Every hero in the MCU has a best friend who acts as a loyal sidekick. Tony Stark has James Rhodes, Thor has Heimdall, Rocket has Groot – everyone has their own buddy. But Steve Rogers is special in that he has two best friends.
He grew up with Bucky Barnes, who was like a brother to him. Bucky seemingly died in World War II, and when Steve was frozen and then thawed out in the 21st century, he befriended a paramilitary veteran named Sam Wilson. But then, it turned out Bucky wasn’t dead. So, here are Steve Rogers’ 5 Sweetest Moments With Bucky Barnes (And 5 With Sam Wilson).
With Bucky: Saving him from Hydra (Captain America: The First Avenger)
At the midpoint of Captain America: The First Avenger, Steve Rogers finally became a superhero. Having been relegated to a propaganda machine by the U.S. military, he decided to break off on his own in the middle of the night and liberate dozens of P.O.W.s from a Hydra compound, including his best friend, Bucky Barnes.
Bucky was baffled to see his old buddy Steve behind enemy lines, with a couple of extra feet in height and about a hundred additional pounds of muscle mass. But he was also really pleased to see him, especially since he’d lost hope while in captivity.
With Sam: “When do we start?” (Captain America: The Winter Soldier)
In the final moments of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Sam asks Steve if he’s going to try to find Bucky. Steve says he is, but that Sam doesn’t need to come with him. Sam simply says, “I know. When do we start?”
In the wise words of Casablanca’s Rick Blaine, this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Steve and Sam have only known each other for one movie’s amount of time at this point, but they instantly hit it off. They’re both soldiers who came back from war, couldn’t find their place in society, and then found that place with each other.
With Bucky: “I’m with you ‘til the end of the line.” (Captain America: The Winter Soldier)
Bucky is an incredible villain in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, because Cap doesn’t want to fight him. As S.H.I.E.L.D. launches the Helicarriers that are going to kill 20,000 people to supposedly save seven billion, Cap confronts Bucky. But he refuses to fight him, laying down his shield and repeating a phrase from their childhood: “I’m with you ‘til the end of the line.”
This doesn’t bring back Bucky’s memories in an instant, but it does plant a seed. Bucky remembers enough about Steve to save him from the river before walking off into the sunset to figure out his life.
With Sam: Passing on his shield (Avengers: Endgame)
Since Chris Evans’ contract was up and he’d already said a tearful farewell to the character of Steve Rogers before Avengers: Endgame came out, fans weren’t expecting him to make it to the end of the movie. Most fan theories involved Cap being brutally killed by Thanos. But in the end, he got a much happier ending.
He survived the Avengers’ last stand against the Mad Titan and used the Hulk’s time machine to return to his time and live a full, happy life with Peggy. As he looked back on a lifetime of joy, he felt ready to pass on his shield and mantle to his worthy successor: Sam Wilson.
With Bucky: Reuniting in Wakanda (Avengers: Infinity War)
A lot happened to Bucky Barnes between Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War, despite the fact that he was in a cryogenic sleeping chamber the whole time. As he and Steve sought political asylum in Wakanda after the events of Civil War, Bucky asked to be left unconscious until Shuri could figure out a way to undo his Hydra brainwashing.
As possibly the smartest character in the MCU, Shuri figured it out within a couple of years, and she and T’Challa awakened Bucky to join the fight against Thanos. When Steve arrived in Wakanda, he quickly embraced Bucky.
With Sam: Their meet cute (Captain America: The Winter Soldier)
In romantic comedies, a “meet cute” is when the two protagonists meet each other, adorably stumble over their words, and kick off a beautiful relationship that we’ll watch blossom for the rest of the movie. Steve Rogers has one of those moments with Sam Wilson at the beginning of Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
Steve playfully barbs Sam for being much slower than him as they run around Washington, D.C., and as they cool down afterwards, they get to know each other. Sam recognizes Steve as Captain America, and gives him another item to add to his historical catch-up list.
With Bucky: Protecting Bucky from Tony (Captain America: Civil War)
Steve Rogers was faced with quite a conundrum at the end of Captain America: Civil War. After the Avengers have been torn apart by the Sokovia Accords, Tony Stark makes a truce with Steve. However, shortly thereafter, he watches video footage of Bucky assassinating his parents under Hydra’s control.
Tony immediately wants to kill Bucky, and there’s no changing his mind, so Steve has to choose if he’s going to let Tony kill Bucky or protect Bucky from Tony. In the end, he chooses to protect Bucky, leading to this heartbreaking exchange with Tony: “He’s my friend.” “So was I.”
With Sam: Going to Peggy’s funeral together (Captain America: Civil War)
When Natasha Romanoff flies out to London to join Steve Rogers after Peggy Carter’s funeral in Captain America: Civil War, she tells him that she didn’t want him to be alone. But Sam Wilson was there. He actually went to the funeral. Nat completely ignores that.
Steve was feeling really down after Peggy’s death. Between her dying and his best friend Bucky being framed for a terrorist attack and becoming Public Enemy No. 1, Steve lost all the ties to his old life in the first act of Civil War. Fortunately, Sam was there for him, keeping him company at the service.
With Bucky: “You’re taking all the stupid with you.” (Avengers: Endgame)
When Bucky was shipped off to war in Captain America: The First Avenger, he told Steve, “Don’t do anything stupid while I’m gone,” and Steve quipped back, “How could I? You’re taking all the stupid with you.” At the end of Avengers: Endgame, there’s a callback to this moment with Steve telling Bucky not to do anything stupid while he’s traveling through time to return the Infinity Stones.
But from Bucky’s perspective, Steve will only be gone a few seconds – not long enough for Bucky to do anything stupid. This line only makes sense if it means something more. Steve may have secretly told Bucky his plan. When the Hulk can’t bring Steve back a few moments later, Bucky doesn’t panic like Sam. He just looks around for old Steve, possibly because he knew.
With Sam: “On your left.” (Avengers: Endgame)
In a Reddit AMA after Avengers: Endgame was released, Kevin Feige boldly declared, “My entire MCU career was building up to that ‘On your left’ moment in Endgame.”
Steve Rogers first met Sam Wilson while running through Washington, D.C., and he kept overtaking Sam and saying, “On your left,” every time, much to Sam’s chagrin. In Endgame’s final battle, as Steve prepares to take on Thanos and his armies alone, he hears Sam’s voice for the first time in five years: “Steve…” The look on Steve’s face as Sam and all of his other fallen comrades emerge from portals is heartwarming.
