Why Nobody Calls Bucky By His Real First Name

Why Nobody Calls Bucky By His Real First Name

Bucky was known primarily as The Winter Soldier in his time within the MCU- but seldom referred to by his actual first name, for a variety of reasons.

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Why Nobody Calls Bucky By His Real First Name

Bucky Barnes is known by a variety of names throughout his MCU run, but is rarely ever referred to by his actual first name – a decision that may ultimately reflect the journey The Winter Soldier has been through in the franchise. Initially introduced as Captain America’s closest friend, James Buchanan Barnes – known better by his nickname of Bucky – fast became a fan-favorite character after his reappearance as (and subsequent redemption from) the HYDRA controlled assassin known as The Winter Soldier.

This title would become an important part of Bucky’s redemption arc long after he had joined Marvel’s heroes, as it remained a name associated with him, serving as a permanent reminder of his dark past and the damage he had done during it. Indeed, each of the nicknames used to refer to Bucky hold a similarly significant meaning – with the title “White Wolf” being bestowed to him during his time in Wakanda as a sign of his recovery, and Bucky itself being an affectionate nod to his soldier days and the more human side of him. This in mind, it may seem surreal that the one name that the character is least referred to by is his actual first name.

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But in the larger context of both the MCU and Barnes’ personal growth, this choice is one that makes a lot of sense. Ultimately, James is the name used for the version of Bucky that existed decades prior – likely used primarily by people who, by the time he is free of his HYDRA programming, are either long dead or have forgotten about him entirely. It is used in the MCU, but in contexts that would only further make using it more awkward – for example, Bucky’s therapist in Falcon and The Winter Soldier refers to him in this way. In short, James is his birth name, but one that no doubt often sits uncomfortably with him, albeit for different reasons at different points, and it is this that makes it a name that is so rarely used.

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Early on in the MCU – from the beginning of Bucky’s redemption in Captain America: The Winter Soldier – Barnes would not have regarded himself as the same man he once was, understandably struggling with having been turned into an emotionless serial killer when he was once a kind and moral defender of others. Thus, someone calling him James would have potentially set him into something of a spiral, so it makes sense nobody really refers to him by it – especially as Captain America introduces him to more or less everyone as Bucky anyways.

Even after Bucky had begun to both accept his past as The Winter Soldier and accept that he couldn’t remain in the mantle’s shadow – as is his arc throughout Avengers: Endgame and Falcon and The Winter Soldier shows – he was still a very different person from the more eager-eyed days of his youth. Though no longer struggling to come to terms with the contrast between his previous identities as he was prior, it’s clear from Falcon and The Winter Soldier that this only distances him further from considering those identities who he is. This is because his growth ultimately comes from understanding that he cannot go back in time and become once more who he was, but that he can become better than he is, meaning he was decidedly unlikely to suddenly begin asking people to call him James at this point in his life.

This isn’t to suggest that Bucky is entirely divorced from his own name – after all, it’s not like he was shown going beserk the times people have referred to him as James, nor has he ever complained about it. But with the basis of much of Bucky’s personal growth symbolically centering around his various names, it makes sense that a name so heavily associated with his past is one that sees relatively little use in the current MCU.

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Link Source : https://screenrant.com/bucky-james-winter-soldier-real-name-nobody-why/

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