After the Thunderbolts* trailer had a callback to one of the most memorable Bucky Barnes moments in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I can’t help but feel like the upcoming film could be setting up his death. Sebastian Stan joined the MCU in 2011, co-starring in Captain America: The First Avenger alongside Chris Evans. They made up my favorite duo in the franchise. Bucky Barnes’ MCU journey has been full of twists and turns. Bucky has been through a lot, going from being a war hero to Hydra’s Winter Soldier to getting back his life to now leading Thunderbolts*‘s cast.

I can’t wait to see how Stan does as Bucky in a leadership role in the MCU, and the darker, anti-hero-heavy team featured in Thunderbolts* is perfect for him to jump into that new phase of his life. My only fear is that his time as a leader will be cut short by the teased story of Marvel’s Thunderbolts*. The latest trailer for Thunderbolts* featured a key moment that makes me think Bucky Barnes might not make out of it alive, and at the same time, it is a callback to one of Bucky’s most remembered MCU moments.

The Thunderbolts* Trailer Featured A Callback To Bucky’s First Meeting With Spider-Man

The Winter Soldier Was Used To Show Spider-Man’s Strength

2016’s Captain America: Civil War is one of the MCU’s best movies. Essentially an Avengers film that puts Chris Evans’ Captain America front and center, the project allowed for many exciting interactions between heroes, even if they were on opposite sides of the conflict between Captain America and Iron Man. The movie also marked Spider-Man’s MCU debut, and I loved Tom Holland’s first time in the role. Spidey had a lot of memorable moments in the project, and one of the best sequences comes from him fighting Bucky Barnes and Sam Wilson.

Marvel showed Spider-Man’s strength from the get-go by having him easily stop Bucky’s metal arm. This shocked Sebastian Stan’s Marvel character, while Spider-Man just commented on how awesome the arm looked. While that was a fun moment, Thunderbolts* features a way darker callback to the scene in its latest trailer. The footage from the upcoming 2025 MCU movie has Bucky once again shocked by another character stopping his metal arm. While he is mostly off-camera, Sentry is the one stopping Bucky. The key difference between the two is that Bucky seems genuinely afraid in Thunderbolts*, and his arm is ripped off.

Why I’m More Afraid For Bucky After Thunderbolts*’s Captain America: Civil War Callback

The Character Is Up Against A Powerful New MCU Player

For those who are unfamiliar with the character, Sentry is one of Marvel’s answers to DC’s Superman in the comics. The character is unbelievably powerful. While Sentry is supposed to be a hero, the serum that gave Bob Reynolds his powers also led to him developing a dark side. The Void, Sentry’s dark persona, is who the latest Thunderbolts* trailer showed transforming New York’s citizens into shadows on the pavement. That is why I’m afraid Bucky Barnes could die in Marvel’s Thunderbolts*, and the callback moment to his meeting with Spider-Man plays into that.

The Thunderbolts* trailer shows that Bucky will be having a one-on-one fight with Sentry/The Void. Even though he is a super-soldier with several years of experience and has killed many, Bucky is definitely in way over his head. I fear that the scene will see the rest of the Thunderbolts looking on as Sentry not only tears Bucky’s arm off and throws it at them, as seen in the trailer, but kills Sebastian Stan’s fan-favorite Marvel character. Without his metal arm and fighting a being that is essentially Superman, I don’t see many chances for Bucky to survive.

Thunderbolts* Makes Bucky Barnes Dying A Real Possibility

More Members Of The New MCU Team Could Also End Up ᴅᴇᴀᴅ

Thunderbolts* is a different project when compared to most of what the MCU has to offer. While there is plenty of room for traditional MCU humor and a found family dynamic that makes it similar to James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy in a way, Thunderbolts* is a darker, more serious entry in the franchise. There is a bleak atmosphere in this particular Marvel story, with the members of the team not being traditional heroes. With the Avengers not yet ᴀssembled, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine is sending an expendable team to stop Marvel’s Superman.

With no member of the team rivaling Sentry’s power, it seems like everyone is fair game to die. In fact, all the trailers for Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts* only show Taskmaster in the opening sequence, where the team meets for the first time. As such, it seems like the Black Widow character will be the first to go early in the movie. Besides, The Hollywood Reporter claimed in February 2024 that early drafts of the Thunderbolts* script featured the team on a mission that “was supposed to end with their deaths.” Bucky’s death would be Thunderbolts*‘s most shocking moment.

All Announced Upcoming MCU Movies

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  Captain America: Brave New World

  Release Date

  
  February 14, 2025
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  Thunderbolts*

  Release Date

  
  May 2, 2025
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  The Fantastic Four: First Steps

  Release Date

  
  July 25, 2025
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  Avengers: Doomsday (2026)

  
  
  
  
  

  
  

  
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  Spider-Man Homecoming 4

  Release Date

  
  July 24, 2026
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  Avengers: Secret Wars

  Release Date

  
  May 7, 2027
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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