The MCU suffered many losses after Avengers: Endgame. Tony Stark died saving the world. Black Widow also passed away tragically. Steve Rogers went back in time and vanished. But, one of the less discussed disappearances after that movie involved Bucky Barnes’ long hair. Yes, sadly, when Bucky Barnes (played by Sebastian Stan) reappeared in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, he had cut his hair short. Now, some might say that Bucky Barnes’ new haircut was a part of his recovery as he worked to separate himself from The Winter Soldier. But in the frame of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, perhaps it was too much of an overcorrection. In any case, we are very pleased to share that in an exclusive Thunderbolts* first-look at San Diego Comic-Con, Bucky Barnes’ long hair made its return to the MCU. (Cue much celebration among the land.)
Happily, we also now have actual look at Bucky Barnes’ Thunderbolts* haircut to show you. As we described it previously, it is shorter than his Winter Soldier days but MUCH longer than his The Falcon and the Winter Soldier phase. Bucky Barnes’ Thunderbolts* haircut undoubtedly no longer qualifies as short and lands firmly in the long category. We’d say it reaches past his ears to mid-neck. Hey, we’ll take it.
Getting back to the long vs. short hair analysis, though, we’d say this haircut means that Bucky Barnes has squared with the idea that he’s no longer the Winter Soldier. But also come to terms with the fact that he’ll never be just James Buchanan Barnes again either. The return to his short haircut did feel too much like an attempt to recapture a person who no longer really existed. Meanwhile, the totally grown-out look wasn’t something Bucky chose for himself. This version of Bucky Barnes’ long haircut seems to say, I can have long hair if I want because I know who I am. And that person is neither fully who he was, nor fully who he was made to be. Even though Bucky Barnes’ hair was short in the initial Thunderbolts* marketing image, we’re glad to see this reversal of hair course.
In the meantime, we’re just happy to welcome long-haired Bucky Barnes back; we really did not like that haircut. We guess finding joy in the shades of grey is what this movie will be all about. Thunderbolts* will release in theaters on May 2, 2025.