Avengers: Endgame Directors Explain Why Bucky Didn’t Get That Captain America Moment

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By Corey Chichizola
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Bucky in Infinity War

Spoilers ahead for Avengers: Endgame. If you haven't caught it in theaters yet, get going!

It's been almost two weeks since Avengers: Endgame hit theaters, and every frame of the blockbuster is being dissected and discussed by the rabid fanbase. The Russo Brothers left no stone unturned in their massive new release, including time travel, tons of plot twists, and more cameos than you can count. But there are quite a few questions left after the credits rolled, especially when it came to Captain America's ending.

After returning the Infinity Stones to their proper homes within the timeline, Steve Rogers decided to stay in the past and live out his life with Peggy Carter. But he eventually returned to pass on his shield and the mantle of Captain America to his buddy Sam Wilson aka Falcon. It was an epic moment, but some fans have been wondering why Bucky wasn't chosen instead. Now The Russo Brothers have explained this choice, with Joe Russo saying:

Cap and Bucky are brothers but you know what's interesting about them is they're very different people and I think that Bucky always has the ability to have his mind corrupted, it can always be taken over by someone else. That hasn't been resolved for him and Sam has his free will and I think that Sam also had a similar ethic as Cap as far as service goes in the military.

Touche, Russos. While Bucky has a longer history with Steve Rogers, it does makes sense that Sam Wilson would be the one taking up Captain America's hammer. At least, if the comics are any indication.

Joe Russo's comments come from his appearance as Comic Book's Game Over event, where the co-directors fielded a number of questions about their tenure in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Avengers: Endgame might have brought the dusted characters back to life, but The Russo Brothers were also tasked with giving fitting endings to Marvel favorites Iron Man, Black Widow, and Captain America. While many thought Cap would perish at Thanos' hands, he ended up getting his happy ending.

Related: Sebastian Stan Says He Was Tricked By Avengers: Endgame's Fake Scripts

While Chris Evans may be officially out of the MCU indefinitely, the Captain America franchise looks like it'll live on, starring Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson. Mackie has been a supporting figure in six Marvel movies, but he'll presumably get much more screen time in Phase Four.

The future of the MCU is largely a mystery, but Anthony Mackie is expected to star alongside Sebastian Stan in the upcoming Disney+ series Falcon & Winter Soldier. Perhaps that upcoming series will give Sam and Bucky the opportunity to hash out Cap's decision, and reveal how Wilson has been doing as the new Captain America. Although given the series' title, a prequel isn't out of the question. There should be no more Falcon in the MCU, technically.

You can watch Captain America give Sam Wilson his shield now, as Avengers: Endgame is still in theaters. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Corey Chichizola
Corey Chichizola
Movies Editor

Corey was born and raised in New Jersey. Graduated with degrees theater and literature from Ramapo College of New Jersey. After working in administrative theater for a year in New York, he started as the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. He's since been able to work himself up to reviews, phoners, and press junkets-- and is now able to appear on camera with some of his favorite actors... just not as he would have predicted as a kid. He's particularly proud of covering horror franchises like Scream and Halloween, as well as movie musicals like West Side Story. Favorite interviews include Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more.