Bucky Became An Avenger Before His MCU Disney+ Series, But Not Officially

Published Oct 12, 2026, 8:15 AM EDT

John Orquiola is a TV Editor, Senior Writer, and Interviewer with a special focus on Star Trek. John has over 5,000 published articles at SR, and he has interviewed the biggest names in Star Trek on the red carpet and VIP events, among other beloved shows, movies, and franchises.

James "Bucky" Barnes (Sebastian Stan) was called an Avenger in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, years before he officially joined the New Avengers in Thunderbolts*. Set months after Avengers: Endgame, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier dealt with the state of the world after billions of people returned from the Blip, while the Avengers were no more after the final defeat of Thanos (Josh Brolin).

Bucky's redemption was central to The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. The former Winter Soldier was in parole-mandated therapy, making amends for his crimes as HYDRA's programmed assassin. Meanwhile, the United States government naming John Walker (Wyatt Russell) as the new Captain America forced Bucky to question everything, including whether Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) made a mistake by giving his shield to Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), who gave it up.

Bucky's identity as the Winter Soldier became publicly known after Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and Steve Rogers trying to save his oldest friend broke the Avengers apart. Ultimately, Steve arranged for Bucky to be rehabilitated in Wakanda, where Barnes was called the White Wolf. Free of his HYDRA programming, Bucky fought Thanos' alien army in the Battle of Wakanda before being dusted by the Snap. Sometime after Bucky was resurrected, he became known as an Avenger, but was he?

Bucky Was Considered An Avenger Before The Falcon And The Winter Soldier

Wherever Bucky went in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, he was called an Avenger. This includes members of law enforcement, the media, and people on the street. However, Bucky never joined the Avengers in the team's original incarnation. The Winter Soldier fought the Avengers in Captain America: Civil War, but he didn't interact with them again until the Battle of Wakanda in Avengers: Infinity War, and then Avengers: Endgame's climactic defeat of Thanos.

Bucky didn't have formal status as an ex-Avenger the way Sam Wilson did as the Falcon. However, Barnes was still considered an Avenger by virtue of fighting and defending Wakanda from Thanos' armada. In Avengers: Endgame, every hero who fought alongside Steve Rogers when he cried, "Avengers assemble!" was an Avenger in the moment. Bucky's unofficial Avengers cred was validated when he attended Tony Stark's (Robert Downey Jr.) funeral.

Barnes was publicly known as Steve Rogers' best friend, which also boosted his recognition. When Rogers was on the run for two years for violating the Sokovia Accords, many considered him a "war criminal," such as Peter Parker's (Tom Holland) gym teacher in Spider-Man: Homecoming. However, Rogers' luster was restored by Avengers: Endgame, and Bucky benefited from his close, lifelong association with Captain America.

To be called an "Avenger" was also a public acknowledgment of Bucky's heroism in helping to finally put an end to Thanos. Ultimately, Bucky was an Avenger by proxy in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, since he was also publicly fighting alongside the Falcon, who was, at one point, an official Avenger. Since they were disbanded before The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, the Avengers took on a mythic quality that reflected positively on Bucky.

Bucky Officially Became An Avenger In Thunderbolts*

Bucky Barnes finally received official, government-sanctioned status as an Avenger at the end of Thunderbolts*. Like the rest of the makeshift team that included Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Bucky went along with Valentina Allegra de Fontaine's (Julia Louis Dreyfuss) public declaration that her hired guns were now the New Avengers.

Red Guardian (David Harbour) came up with a way to circumvent copyright issues by renaming his team "The New Avengerz."

14 months later, the New Avengers were still a team, as seen in Thunderbolts*' post-credits scene. However, they weren't taken seriously by the public or by Sam Wilson. Sam was tasked with reforming the Avengers by President Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford) in Captain America: Brave New World, and nothing Bucky said to Wilson could change his mind that the New Avengers were illegitimate.

So, Bucky Barnes is now an Avenger, but the Marvel Cinematic Universe is on the cusp of having two Avengers teams... again. After Captain America: Civil War, Tony Stark led the Avengers while Steve Rogers, Sam Wilson, Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson), and Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) informally operated as the 'Secret Avengers.'

After Thunderbolts*, however, the two Avengers teams have claims to legitimacy. Meanwhile, Bucky Barnes has risen to become a United States congressman and a member of the New Avengers, showing great progress from the wayward soul he was in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is streaming on Disney+

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  Sam Wilson / Falcon / Captain America

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  James Bucky Barnes / Winter Soldier