16 Reasons the Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes Is the Best Avenger

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Sebastian Stan

I could go on and on about how attractive he is, so let me just get that out of the way. Sebastian Stan is attractive. We should not be attracted to the Winter Soldier, an assassin and killer, but we are, because of that damned man.

But I’m not here to talk about his fanfiction-level cerulean eyes, or his effortless bob haircut, or those arms (even the fake one). I’m here to talk about his acting. If you really think about it, The Winter Soldier is one of the MCU’s most complicated, varied characters. He’s had to play a completely different person, while playing the same person, in every single movie.

In The First Avenger, he plays Bucky Barnes, Steve’s best friend and sidekick. He’s there as sad origin story fodder for Steve, even to the “death”. He’s suave, flirts with the ladies, protects small Steve, and rolls with the punches when a brand new Cap shows up. He’s a minor character basically used as a plot device.

But then in The Winter Soldier, it’s been several years since Cap, or audiences, have seen Bucky. Now Sebastian has to play the Soviet assassin, and towards the end of the film, a man caught in the middle – The Winter Bucky. He terrifies us in his mask and flipping knives, then he recognizes Steve and every line is blurred. Sebastian plays this literal middle-man with amazing delicacy.

In Civil War, he’s progressed to the Bucky Soldier. He knows who he’s SUPPOSED to be, but not who he is now. Amidst being framed, political upheaval, and superhero infighting, Bucky, and Sebastian, has to figure himself out.

He knows Steve doesn’t like killing, but he can’t quite remember everything about Steve. Once again, Sebastian walks the tightrope between easily triggered assassin and tragic side character. We fear the Soldier’s wrath when we hear the trigger words, but Sebastian makes these scenes more sad than scary by showing his own fear of what he’ll become.