Fangirl Friday: Bucky Barnes

 Heyo! Happy Friday! Another week conquered. This week's Fangirl Friday is very special because it's the first to feature a fictional character. This week's spotlight is on my comfort character, Bucky Barnes. I didn't even have to save any new pictures for this post because I have a designated Bucky Barnes folder already loaded.

Disclaimer: I've seen every portrayal of Bucky within the MCU EXCEPT the What If.. series. I only watched the first episode of the series. So if you're not caught up to The Falcon and the Winter Soldier at least, there will be spoilers.

If you know absolutely nothing about MCU Bucky, but would like to read about him I suggest the fan wiki page for him. It is probably my most revisited page on the interwebs.

My love for Bucky started when I first watched Captain America: The First Avenger. If you read Fangirl Friday: Sebastian Stan you know I was a fan of Baz for years and he's mostly the reason I watched the first Captain America movie when it came out. In all honesty, I don't know if I would love Bucky as much as I do if he was portrayed by any other actor.

I really started writing summaries for the role he played in the movies he was in, but then I realized it would make this post much longer than I want it to be. So instead of going through every important moment in the character's life onscreen, I'm going to go over my favorite Bucky scenes.

The moment the man showed up in uniform and defended his best friend, Steve Rogers, he stole my heart. I absolutely love his friendship with Steve. I wish we could have seen more of their friendship before the events of Captain America: The First Avenger, but I will take what I've got. The "I'm with you til the end of the line" scene encompasses how much love Bucky had for Steve.

Let's not forget the iconic "no, not without you" when Steve tells him to go while they're still in the HYDRA base.

I do believe that Steve and Bucky are soulmates. Whether it's romantic or platonic is up for debate. No matter what, those two had each other's back through everything. And this franchise put them through a lot.

My least favorite Bucky scene is when we see him being tortured and having his memory wiped in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. I hate the scene because the man is in distress. However, it's one of if not his most popular scenes just because he's shirtless.

On the other side of that, one of my favorite Bucky scenes is when he finally is free. The codewords that turned him into The Winter Soldier no longer have any control over him. I cry so hard every single time I watch that scene.

I would pay good money to have seen more of Bucky recovering in Wakanda. We didn't get enough of White Wolf.

I was over the moon when The Falcon and the Winter Soldier show was announced. I tuned into Disney+ every single week. I have since watched it multiple times. The show is about him trying to find his place in the world now being in the foreign future and trying to move past the things he did as The Winter Soldier. I had hoped that Bucky would end up with Sam Wilson's sister, Sarah. 

My favorite Bucky scene came from the show, which is seemingly Bucky finding his place with Sam and his family.

NOW there is something I have to get off my chest. If you follow me on Tumblr, you've already seen me rant enough about this. I don't like how they ended Steve's storyline in Endgame. I hate it actually. I don't think he should have abandoned Bucky since he knew what it was like having to live and adapt to the future. I am very much planning a post about why I hate that plot choice. But I'll never get over it. I am forever bitter at Steve's abandonment.

I cannot pinpoint exactly why Bucky is my comfort character. He definitely lives rent-free in my head. I haven't stopped thinking about him for eleven years, but I will admit, I am not looking forward to the rest of his stay in the MCU. I've got intense Marvel burnout following Endgame. I'm barely hanging on as it is.

To be completely honest, I am looking forward to the MCU killing Bucky off. It'll hurt something awful. I am looking forward to Marvel releasing Sebastian Stan from their grip. From the rumors I've heard about the Thunderbolts movie, I am not looking forward to it. Allegedly, he's going to have a romantic storyline with Yelena Belova, which angers me on more than one level. I'll watch the movie for him and Yelena regardless, but it doesn't mean I have to like it.

He is the fictional character I've written the most about. If you're interested in checking out any of the fics I've written about him, I'll link my 5 favorites below. Or if you'd like to see the whole list, go here.

1. Bucky's Final Amends - Bucky crosses every name off his list, but begins having nightmares reliving the night the Winter Soldier murdered the Starks. How would he make amends for Howard and Maria when Tony was gone?
2. Positive - Sam finds a positive pregnancy test and confronts Sarah and Bucky about it.
3. Getting Alpine - Bucky surprises his wife with a kitten.
4. Admit - As part of his amends, Bucky begins spending time with the widow and daughter of one of the Winter Soldier's victims.
5. Love is Here to Stay - Bucky and his partner, Grace, are expecting. Follow their journey through furnishing the nursery, doctor visits, and parenthood.