In the pages of Marvel Comics, many characters besides Steve Rogers have adopted the “Captain America” mantle. Including Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson, who was given the iconic shield at the end of Avengers: Endgame and promised to “do my best” with it. He’s going to try to do just that in Marvel and Disney’s upcoming streaming series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which sees Rogers’ two pals teaming up against returning villain Zemo. As many fans have pointed out, however, Bucky Barnes has also used the shield.
He did so when facing off against Roger in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and again in Civil War, though as an ally. As for fully adopting his friend’s hero mantle, however, Stan doesn’t think that would be a good idea:
“It makes no sense for him to… Why would you give it to the guy that’s been trying to have a whole new history outside of the thing he’s been trapped by? I remember I found out the day we were shooting. I was like, ‘Oh wow, this is the deal.’ But it makes sense. He [Sam Wilson] has been his right-hand for a long time at this point.”
It’s a fair point. Because, yes, Barnes has performed his duties as Captain America at certain points in the comics, but with regards to the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s version of the character, he’s still recovering from having lived, worked and slept as a Hydra super-spy and assassin for decades. The events of Infinity War and Endgame forced him back into the fight, but now that the world is no longer ending (as far as we know pre-seeing The Falcon and the Winter Soldier), why would Barnes want to be thrust back into another fight?
(Via Yahoo Movies)