Despite his ability to coexist with the Earth's Mightiest Heroes, James Buchanan Barnes has always been presented as the Marvel Cinematic Universe's lone wolf for most of his tenure. Phase Four changed all that by giving the former Winter Soldier a more prominent role and following his stint in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Bucky is set for even bigger things as the Multiverse Saga continues to heat up.
According to Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige, Sebastian Stan's fan-favorite hero will be given a role similar to Captain America and he'll be the one to lead the Thunderbolts. Turns out, that's not the only "upgrade" the Team Cap mainstay is getting because according to the latest rumors, Bucky might finally get his own love interest in the MCU.
An ongoing rumor (via the Marvel Updates Twitter page) claims that Thunderbolts will see Barnes actually develop a bond with Yelena Belova, Natasha Romanoff's younger sister. While the rumor didn't go into detail about Bucky and Yelena's connection in the film, it understandably led to many speculating that it will be a romance-filled partnership.
Shockingly enough, MCU diehards aren't all that thrilled with the Bucky-Yelana romance prospects. On Twitter, the reception to the rumor has been generally negative. Check out some of the reactions below:
Also Read: Bucky Barnes Finally Getting a Captain America-Like Role in the MCU
In the comics, the Winter Soldier had a romantic relationship with Black Widow but obviously, the MCU tweaked things up and paired Nat with Bruce Banner aka the Hulk, a move that was deemed questionable by many. Honestly, I can totally see Bucky and Yelena developing romance in the billion-dollar franchise and while they've yet to actually cross paths, I'm sensing their chemistry will be off the charts.
Marvel Studios' Thunderbolts is slated for release on July 26, 2024.
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