Skip to main content

Everyone Is Thirsting Over 1940s Bucky Barnes in Marvel’s What If…?

I would also die for Captain Carter.

By Aug 4th, 2021, 4:44 pm

Bucky in the 1940s in Marvel's What If...?

Prior to The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, my favorite James Buchanan Barnes was 1940s Bucky—not because I didn’t like or care about the Winter Soldier, but rather that I liked Bucky’s look in the 1940s and the dynamic that Bucky and Steve shared while fighting in World War II. Now, Marvel’s What If…? is bringing him back to us all in a wonderfully delightful way.

In a new clip for the Disney+ animated show, we got a special look at Peggy Carter’s journey to becoming a super soldier. When she’s told that women can’t be soldiers, she runs to Howard Stark and takes the super-soldier serum herself, meaning that instead of Steve Rogers becoming Captain America, we get Peggy Carter as Captain Carter!

This scene, frankly, has something for everyone who loves Captain America: The First Avenger. We get Peggy Carter being the incredible badass she is, 1940s Bucky and his coming to terms with being the little fish in a big pond, and Steve Rogers being the good boy we know and love. What’s so great about this clip is that even pre-serum Steve Rogers found a way to help everyone, and so Bucky Barnes is still completely confused by his best friend he used to have to protect from fights in Brooklyn.

Just confused, standing on the sideline, and letting Steve and Peggy fight. I love to see it.

Twitter loved all the Bucky Barnes content coming our way in Marvel’s What If…?

What If…? is giving fans a lot to work with and is ushering in a new era of Marvel content. The multiverse is exciting for a whole lot of reasons, but I love that it is giving us all the content we want and need while still being able to have the set universe they’ve already created in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Things are changing for Marvel, for the better, and I can’t wait to see what new storylines What If…? brings us.

What If…? premieres on Disney+ on August 11!

(image: Marvel Entertainment)

Want more stories like this? Become a subscriber and support the site!  

 —The Mary Sue has a strict comment policy that forbids, but is not limited to, personal insults toward anyone, hate speech, and trolling.—

Have a tip we should know? [email protected]

Filed Under:

Follow The Mary Sue:

Rachel Leishman - Assistant Editor

Rachel Leishman (She/Her) is an Assistant Editor at the Mary Sue. A writer her whole life but professionally starting back in 2016 who loves all things movies, TV, and classic rock. Resident Spider-Man expert, official Leslie Knope, actually Yelena Belova. Wanda Maximoff has never done anything wrong in her life. Star Wars makes her very happy. New York writer with a passion for all things nerdy. Yes, she has a Pedro Pascal podcast. And also a Harrison Ford one.