Thanos is the greatest villain in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Mad Titan sets out with the goal of eliminating half the life in the galaxy to give the other half a better chance to survive. He succeeds, of course, collecting all of the Infinity Stones in Avengers: Infinity War and snapping away trillions. It takes everything the heroes of the MCU have to set things right in Avengers: Endgame and stop an alternate version of Thanos from wiping out everyone and everything. All that to say, the franchise’s next big bad, Doctor Doom, has massive shoes to fill, and the only thing he has going for him now is his face.
Robert Downey Jr. is returning to the MCU to play Victor Von Doom in Avengers: Doomsday, which is going to have a hard time avoiding his appearance. The majority of characters in the franchise, such as Spider-Man, fought alongside Tony Stark at one time or another, and those who didn’t, like the Fantastic Four, likely have history with Doom, giving them extra motivation to take down the villain. However, one character has more on the line in Doomsday than anyone else: Bucky Barnes.
Bucky Barnes Is the Source of Tony Stark’s Pain in the MCU
When Tony enters the spotlight in Iron Man, he’s the stereotypical billionaire who has everything he wants. He sells weapons to the government by day, and by night, he’s partying and drinking as much as he can. Tony eventually learns the consequences of his actions when he finds his weapons in the hands of the Ten Rings terrorist group. After building his first Iron Man suit, he breaks out of captivity and shuts down the weapons manufacturing wing of his company. Tony wants to focus on being a hero, but there’s still one thing haunting him.
Iron Man 2 sees Tony wrestle with his complicated relationship with his late father, Howard Stark. The old man leaves his son a message, and he deciphers it to discover a new element that saves his life. After that, Tony puts his past behind him until Captain America: Civil War brings it all back to the surface. A Sokovian baron, Helmut Zemo, learns the truth behind Howard and Maria Stark’s deaths and uses it to tear the Avengers apart. He shows Tony the video of Bucky, acting as the Winter Soldier, crashing the car that Howard is driving and killing its occupants. Steve Rogers tries to calm his ally down, but Tony loses it and goes after Bucky.
Captain America has no choice but to defend his friend, making the rift between him and Tony grow larger. The movie concludes with Steve taking Bucky to Wakanda to get Hydra’s dirty work removed from his brain and Tony feeling conflicted about what happened. Fortunately, Steve and Tony get the chance to make up in Endgame before heading back in time to collect the Infinity Stones. Bucky doesn’t get the same opportunity, making the fight in Doomsday his last chance to make up for his past.
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Bucky Can Make Things Right With Tony in Avengers: Doomsday
At Tony’s funeral in Endgame, Bucky seems more upset than most. Sam Wilson even puts his hand on Bucky’s shoulder to comfort him. The movie doesn’t have time to explore Bucky’s feelings at the time, but it’s clear he feels guilty about how Tony lost his life to save his and so many others. Bucky probably has so much he wants to say to Tony, and he’ll never get the chance to have another conversation with him. However, the threat of Doctor Doom gives Bucky the opportunity to ensure that Tony’s legacy isn’t damaged by a villain who looks just like Iron Man.
At the end of Thunderbolts*, Bucky becomes part of the New Avengers, put together by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. While he’s not usually a team player, he takes to his new role quickly, operating as one of the leaders of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes for over a year. It ruffles some feathers, specifically Sam Wilson’s, who doesn’t believe a group of former criminals should use the Avengers name, but the most important thing is that the Earth is safe. However, when Doom arrives, it won’t be, and it’ll be up to Bucky to squash the beef between the two Avengers teams and take the fight to their common enemy.
Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on December 18, 2026.
Do you think Bucky will have extra motivation while fighting Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday? What kind of role do you think he’ll have in the movie? Let us know in the comments below!
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