Oh Thank God, Thunderbolts* Didn’t Do What I Was Afraid They'd Do With Bucky Barnes And Yelena Belova

Thunderbolts* had the chance to link two characters romantically, and I’m so relieved that Marvel didn’t choose to go in that direction. Romance in the MCU is a tricky topic as some couples can really contribute to the emotional core of the project, while others can bring a project down entirely. Not every MCU couple can be among the ranks of Tony Stark and Pepper Potts or Wanda Maximoff and Vision, nor should they be expected to. Romantic relationships are nice every once in a while, but they’re not the main focus of most MCU projects.

Sometimes Marvel has inserted couples that either don’t make sense together or add nothing of substance to the main storyline. Natasha Romanoff and Bruce Banner were one of the unpopular early romances as the MCU seemingly introduced them out of nowhere, and Thor and Jane Foster initially suffered from a weak story. Marvel truly risked making the same mistake in Thunderbolts*, especially with how many members of the team there are. However, they decided against it which ultimately benefited the film.

I Was So Afraid Thunderbolts* Would Make Bucky And Yelena Love Interests

Comic Bucky Is Involved With Yelena’s Sister, Natasha

As much as the Thunderbolts are a team, the main focus of the film is undoubtedly Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova. The other big name of the team is Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes as the character has had a long history in the MCU, making him one of the few remaining active Phase 1 characters. If Marvel wanted an easy way to put romance into Thunderbolts*, Yelena and Bucky would’ve been the go-to pairing, especially considering how they’re somewhat connected in the comics.

Since Yelena has technically stepped into the MCU’s Black Widow role since Natasha’s death, Marvel could’ve used this as an excuse to adapt the comic storyline.

Bucky and Natasha are love interests in Marvel Comics and have an actual, popular relationship. Since Yelena has technically stepped into the MCU’s Black Widow role since Natasha’s death, Marvel could’ve used this as an excuse to adapt the comic storyline. However, it would feel incredibly weird considering that Yelena isn’t just Natasha’s successor, but her loving younger sister. It would’ve been too obvious that Marvel just wanted to adapt the comic storyline so that they could claim to have a version of the Winter Soldier and Black Widow romance on-screen.

I’m Glad Yelena And Bob’s Relationship Is At The Heart Of Thunderbolts*

Their Genuine Bond Is Purely Platonic

There’s another relationship between two of Thunderbolts* main characters that did make sense, and I’m so glad that Marvel chose to go with that instead. The relationship between Yelena and Lewis Pullman’s Bob is integral to the film and actually seems substantial enough to grow in the future MCU. Yelena’s struggles and subsequent emotional growth are the heart of Thunderbolts*, and most of this wouldn’t have happened if she didn’t see herself in Bob. By giving advice to Bob that gets him out of his Void persona, she helps herself in the process.

Yelena and Bob’s Thunderbolts* relationship is not a romantic one, but it does seem like the beginning of a deep, genuine friendship. Some of the MCU’s best dynamics come from the found family trope, which is exactly what the Thunderbolts feel like by the end of the film, even if they don’t want to admit it. They’re able to defeat Void once and for all by comforting Bob rather than fighting him. It’s always refreshing when a film can have such deep emotional connections without having to lean on romance all the time, and this direction really worked for Thunderbolts*.

Bucky Barnes’ Most Important Relationship Took A Turn In Thunderbolts*

The Two Friends Are Now On Opposite Sides

Sam Wilson speaking to Bucky Barnes in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

Although Yelena ends the film with some new meaningful friendships, it seems like Bucky has lost his most important one. Bucky and Sam met through Steve Rogers and even with him gone, they’ve still been able to maintain their friendship. When both Stan and Anthony Mackie were confirmed for Avengers: Doomsday, fans thought that the duo would get to fight alongside each other. However, the Thunderbolts* post-credits scene revealed some rocky details. Brave New World ended with Sam planning to rebuild the Avengers, but now his biggest ally Bucky is part of an opposing team in the New Avengers.

Bucky explains that he and Sam disagree on the state of their respective teams, with Sam even attempting to get the copyright for the Avengers name. This will make their Doomsday reunion much more awkward, especially if there’s any merit to the report that Chris Evans will appear. Steve would hate to see his friends at odds, and if the theory that he’s playing HYDRA Captain America ends up being true, their weakened friendship could benefit him. It’s unlikely that they’ll have time to reconcile between Thunderbolts* and Doomsday, so fans of the duo can only hope for the best.