve learns about Bucky’s tragic history in The Winter Soldier, of the decades he’s spent being mindwiped and brainwashed in order to turn him into an assassin for his enemies, Sam is sympathetic but of the opinion that Bucky might be too far gone. “I don’t think he’s the kind you save,” he warns Steve. “He’s the kind you stop.” Jumping ahead to Civil War, Sam joins Steve in flouting the new Sokovia Accords and some of their fellow Avengers, first to save Bucky from being killed by police and later to follow Bucky’s lead to a pressing threat. This is where we see the Sam-Bucky slightly-forced comedy duo. Their mild bickering cements the idea that Sam is doing all of this to back up Steve, not because he’s in any way favorably disposed to Bucky.

Throughout the movies, Sam and Bucky’s only major connection is Steve. They’re both his friends, not one another’s, and each reflects a different part of Steve’s life. Steve is all they have in common, and by the time The Falcon and the Winter Soldier comes around, we can add that they’ve both fought Thanos’s army (though it’s not like they were buddies on the battlefield,) but Steve is no longer there. The only connection between them now is the absence of him, and as the question of the shield and Steve’s legacy arises, these two men who’ve never been inclined toward one another find themselves fighting alongside each other to protect that legacy.

Don’t get me wrong: there’s still a good amount of that buddy-cop bickering that a lot of fans wanted to see. For me, some of it remains clunky (like the manufactured “couples therapy” bit) while other jokes land well (like Bucky’s disdain for Sam’s characterization of “The Big 3” and their subsequent banter.) But I find the deeper stuff much more interesting.

At the start of the series, these are two guys who don’t really understand each other, but they think that they do, which is where they get into trouble. Bucky thinks Sam “abandoned” the mantle Steve left him and is thus not the person Steve thought he was, not recognizing how much more fraught the issue of stepping into the role of Captain America is for a Black man. Sam has a tendency to discount Bucky’s extensive trauma, prodding at Bucky’s often self-serious tone with jokes and banter, and it’s not until he sees the way Zemo scratches at Bucky’s old wounds that what Bucky’s been through seems to hit home for him.

The mission they undertake together – a bit fumblingly at first but with increasing cooperation and respect – helps them come to these realizations about one another, and that’s where we see them start to develop a genuine friendship that’s based on more than just the guy who’s no longer there. As they get deeper into the mission, Sam periodically checks in with Bucky to see how he’s coping, especially when Zemo forces him to pretend to be the Winter Soldier again. As someone who’s always appreciated Sam’s background as a guy who led a support group for struggling veterans, that’s the kind of care I wanted to see from him. In turn, Bucky comes to respect and understand Sam’s initial reluctance to take up the shield, and he apologizes on Steve’s behalf for the lack of forethought in having expected it of him without considering the nuance involved. By the end, when Sam and Bucky have a heart-to-heart while training with the shield, the moment feels earned. Something happens between these two over the course of the series, and they end the season in a very different place from where they start.

Sure, Bucky literally getting “invited to the cookout” in the last episode is a little corny (what are you doing showing up with a store-bought cake, Bucky??), but it’s a testament to how far this relationship moves over the course of this series that I can buy Sam extending the invite, as well as Bucky accepting it. And besides, the corniness is worth it for the shot of Bucky casually talking to Sarah while three kids dangle off of his vibranium arm, which is quite possibly the cutest thing the MCU has ever done.

If we’re treated to another season of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, or if Bucky joins Sam in the new Captain America movie, I’ll be eager to watch – not just because of these two characters but because of how they are together.

Character Highlight: Sam Wilson a.k.a. Falcon (The Avengers)

Sam is still a fairly new presence in the MCU, but he’s definitely a welcome one.  I like seeing nonpowered people fighting in the big leagues, and paratrooper-turned-Avenger Sam fights with style.  I’m looking forward to seeing more of him in future films (a few Civil War spoilers.)

First, we’ve gotta talk about the wings, because they’re so cool.  Yes, the Iron Man/War Machine suits are better equipped with weaponry and protect their wearers better, but those wings are awesome.  Seeing Sam in flight is so badass and visually-impressive.  I like how he extends and retracts them as need be, how he can use them to shield himself, and how he twists and flips through the air.  What’s more, I like that they’re not one of Tony’s inventions or something to come out of SHIELD.  Sam was already using them for pararescue  in his military days, and when he first shows proof of them to Cap and Black Widow, both are taken aback.  That’s nice, having a tech-based hero whose tech isn’t made to be “super” but who uses it in “super” ways.  (Tony, it seems, has since given Sam more toys to play with – much love for Red Wing!)

Not having powers or a bona fide super-suit means Sam has to have a huge amount of fortitude and be very good at what he does to face the enormous foes he does with the Avengers.  He’s a loyal, incredibly brave soldier who throws himself into the fight with dedication, not just to the cause, but to the people he fights alongside.  I like that Cap turns to Sam in The Winter Soldier when everything is insane and he needs somewhere to hide out, and I like that Sam then goes way above and beyond providing a safe haven, stepping up as a volunteer to help Cap and Natasha confront Hydra.  At this point, he’s met Cap maybe twice, and yeah, there’s at least a little hero worship at play here, but it also says a lot about Sam that he would so immediately sign up to risk so much.

