Why Bucky Barnes Is Better as a Mentor Than the New Avengers Leader

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As a huge fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I must confess that I had high hopes for Bucky Barnes becoming the leader of the Thunderbolts team before watching the movie. However, my expectations were pleasantly surprised as Bucky’s role within the group turned out to be even more captivating and fitting for his character’s development in the MCU. Despite not being the official commander, Bucky’s contributions to the team are significant and promising for both the Thunderbolts and the evolution of Bucky Barnes as a character.

In the finale of “Thunderbolts”, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine officially renamed the Thunderbolts as The New Avengers in a public announcement. This was essentially a way for Val to maintain her reputation after the Void’s attack on New York, but the post-credits scenes suggest that the Thunderbolts accepted this change gracefully, with Val under their control and eagerly adopting their new roles as the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s latest superhero team. Despite this, it seems that in the upcoming MCU movie, Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes is not the leader of the New Avengers; however, I’ve come to understand that his role on the team is much more significant than being just a leader.

Bucky Barnes Does Not Seem To Be Leading The Thunderbolts/New Avengers

Yelena Is Definitely More Of The Official Team Leader

To start with the storyline of Thunderbolts, Bucky Barnes is currently a congressman working to support the impeachment process against Val as the Director of the CIA. Within the system, he’s trying to make a difference. However, things take an unexpected turn when Bucky receives crucial information about the OXE Group’s vault from Val’s assistant Mel. This intel leads him to confront and arrest Yelena Belova, Red Guardian, U.S. Agent, and Ghost. His goal is to bring them in for questioning so they can offer testimonies against Val.

In essence, Bucky manages to persuade everyone to acknowledge their troubled histories instead of being haunted by them forever, in order to take down Val following his discovery about Bob, who is also known as Sentry. As the story progresses, Yelena Beova emerges as an influential leader for the group. By the end of the movie, it’s clear that she’s leading the New Avengers, now based in The Watchtower (formerly Avengers Tower). Interestingly, Bucky is frequently seen offering advice and suggestions to Yelena during this period.

*Assuming Thunderbolts refers to the next movie or sequel where these events unfold.

Why Bucky Is Better As A Mentor Rather Than The New Avengers’ Outright Leader

He’s A Chapter Ahead On His MCU Journey

Instead of directly leading the New Avengers, it appears that Bucky Barnes has taken on a mentoring role for the team. Given his extensive experience in the superhero world and his struggle to overcome his own dark history, he seems better suited to guide them. In fact, before the climax of the movie, he confides in them that he understands their predicament because he’s been through similar challenges himself, emphasizing that making the right decisions can help navigate the complexities of the past.

It seems more suitable for Bucky to assume a mentor role, given his character traits, instead of leading as the main figure in a full team. He’s already further along on this new team, who are grappling with morally intricate paths. This could prove beneficial for the New Avengers as they progress through the MCU, particularly in movies like Avengers: Doomsday and beyond.

Bucky’s New Role Introduces A Fresh Team Dynamic For The MCU

Perfect For Legacy MCU Characters

In future installments of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we might witness a greater emphasis on the “Guiding” or “Coach” role for established characters like Bucky Barnes, which could bring an intriguing shift in team dynamics. This setup offers an engaging blend of characters that have been part of the MCU since its early phases (such as Bucky), alongside those who debuted post-“Endgame”.

In the same vein as Bucky taking on an advisory position with the New Avengers, I can envision characters such as Vision or Clint Barton’s Hawkeye stepping into mentoring roles for the upcoming generation of superheroes, like the anticipated Young Avengers. To be clear, I feel that Bucky Barnes’ role within the New Avengers is a more suitable fit compared to being a full-fledged team leader. This position seems to align better with his style and promises an exhilarating continuation of his journey alongside his new MCU team in the future.

Thunderbolts* is now playing in theaters from Marvel Studios.

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2025-05-19 06:31