There Are Actually 15 Heroes That Bucky Hasn't Met In The MCU
Bucky Barnes, also known as the Winter Soldier, is one of the oldest characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and part of a select few Phase One heroes who are still around today. He has played a key role in the story of Steve Rogers, appearing in "Captain America: The First Avenger" and its sequels along with a host of other MCU movies. The super-soldier has appeared in seven films in total, along with his own television series, and met a host of characters from across the realms of Marvel. From his close friendship with Steve Rogers to his time in Wakanda as the White Wolf, Bucky has built up relationships with plenty of MCU stalwarts. But despite this, he has missed out on interacting with some important figures during his career so far.
Of course, while there are a lot of MCU characters that Bucky has never bumped into, we're only dealing with the key individuals who have played a major role in the franchise. That means that laypeople and incidental heroes who have only shown up once won't be included. There are also some that have appeared in the same scenes as the Winter Soldier, such as in the Battle of Earth during "Avengers: Endgame," but never actually spoke to or interacted with him. In these instances, we are treating these characters as if they haven't actually met Bucky. The only exception to this is Groot, who was seen standing right next to Bucky after being resurrected by Bruce Banner when the Snap was reversed.
Read on to discover the heroes Bucky has yet to meet.
Thor
Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is another hero who has been in the MCU since the very beginning, so it might be surprising to find out that he and Bucky haven't met at any point. The pair shared the same battlefield during "Avengers: Endgame" and even attended Tony Stark's funeral. However, they did not exchange any dialogue during that time and have never interacted with each other on-screen. Considering the diverging history of the two characters, though, it isn't such a huge shock when you think about it — and Thor has missed some notable characters from the MCU himself.
After all, Thor is a character who spends much of his time away from Earth. With Bucky operating exclusively on this planet, there have been few opportunities for the two to cross paths. Plus, Thor was absent in "Captain America: Civil War" when Bucky met most of the other Avengers and heroes who have shown up in the MCU thus far. But that doesn't mean they won't ever meet, especially since they both survived the events in "Avengers: Endgame" and Bucky has fought alongside Rocket, who grew close to the God of Thunder as he forged Stormbreaker. With so many major heroes now out of action, any big events will likely see Bucky and Thor team up in some way.
Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) has quickly become one of the most important and popular heroes within the MCU, despite being a relative latecomer to the party. Following the death and retirement of other key figures, his influence will only continue to grow. Even though the Sorcerer Supreme and Bucky were both present at Tony Stark's funeral and the final battle in "Avengers: Endgame," the pair were never seen interacting with each other. Strange was also responsible for opening portals to allow the resurrected heroes (like Bucky) to fight Thanos, but it's highly unlikely they had time to speak with each other in the heat of the moment.
Although Doctor Strange has been involved with the Avengers and met many characters from the MCU, Bucky is not a surprising blind spot. His mastery of the magical arts is not something that the Winter Soldier has ever been concerned with, and the Sorcerer Supreme has had more important things to deal with than a HYDRA assassin. However, the Winter Soldier is more than aware of the sorcerer, pointing out to Sam Wilson that he is not a wizard during "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier." And since Strange is set to appear in both "Spider-Man: No Way Home" and "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" with the likes of Spider-Man and the Scarlet Witch, a team-up with Bucky is certainly not out of the question.
Star-Lord
While most of the Avengers teamed up with the Guardians of the Galaxy during the events of "Avengers: Infinity War" and its sequel, Bucky Barnes was not among them. That means the Winter Soldier has not yet had the pleasure of meeting up with Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), who has spent most of his life exploring the galaxy rather than staying on Earth. Bucky's earthbound status is a major hindrance when it comes to contacting space-based heroes. The Guardians of the Galaxy leader also spent a lot of time as dust following the Snap, meaning he missed out on further chances to speak with the Winter Soldier.
The fact that Bucky has battled alongside Rocket multiple times does give him an in with Star-Lord and opens up the possibility that they could work together in the future. The HYDRA-assassin-turned-hero is also likely to take on a more prominent role in the MCU going forward, especially following "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier." If they do ever cross paths, though, Peter Quill would almost certainly be threatened by Bucky's strength. He developed a rivalry with Thor for this reason after the two encountered each other following Loki's death, and if he met the Winter Soldier, the same thing would probably happen.
Loki
Loki (Tom Hiddleston) has spent a good deal of time on Earth, but he was back on Asgard by the time it became clear that Bucky had survived his apparent death and become the Winter Soldier. The God of Mischief replaced Odin as ruler of Asgard during "Thor: The Dark World" and completely missed the events of "Captain America: Civil War." In fact, he never made it back to Earth, as Thanos killed him right at the beginning of "Avengers: Infinity War." So it makes sense that he and Bucky have never actually met each other.
That might be a good thing, as Bucky would likely have little patience for Loki — especially since the character was a straightforward villain who spent his time manipulating characters like Hawkeye and Erik Selvig through mind control, something Bucky has more than enough traumatic experience with. The possibility of them ever coming together seemed remote following Loki's death, but the character's revival in "Loki" and this series' exploration of the multiverse means there are literally endless possibilities. Both heroes are sure to appear in the MCU going forward, and this makes an encounter very likely — though it's uncertain what the tone of such an encounter would be.
