Sassafras
Super Freak
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2016
- Messages
- 8,387
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A favorite adage of mine ]
First off, Bucky is probably my favorite character in the MCU. That being said, I think Bucky absolutely blurs the line between antagonist and villain in TWS (and the semi-ridiculous he-can-be-triggered-again subplot in CW, but I digress). Fully brainwashed/controlled, the Winter Soldier - while not evil by any stretch - is deadly, efficient, and merciless. He "kills" Fury, kills Sitwell, and nearly kills Sam, Natasha and Steve. Yes, Pierce is the bigger baddie, but Marvel marketed Bucky as the villain of TWS and he did serve as the primary physical threat throughout the movie. He's sympathetic and endearing because of his tragic past, but he makes a heck of a villain for the first part of the film before his true identity and Cap's connection to him is revealed. Some of my favorite parts of TWS are the Winter Soldier being the unshakeable, cold-blooded (ha pun), take-no-prisoners "bad" guy. I love the friendship, heart-to-heart scenes with Cap too, but damn if Bucky isn't cool (ha pun again) as the brutal Russian assassin.
Antagonist? Villain?
I like the "triggers" in CW - thought it was well-handled. Somewhere around was reading an article where some drs. weigh in on CW, talking about "fugue states", brainwashing, disassociation - folks that wake up in other cities and don't know who they are, or how they got there. I figure w. Bucky too, as the character is depicted in the film and the back history - who's to say Hydra didn't use whatever drugs on him as well, scrambling his brain even more.
After all, he would have been being frozen and unthawed through the late '50s and through the '60s when a lot of experimenting went on.
For me, I can't call Bucky a villain as I think of word - and there's shades of grey here IMO. If I think of a villain (as TrashCat describes) as one who chooses to coldly destroy - 'coz by that definition, Hawkeye and Black Widow are villains at different periods. The twins think of Iron Man as a villain, etc. Re the film Bucky is haunted by what he'd done - but I'd argue that it's a question if "he" did it, because by default if you are "de-selfed" then are you no longer "you?" (D*mn, the writers are good w. emotional torment, because if Bucky "remembers all of them" then to me it implies a part of himself was watching himself kill etc. and not being able to do anything...)
For me - WS is my favorite character, but I've got no doubt it's because of Sebastian Stan and the Russos skilled handling of the role. It's not just because of the backstory...that said, LOL, I'd be lying if I said I didn't thoroughly enjoy every scene of Bucky wreaking havoc. It's like watching a force of nature.
IF and WHEN Bucky wakes up and/or takes up the shield and/or helps against Thanos - well, I'm not gonna wanna watch the Winter Soldier kind of feel bad about the destruction of the world, but opt for being a pacifist and run away or something. I'm gonna want to see vengeful Bucky ***-kicking in all his most lethal, relentless, smoky-eyed, knife-wielding, sharpshooting, POSSIBLY shield-wielding glory. I mean, it's not like I don't enjoy the WS highway scenes and all. Even if Bucky isn't being nice when he throws Sitwell into traffic (but that's OK, re the comics: He [Sitwell] returned as a zombie through unknown ways and was held in Area 13 by a S.H.I.E.L.D. division called S.T.A.K.E.) and besides did anyone cry over Sitwell?
Fan-made IW trailer!!!!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ptfk0TF9MF0
This was pretty good IMO - gotta keep busy waiting!
Meanwhile - am thinking I need just one more CW Bucky to tinker with.. Eventually. This one is great, and lots of custom possibilities. And assuming - most likely - when Bucky gets a new arm, who's to say that it wouldn't be some sort of blackened metal or look "human" (stealth) or have completely different markings like a Cap shield or even markings from Wakanda? The filmmakers don't strictly follow the comics. And one thing I've noticed - even w. "less popular" retired figs, on the 'bay, prices don't seem to go down, all that much.