Those of you familiar with Captain America: Civil War will know that by the time Stark and Rogers reached a superhero stalemate, Bucky Barnes (AKA the Winter Soldier) found sanctuary and asylum in Wakanda, home of the legendary Black Panther.
Safely stowed away in a cryostasis chamber, Sebastian Stan’s anti-hero will likely remain on ice – literally and figuratively – for the duration of Black Panther, before he’s ultimately resurrected to help fight off Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War.
It’s for that reason we see the Winter Soldier charge into battle alongside Steve Rogers and his fellow Avengers, as they take the fight to the Black Order and their six-armed minions. But what about that plot hole between Civil War and Avengers 3? Well, thanks to Avengers: Infinity War Prelude #1, we now know a little more about the events leading up to Bucky’s second coming.
Flanked by his scientist sister, Shuri, above you’ll see T’Challa wax lyrical about Sebastian Stan’s sedated anti-hero, who is presumably the reason why Captain America (or should that be Nomad?) winds up in Wakanda by the time Avengers: Infinity War kicks off.
Beyond that, it seems Wakanda’s finest have been monitoring the Winter Solider rather closely, as they draft up a strategy to reverse his brainwashing and, by effect, separate Bucky Barners from the Winter Soldier once and for all.
On May 4th, Avengers: Infinity War will rock the MCU down to its very foundations, and you won’t have to wait too long before getting another glimpse of Marvel’s epic in motion. Earlier today, the studio’s Canadian arm confirmed that a new sneak peek will air tonight at 9 pm ET, so keep your peepers peeled.