Gamora
Like most of the Guardians of the Galaxy, Gamora (Zoe Saldaña) has never had direct contact with Bucky. She has largely been off in space while he's been stuck on Earth throughout his entire life. That leaves limited opportunities for the pair to speak with each other, especially when the only times they have been in close proximity have been during distracting events like the final battle in "Avengers: Endgame." The original Gamora has actually missed out on meeting a lot of key players, including the likes of Tony Stark and Spider-Man, as she was kidnapped by Thanos by the time the Guardians of the Galaxy met with the Avengers — further limiting her ability to talk to Bucky.
Even though Gamora was ultimately killed by Thanos, that doesn't mean it's impossible for Bucky to come across her. A variant of Gamora from an alternative timeline switched sides and battled against her adopted father with the Avengers and other heroes. While it isn't clear what the future holds for this version of the character, there's at least some chance that she could bump into Bucky if she decides to stay on Earth.
Captain Marvel
Of all the heroes shown so far in the MCU, Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) is perhaps the strongest of them all. Known as Captain Marvel, she battles against evil and protects the innocent across the entire galaxy. Her duties mean that she is rarely on Earth and has only interacted with a select few individuals in various MCU movies. She fought in the Battle of Earth in "Avengers: Endgame" and attended Tony Stark's funeral but likely didn't stick around to exchange pleasantries afterward. During the fight against Thanos, she mainly spoke to Spider-Man and a selection of female superheroes like Valkyrie and Pepper Potts.
As the MCU moves into the next phase, Captain Marvel will play a larger role, and this could lead to potential encounters between her and Bucky. With fewer heroes available for future crossover films, the surviving group will have to team up at some point. That wouldn't be a bad thing, either, as Carol has some experience in dealing with losing her memories and being manipulated into fighting a war for a side she would never willingly choose. The pair have a lot in common even if their power levels are vastly different.
Drax the Destroyer
Originally intending to avenge the death of his family by killing Ronan the Accuser, Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista) is a warrior who joined the Guardians of the Galaxy to achieve that goal. He has since stuck around and continues to travel with the gang. As with most of this team, he has not been in contact with Bucky at any point, although he did share the same battlefield with him during "Avengers: Endgame."
Speaking to Drax ultimately comes down to whether Bucky will ever have the opportunity to get together with the Guardians of the Galaxy. If the rest of the team did interact with Bucky, Drax would almost certainly be there with them and have his chance to say hello to the Winter Soldier. If that did happen, Bucky might not have a lot of time for Drax's seeming innocence and strange way of speaking, so them meeting up might not be all that interesting. However, it could at least lead to some humorous moments between the opposing personalities.
Quicksilver
Pietro Maximoff (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) has only had brief appearances in the MCU but was one of the major characters in "Avengers: Age of Ultron." Along with his sister Wanda, he was experimented on by HYDRA and put to work fighting against the Avengers. While his sister's powers are far more impressive, the male Maximoff twin could move faster than just about anyone else seen in the MCU so far. Bucky battled alongside the Scarlet Witch in "Captain America: Civil War," but he never encountered Quicksilver at that time as the mutant had already died a hero.
In fact, it's unlikely that the Winter Soldier will ever actually meet Quicksilver. Although he has appeared in other MCU properties, such as "WandaVision," his death puts a pretty big nail in that coffin. Of course, the opening up of the multiverse and the involvement of Wanda could allow Pietro to be brought back in some form. If that were the case, the two would have some things to bond over — not least the fact that they were both trained and manipulated by HYDRA before being rehabilitated and switching allegiances to the side of good.
Nebula
Nebula (Karen Gillan) has been a villain for much of her life, although she can hardly be blamed for that. Kidnapped and trained by Thanos as an assassin, she has committed many terrible acts. Eventually, she switched sides and forgave her sister Gamora, promising instead to battle against Thanos and end his plans to eradicate half of all life in the galaxy. With Nebula spending much of her time in space, there have been few chances for her and Bucky to meet. Even when Nebula was on Earth, Bucky was healing in isolation in the country of Wakanda.
Bucky and Nebula have an awful lot in common, though, with each of them spending time as an assassin controlled by an evil force that compelled them to act in truly terrible ways. Both are also expert fighters and are capable of surviving even the toughest situations. If they did ever work together, they'd likely have a lot to talk about and make a formidable team. Few enemies could survive going up against both Bucky and Nebula at the same time, so hopefully, we will get to see them in action together.
Shang-Chi
Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) is one of the latest heroes to enter the MCU and has already proven a hit with fans and critics alike. The ancient assassin is a master of martial arts and eventually comes into possession of the mystical Ten Rings. These items grant their users exceptional powers and strength as well as long life. "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" was more of a standalone adventure and largely took place outside the greater MCU, however, so it isn't all that much of a shock that the hero has never encountered Bucky.
