As more and more episodes of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier are released, it's clear the MCU has changed direction on the mythos of the Winter Soldier since his Phase 2 introduction. When Natasha Romanoff first described him to Captain America as an almost ethereal figure in 2014's Captain America: The Winter Soldier, he was infamously under the radar, unknown to even the most plugged-in members of the global intelligence community. Now that it's convenient for his reputation to be well-known, Bucky's former alias provides the trio of himself, Sam Wilson, and Zemo certain advantages as they search for the Super Soldier serum. But given his timeline of recovery off the grid, does this make sense?
Bucky Barnes went MIA in 1945 when he fell from a train during a mission with Steve Rogers. He was presumed dead until he resurfaced as Winter Soldier, a HYDRA assassin of ghost-like, almost mythic reputation. He was used as a pawn to execute HYDRA's agenda and control the world political order by carrying out ruthless killings, all the while being brainwashed and controlled by nefarious handlers. He became an issue of central importance to the Avengers when Zemo hijacked his mental programming, using it to fracture Earth's mightiest heroes in Captain America: Civil War. After Zemo was neutralized, Bucky found respite in Wakanda, where he was at last treated for his condition before entering the fray again in Avengers: Infinity War.
Throughout this meandering timeline, the Winter Soldier ostensibly maintained some level of secrecy as to his public image. Characters like Tony Stark and Captain America have MCU brands which are intrinsically tied to their status as public figures - even national symbols. Bucky Barnes' story earned a mention in Cap's Air & Space Museum exhibit in the aforementioned 2014 film, but his Winter Soldier persona was certainly not public knowledge - it was hardly even private knowledge. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier makes several choices that do real damage to Bucky's arc in three primary ways. First, it riddles his timeline with inconsistencies. Second, it changes his reputation to whatever suits any given scene. And lastly, it dooms Bucky to forever carry the burden of his former alias, in spite of having set the goal to shed this baggage.
The MCU has come a long way from its humble Phase 1 origins. Similarly, Bucky Barnes/The Winter Soldier has come a long way from being "a ghost story" as described in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. When Zemo frames Bucky for the assassination of King T'Chaka, a global manhunt ensues for the fugitive Winter Soldier and his fugitive protector Captain America. Goodbye "most of the intelligence community doesn't believe he exists," hello public enemy number one. After he secludes himself in Wakanda and undergoes rehabilitation, beginning his transformation into the White Wolf, he earns national recognition as a hero, as proven by Spider-Man: Far From Home's school announcements "In Memoriam" newsreel.
But in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, characters only seem to recognize Bucky when it's plot-convenient. With Yori and the bartender, he's able to maintain a casual anonymity, but then in the next episode, he's recognized as an Avenger by the Baltimore police, with one of them referring to him by name (though it's fair to note they had a warrant out for him). With the criminals in Madripoor, it's assumed he's still the Winter Soldier and under Zemo's control. It begs the question: How is he able to simultaneously maintain these different acts without being found out? Now that he's known to the world, his many aliases become complicated to maintain.
If the Winter Soldier was truly "on ice" between missions, how is it that his assassin reputation is so well-known to the underworld of Madripoor? The third episode of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier would have the audience believe that this once-ethereal figure is common knowledge to every two-bit criminal at any given bar in Madripoor. If he was revealed to the world at-large by way of the Civil War manhunt, then surely news of Bucky's exoneration would have similarly made the rounds. If his reputation as a cold-blooded villainous operative remained intact, it's unlikely it would've extended beyond a select few circles privy to such knowledge.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier wants to have it both ways. It wants to leverage Bucky's villainous reputation to its advantage when the team needs a cover, but it also wants to explore Bucky's humanity in situations where regular people are oblivious to his identity. The show clearly sets Sergeant Barnes on a trajectory for self-actualization by way of his court-mandated therapy: he must put real distance between his past associations with the Winter Solder in order to have a future as Bucky Barnes, or Captain America, or the White Wolf, or whatever path lies ahead. The Winter Soldier entering the public consciousness poses a significant obstacle to these ends. However, the one caveat is that the series can explain most of this away by saying not everyone keeps up with the inner workings and membership of the Avengers, but considering they saved the world, the big players would be known - Far From Home even suggests so.
Try as he might to escape it, Bucky is forced to confront his unsavory past as a hijacked murderous pawn at nearly every turn. Coupled with his PTSD, these frequent reminders of his HYDRA days - whether in the form of nightmares, meetings with victims' relatives, or role-playing in Madripoor - border on the cruel. Now that the Winter Soldier's hellish legend is known to all, any hope of Bucky leaving his past behind him is virtually dashed. Black Widow encounters a similar "outing" of sorts in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. In spite of Alexander Pierce's threats, in spite of questioning whether the world is ready to know the dark secrets in her past, she manages to move forwards with her life. Perhaps being outed as the Winter Soldier isn't a nail in the coffin for Bucky's amends. If he wants to move on, he may be forced either to leave his heroic pursuits behind or to adopt the White Wolf persona and live a life that's separate from Captain America's legacy. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier will have its hands full seeing Bucky through to self-actualization, but the MCU has experience in redeeming troubled characters.
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