The last episode ofThe Falcon and the Winter Soldierpacked an emotional punch when the final title card read “Captain America and the Winter Soldier” instead, solidifying Sam’s transition into his new role. But head writer Malcolm Spellman says that at one point, Sam wasn’t the only one whose name had shifted in the final title card.
In an interview withThe Hollywood Reporter, Spellman states that they almost changedthe name of Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnesin the final title card from the Winter Soldier to the White Wolf. “I got to see that moniker [White Wolf] in watching one of the cuts, and man, it really affected me emotionally,” he says, “The reason it still says The Winter Soldier is solely based on Marvel feeling like they needed to keep some of the original title in there to land that feeling. I don’t think it had anything to do with where Bucky is going or how Bucky evolved as a character. I think that they felt like if they went too far away from the original title, you wouldn’t feel the impact of those words. But I’m speculating here.”
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The name is not a new moniker for Barnes, as it was the Wakandans who called Bucky the White Wolf during his time in their nation while he was undergoing treatment to be free of his Winter Soldier alter-ego. Of course, because of Bucky’s role in helping Baron Zemo escape prison, a punishment for his list of crimes that includes murdering King T’Chaka inCaptain America: Civil War,Bucky and Wakanda aren’t on the best termsby the end ofThe Falcon and the Winter Soldier. However, Spellman doesn’t think that was the main reason the alternate title card wouldn’t have worked, saying, “Again, I’m speculating here, but I believe they wanted the impact ofCaptain America and the Winter Soldierto land. And I do think that had they doneCaptain America and the White Wolf, it might not have been as emotional of a landing because it’s too much math and too much evolution. But I don’t know for sure what it was. I got blindsided by that while watching the cut — but I loved it.”
Over the course ofThe Falcon and the Winter Soldier,Bucky continues to struggle with the traumahis actions as the Winter Soldier have caused him. Although he knows he was under HYDRA’s control, he still feels a great deal of guilt and wants to make amends. By the end of the season, he is learning to accept happiness and find his place as a hero, though it appears to have come at the cost of his friendship with an elderly man whose son was murdered by Bucky while he was operating under HYDRA’s control.
However, while Bucky is finding his place as a hero, he hadn’t specifically found himself as the White Wolf. Meanwhile Sam Wilson’s journey of accepting the shield and whatit means to be the new Captain Americais clearly depicted throughout the show. The change of title card follows Sam taking on the shield and naming himself as Captain America.
There have been rumors thatSam Wilson’s Captain America will be leadinghis own movie in the MCU, although Spellman refuses to comment on it. Regardless, Sam Wilson has a long future ahead of him in the MCU, as does Bucky. Maybe Bucky will even earn the White Wolf title in a future season ofThe Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldieris now streaming on Disney Plus.
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