We haven’t really seen it post-The Winter Soldier, but I also like Sam’s history working with the VA and helping soldiers with their transition back to civilian life.  This makes another strong statement about Sam, I think.  He’s a tough, capable fighter, but he’s also an empathetic person who uses his own painful experiences to connect with others who are struggling and wants to fight the good fight on and off the battlefield.  Like I said, this aspect of Sam is really only on display in The Winter Soldier, and I wish we’d see it again.  It seems like it would have made a lot of sense for him to be compassionate about Bucky’s circumstances and try to offer support for him.  (I get that Bucky’s programming means he still poses a threat, Sam worries that Steve’s devotion to Bucky might be getting the way of his judgment, and Sam isn’t thrilled about risking his life for this guy, but still.)  That said, I do find it cool that, even though Sam has his doubts about the save-Bucky mission and clearly doesn’t like him, he still throws his own life into a lot of havoc on Bucky’s behalf; even if he’s mainly doing it for Steve, I like that he can fight to keep Team Iron Man from getting Bucky despite his less-than-fuzzy feelings for the guy.

So, I’d like to see more of that side of Sam in future films (maybe in helping Tony address his (many) traumas whenever the Avengers finally get back together?  Or maybe Wanda?)  What else?  I’m not sure.  I know he’s nto a very prominent character, and unlike Rhodey, Civil War didn’t really set up anything major for him going forward.  I suppose I’d like to see more of his dynamic with characters other than Cap because, while Civil War starts incorporating him more into the team, he’s still “Steve’s guy” and as a result can feel a bit sidekicky.

Relationship Spotlight: Sam Wilson & Capt. Steve Rogers (The Avengers)

Yes, I know Sam is military, too, but I’m not sure what his rank is, so he doesn’t get a title (sorry, Sam!)  I’m also aware that this is about the 4,000^th Relationship Spotlight I’ve done on a Marvel hero and their nonpowered close friend.  Really, though, as long as the MCU keeps giving them to me, I’m going to keep loving them.

Cap and Sam have their friendship version of a meet-cute in The Winter Soldier, where both guys are out on the National Mall for an early-morning run and Steve laps Sam repeatedly, much to Sam’s chagrin.  It’s a funny bit, with Steve just doing his thing and Sam reaching increasing levels of “come on!” as Steve keeps passing him.  Immediately afterwards, though, they introduce themselves and start discussing their respective military experiences.  Sam is quick to pick up on Steve’s struggles readjusting to the world after being on ice, and he invites Steve to stop by the VA hospital where he works.  His ostensible reasons are 1) everyone there would love to see Steve, and 2) it would score Sam major points, but a more serious reason is unspoken but evident:  it can be hard coming home, and everyone deserves some help on that front.

I really like this aspect of their friendship.  At this point in the franchise, Steve is feeling pretty isolated.  Virtually everyone from his time is dead or dying, and he’s having difficulty connecting with people because they can’t relate to his experiences.  Now, Sam is from a different time and fought in a different war.  He was never given superpowers, and he was certainly never frozen for 70 years.  But on an emotional, psychological level, war is much the same no matter what the era, and there, at least, Sam can understand some of what Steve’s going through.  It’s good for Steve to have a friend who doesn’t necessarily expect him to be okay, someone who offers support and a friendly ear.

On Steve’s side, I like that he meets Sam, finds him to be a standup guy, befriends him, and approaches him as an ally all in a very short span of time.  Someone as famous as Steve is bound to have short encounters with strangers all the time, and I’m guessing Sam doesn’t expect him to actually drop by the VA, but that’s just what Steve does.  It’s a nice demonstration both of Steve’s judge of character and of the way he shows people his estimation of them.  Later in the movie, when Steve and Natasha are on the run and there’s seemingly no one to trust, Steve turns to Sam, sure that he can be relied on.

With Steve and Sam, the military dynamic is definitely there, and although Sam has no official Avenger affiliation until Age of Ultron and thus isn’t beholden to Steve in any formal way, he still approaches Steve as both a friend and a commanding officer.  When they undertake something together, Sam gives his input, but usually in more of a “this is what I think, but I’m with you either way” sense.  He frequently defers to Steve and is incredibly loyal to him, risking physical injury as well as incarceration on Steve’s behalf (anyone who complains that Cap is a perfect boy scout should wonder why he’s so often on the wrong side of authority.)  Steve doesn’t ask for this and in fact repeatedly checks in with Sam and offers him outs when Steve is planning a big move; Steve takes on a lot of responsibility for the welfare of the people who follow him and never wants them doing anything they’re not comfortable with.  However, the fact that Sam is so all in with Steve, despite Steve’s tendency to get them both into trouble, is a testament to Steve’s power as a leader.  Following him isn’t easy, but those who do never regret it.