The MCU has its official Steve Rogers replacement set in stone, but Avengers: Secret Wars could still make my Bucky Barnes Captain America dreams come true. Sebastian Stan’s Bucky caught the attention of many fans when he was introduced as Steve’s best friend in Captain America: The First Avenger. Bucky’s MCU story has come a long way since then, from escaping death to becoming a temporary villain. One thing that was always expected was that Bucky would take over as Captain America when Steve’s time was up, but the MCU has strayed from that possibility.

While I am sad that we’ve yet to see Bucky as Captain America on the big screen, Sam Wilson taking over the mantle makes complete sense for the story that’s unfolded in the MCU. Sam was just as loyal a partner to Steve as Bucky was, and Bucky’s path of atonement in The Falcon & The Winter Soldier was a much better direction for him than rushing into the Captain America role. Even though Bucky’s MCU future is set for Thunderbolts*, there’s still one last chance for Bucky to take up the Captain America mantle in the MCU.