Avengers: Endgame - Every Mystery The Russos Have Answered (So Far)

9. The New Cap

The Question

Why would Steve Rogers choose Sam Wilson over Bucky Barnes to take on the mantle of Captain America in his retirement? Wasn't Bucky more of a friend? Didn't he deserve it after everything he'd been through? Wouldn't it have suited his arc of redemption?

The Answer

Well no, because Bucky is still a complicated guy and his skeletons were just too much for the Russos to have him take on Cap's shield into the future:

"Falcon is an amazing character who is deserving of the shield. Bucky has a complicated history and a damaged mind. You don’t want to hand a very powerful weapon to somebody who is vulnerable like that."

It's interesting that they talk about him still being vulnerable, given that it looked like he was cured in Wakanda, so perhaps that means the Bucky in the Disney+ Falcon & The Winter Soldier show might still be wrestling with something?