That doesn't mean that Shang-Chi has not met with some established characters from the franchise, however. During an end credits scene, he spoke directly to two well-known heroes from the MCU (Captain Marvel and Bruce Banner), and there were also some cameos in the main story from familiar figures. So it is not out of the question that the martial arts expert could meet more heroes. Considering the success of "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings," the character's involvement in the MCU going forward is almost beyond doubt. If Bucky and Shang-Chi do cross paths, they'd likely be able to share some fighting wisdom, and fans might even get the chance to see them spar with each other.
Valkyrie
Another space-based hero whom Bucky hasn't had the pleasure of meeting is Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson). The new King of Asgard has largely been absent from the MCU, as she was first introduced in "Thor: Ragnarok" before making appearances in the final two Avengers movies. Living almost her entire life on Asgard and Sakaar has meant that she has rarely interacted with anyone from the main MCU continuity. Things have changed more recently, though, with Valkyrie becoming good friends with Thor and Hulk as well as speaking to Spider-Man and Rocket Raccoon at various points.
Now that Valkyrie lives on Earth as the monarch of New Asgard in Norway, the chances of her running into Bucky have increased dramatically. Any threats the planet faces would likely see both of them teaming up to combat potential enemies to Earth. That would be no bad thing either, as both of them are no-nonsense fighters who aren't afraid of getting into a scrap. They'd probably work very well together and get along just fine if they were part of the same team.
Mantis
Just like with all of the Guardians of the Galaxy other than Groot and Rocket, it is perfectly reasonable that Bucky hasn't met Mantis (Pom Klementieff). The empath, who can sense the feelings of others and influence their behavior by altering their mind, is a very different type of hero. The Guardians of the Galaxy discovered her on Ego and she soon bonded with Drax the Destroyer. Now part of the team as it travels around space, she has spent very little time on Earth just like the rest of the squad.
The character has had a strange history in the comics, where she has been a part of both the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy at different points and even married Kang the Conqueror. That opens up countless possibilities for Mantis to interact with Bucky in the future, even more so now that Kang has been introduced to the MCU. Mantis is also still set to appear in the upcoming "Thor: Love and Thunder" along with future Guardians of the Galaxy movies, so there should be at least a few chances for the two to come together in upcoming films and series. If Bucky was to reconnect with Rocket and Groot, he would be sure to meet Mantis as well.
Wong
Like his fellow sorcerer, Wong (Benedict Wong) has never been seen to interact directly with Bucky at any point in the MCU. This isn't all that surprising considering that Wong usually works very closely with Doctor Strange; if the Sorcerer Supreme hasn't met someone, chances are that Wong won't have either. He has long been tasked with protecting the Time Stone, something that Bucky has never been concerned with throughout his long life (a life prolonged by science rather than magic). Wong's focus on the mystical arts means that the pair are just not on each other's radar and have never had a reason to meet face to face.
It's a shame that Bucky and Wong haven't crossed paths, though, as they share a similar sense of humor. Wong has demonstrated his talent for comic timing and witty quips many times, while Bucky's lighter side has been glimpsed during "Captain America: Civil War" and "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier." If the two were to finally meet, you can bet that there would be at least a few funny lines exchanged between them.
Yondu
Yondu (Michael Rooker) has only ever shown up in the "Guardians of the Galaxy" films, so it makes sense that Bucky and a whole host of other heroes have never encountered him. The leader of the Ravagers was something of a villain throughout the two "Guardians" movies but consistently showed that he was willing to do the right thing, even if it meant losing face in front of his subordinates. Despite his life of crime, he had a strong moral code and kept those close to him out of harm's way. He ultimately sacrificed his own life to save Peter Quill and help destroy Ego.
Now that he's dead, it is as certain as possible in a comic-based franchise that Yondu will never get to greet Bucky. It's unfortunate because the two have many attributes in common and, most importantly, are willing to do things that others might not in order to get the job done. They could potentially have made a very formidable team, as their fighting styles would also complement each other, with Yondu using his special Yaka Arrow and Bucky his expert combat skills.
Wasp
The Wasp (Evangeline Lilly) might not be one of the most well-known heroes from the MCU, but she has now appeared in three movies in total, including "Ant-Man," "Ant-Man & The Wasp," and "Avengers: Endgame." She'll also appear in "Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania" when it hits cinemas in 2023. Unlike her partner, though, the Wasp has never had the chance to speak with Bucky; Ant-Man battled against Bucky in "Captain America: Civil War," but the Wasp was not present.
With Bucky playing no part in either of the Ant-Man movies and only showing up in the final battle of the last Avengers movie, it makes sense that he and the Wasp have never actually interacted before. All of that could change in the future if more superhero team-ups are necessary to take on big threats, as many of the major players are now unavailable due to retirement or death. If they did form an alliance, seeing them in action could be interesting due to their very different styles and abilities. For example, Lilly fought to change the Wasp's fighting style to "a signature style that little girls ... would be able to fall in love with and ... emulate" (via The Hollywood Reporter), and while it certainly gets the job done, it's decidedly different from the way Bucky Barnes throws down.