11 Best Sam & Bucky Moments in the Marvel Cinematic Universe

the marvel cinematic universe is full of strange pairs of friends. For starters, think of Groot, a sentient tree-like creature (voiced by Vin Diesel) and Rocket Raccoon (voiced by Bradley Cooper), Iron Man/Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), and Alien Assassin Nebula ( Karen Gillian), and even Asgardian god of thunder Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and scientist Bruce Banner/The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), just to name a few.

Now, in Disney+’s newest series, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, we’re witnessing the formation of another dynamic duo consisting of Sam Wilson, aka Falcon (Anthony Mackie), and The Winter Soldier, bucky barnes (sebastian stan).

To celebrate these two characters and the touchy yet affectionate bond they share, we’ve rounded up 11 of their best moments from all the Marvel movies to date.

‘sometimes i think you like getting hit’ (captain america: the first avenger)

The First Avenger is the happiest, least traumatized Bucky we’ve ever seen, and his bond with Steve is evident here. Whether he’s stepping in to save his best friend from getting beaten up in a fist fight (hence his joke about his friend “likes to get beat up”) or vowing to follow Captain America into the jaws of the Death, it’s in this movie that we see how loyal and good money he really is, and how even when Steve, as he puts it, “had nothing, I had Bucky.” it’s a pity that he falls into a snowy abyss and into the hands of hydra, where he becomes the winter soldier …

‘who the hell is bucky?’ (captain america: the winter soldier)

if you’ve read the comics, you knew the big reveal was coming: that captain america/steve rogers’ (chris evans) best friend bucky was still alive, but became a brainwashed killer called winter soldier. But regardless of whether he was aware of the source material, the moment the winter soldier takes off his mask and Steve recognizes him is truly epic. however, tragedy unfolds when bucky doesn’t remember his friend: when steve says his name, he asks “who the hell” bucky is.

to your left (captain america: the winter soldier)

our introduction to sam is a bit more comical. He and Steve are jogging the same route, but of course Steve’s superpowers mean he’s licking Sam, over and over again. “To your left,” he keeps repeating as he zooms past the future falcon, who (humorously) protests each time.

bucky advance (captain america: the winter soldier)

The epic conclusion to Captain America: The Winter Soldier saw Bucky remember his true identity and realize that Steve really was “with [him] to the end of the line.” He saves Steve from drowning after the movie’s final fight and dumps him on the shore, then goes to the Captain America exhibit at the Smithsonian to find out more about the man he was in the 1940s.

a place to go unnoticed (captain america: the winter soldier)

sam proved he was a good friend when he let steve and black widow/natasha romanoff (scarlett johansson) stay with him, even though it meant putting his life in danger (at the time, almost the entire organization of hydra villains was after them two). Later, Sam joins Cap’s fight, proving that he is more than just a good-hearted friend: he is an avenger.

a sharp observation (captain america: civil war)

sam also gets one of the best lines in captain america: civil war. While the Avengers team is fracturing because some members of the group signed the Sokovia Accords and others (like Cap) didn’t, Falcon didn’t hesitate to side with Steve. “People who shoot at you usually end up shooting at me, too,” he says, making it clear that he’s on Steve’s side.

‘until the end of the line (captain america: civil war)

the most information we get about the character of bucky comes during the civil war; Actually, most of the movie is Steve fighting to keep his friend safe and prove his innocence. Throughout, we see that Bucky has a kind, if tortured, heart, and we learn that he would still follow Steve in the present as he once did on the battlefield of World War II.

less than friendly (captain america: civil war)

although both bucky and sam are close to steve, they don’t exactly like each other. Trapped in the car while Cap meets up with the great-niece of her former flame, Sharon Carter (Emily Vancamp), Bucky asks if Sam can “move [his] seat up.” hey, nobody likes a narrow car! sam’s concise answer? “no”.

fighting together (captain america: civil war)

However, a bond begins to form when these two end up facing Spider-Man (Tom Holland). As they watch from inside the airport, Bucky wonders aloud what’s up with the spider costume. “everyone’s got a trick now,” mutters sam.

couldn’t you have done that earlier? (captain america: civil war)

well, maybe they’re still not that friendly. After Sam uses a piece of his falcon technology to send Spider-Man through a window, an exhausted, bruised (and cobwebbed) Bucky questions why he couldn’t have done it sooner. “I hate you,” Sam replies. he really doesn’t mean it. Right? (right).

say goodbye (avengers: endgame)

falcon and the winter soldier only bonded due to their mutual affection for steve, so it seems only fitting that they say goodbye to him together. Sam reluctantly accepts his friend’s iconic patriotic shield after being told he doesn’t “belong to someone else.” And while Bucky isn’t the biggest fan of Sam, he encourages him to go talk to Steve after the latter returns from his long life in the past (remember, Endgame’s time travel allows Cap to spend his entire life with the woman he loved in the ’40s). Sure, Sam may not move his seat for Bucky, but Bucky still knows that he’s the best person to take the shield after Steve leaves.

the falcon and the winter soldier, friday, disney+