11 Years Later, I’m Still Not Over This Shocking Captain America: The Winter Soldier Reveal

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The surprising twist from the 2014 film *Captain America: The Winter Soldier* remains unresolved after eleven years, and it still feels unbelievable. Many fans consider *The Winter Soldier* one of the best Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, boosted by Sebastian Stan’s performance as Bucky Barnes. The film revealed a shocking backstory for Bucky, which dramatically changed his role in the MCU, but his story has become somewhat muddled with his reappearance in the upcoming *Thunderbolts* movie.

Sebastian Stan first appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2011’s *Captain America: The First Avenger* as Bucky Barnes, Steve Rogers’ (Chris Evans) lifelong friend and trusted companion. Though believed to have died after falling from a train, Bucky was rescued and brainwashed by HYDRA, becoming the powerful assassin known as the Winter Soldier. He worked as HYDRA’s top operative for many years before reconnecting with Rogers in 2014, carrying out dangerous missions during his time as a brainwashed agent.

Bucky Barnes Killed JFK As the Winter Soldier

The movie *Captain America: The Winter Soldier* revealed some of the character’s most disturbing actions, including his history of killing people who threatened HYDRA or the Soviet Union. In the 1950s, during the Korean War, the Winter Soldier fought Isaiah Bradley but surprisingly failed to kill him. For decades afterward, he carried out assassinations of scientists and politicians considered threats to HYDRA, notably including Howard and Maria Stark in 1991, an unidentified person at the Hotel Inessa, and, most shockingly, President John F. Kennedy.

A moment in a flashback sequence featuring Arnim Zola showed the Winter Soldier with a weapon, leading many fans to believe he was the one who assassinated President John F. Kennedy. This theory, surrounding the events of November 22, 1963 – when Lee Harvey Oswald killed JFK – was actually confirmed by actor Sebastian Stan. He explained in a video shared by MCU Wiki that, despite this terrible act, Steve Rogers would still be capable of befriending the Winter Soldier.

Bucky Barnes isn’t the only Marvel character linked to JFK’s assassination. In the movie *X-Men: Days of Future Past*, Magneto was shown to have accidentally killed the president while trying to protect him, leading to his imprisonment. In different versions of Marvel Comics, the Red Skull and a character named Midas were responsible for the assassination. It’s surprising to see the Winter Soldier revealed as the killer in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, particularly considering the events of the upcoming *Thunderbolts* movie.

Bucky’s Thunderbolts* Story Makes No Sense Because of His Past

Okay, so Sebastian Stan has basically admitted the fan theories are true – that Bucky Barnes, the Winter Soldier, *was* the one who killed JFK. But honestly, Marvel hasn’t *shown* us that on screen, they’ve just hinted at it pretty strongly. What makes it even crazier is what happened in *Thunderbolts*. Remember that little line in *Captain America: Brave New World* about Bucky being a Congressman? They actually followed through with it! It’s wild to think a former HYDRA assassin, and potentially a presidential killer, could get elected to office. I guess the public just doesn’t know his full history, or Marvel is leaving that part a mystery for now.

Both Sebastian Stan and the director of *Thunderbolts*, Jake Schreier (who’s also heading up the new *X-Men* movie), have indicated that Bucky Barnes’ time in politics will likely be over after the events of *Thunderbolts*. This is because Bucky, along with Yelena Belova, Red Guardian, U.S. Agent, and Ghost, joins a new team of Avengers at the film’s conclusion. Becoming a full-fledged superhero feels like a more natural path for Bucky than continuing in Congress, and this shift in focus also diminishes the importance of his past actions, like the assassination of JFK.

Since reconnecting with Steve Rogers in *Captain America: The Winter Soldier*, Bucky Barnes has been working to make amends for his past as the Winter Soldier. With help from the Wakandans, he’s overcome his programming and become a true hero in the latest phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, even saving New York from a dangerous threat (played by Lewis Pullman). Despite this progress, he likely still struggles with his traumatic experiences, and the fact that he assassinated JFK must be a particularly heavy burden, considering the historical impact of that event.

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2025-09-28 15:10