If Bucky Does Fully Become The Winter Soldier Again In Thunderbolts* I Don't See It As "undoing" Anything

if Bucky does fully become the Winter Soldier again in Thunderbolts* I don't see it as "undoing" anything and I'm getting annoyed with all these articles and posts about that "ruining" or "undoing his character arc". People in recovery do relapse, relapses happen, and demonizing them doesn't help. We haven't failed because a relapse is not a failure and it's not undoing anything: it's a natural part of recovering. No one is a robot that magically bounces back and never falters again.

If done right it's important to show a character getting back up from a relapse. I've had a couple relapses over the last ten years and it hurts to see people act like that's some kind of character failure or bad narrative/writing choice, when it's sadly just realistic. Relapses can be devastating and it's vital to depict a character pulling through one and finding that consistency towards recovery again.

Granted I don't think Marvel will do it any justice at all if that is the case since they've glossed over pretty much all of his recovery already, but I can dream

as someone who knows very little about the American governmental system... is it even realistic that Bucky is a senator/candidate, outside of the simple fact that it goes against everything we know about his character for the last 13 years and is deeply ooc and weird?

Can someone with his history actually become a senator? Dude has killed like...a lot of people, specifically American citizens to keep it relevant to this context, and he's openly broken the law and gone against multiple governments in some of the most wild displays of anarchy alongside Steve and the Avengers. Also I don't think he's been a consistent enough resident of any state even if you take out the Blip?? At least 9 years right? Bro has maybe been on American soil for 3 years, pre AND post Blip, and that's being generous assuming Thunderbolts takes place in 2024-2025.

I don't know how realistic it is that he's even able to run for senate? I'm not an expert, not American, but it just seems absurd.

The main take really is that Bucky Barnes as a senator is one of the stupidest things, what the hell

Karli, completely forgetting who she's talking to: I'm fighting for something bigger than myself, and with all the bodies you've collected have you ever been able to say the same?

Bucky Barnes, orphaned eldest child becomes parent to the younger siblings syndrome man who grew up protecting a weaker kid against bullies, WW2 veteran that ended up experimented on in a Nazi POW camp to be unwillingly turned into what she signed up for, then continued to fight until he "died" even though he didn't have to anymore, fought in the battles against Thanos and has spent the last month fighting anyone who breathes wrong to get Sam acknowledged as Captain America: have I ever what?

just finished reading on the road to freedom and Bucky and Peter having a marriage of convenience after Far From Home so that Peter is granted diplomatic immunity through being married-in Wakandan royalty is hands down the greatest and funniest concept I've ever seen. Even in a strictly platonic sense that shit is hysterical

imagine the running jokes, the half assed threats to divorce each other for anything from siding with Sam over them, disagreeing on missions or liking pineapple on pizza, confusing the fuck out of people casually introducing each other like "this is my husband Peter/Bucky", getting asked why they haven't divorced yet since Peter's long since been proven innocent (because fuck the spell) and the best they manage is a shrug and say they "couldn't be bothered", "don't you have anyone else you'd rather marry? Girlfriends?" another shrug, or why didn't Peter just get adopted too why did it have to be marriage and he goes on a tangent because fuck you he has May he's not comfortable being someone else's adopted child

In a PeterMJ context, MJ finds it hilarious, you cannot tell me she wouldn't be down for screwing over the terrible justice system and fucking with heteronormative marriage norms. She'd be proudly introducing them as "my boyfriend Peter and his husband Bucky" in the most purposefully deadpan voice, or outright claiming them both as her husbands in every way except the shackles of the legal system or saying they're her harem, a package deal, marry one get one free... She and Bucky reply "it was funny" at the same time in the exact same blank tone of voice whenever anyone asks why Peter and Bucky stayed married or ask why is she okay with it

(since Bucky is canonically the MCU's White Wolf, who in the comics is T'Challa and Shuri's adopted brother, in the fic it's explained that being adopted into the royal family is what got Bucky let off with only mandatory therapy as part of his deal and it's genius)

I've now seen a fair few posts about Bucky's change in appearance and seen people offer up in-universe explanations such as it's first time in his entire life he's been getting consistent food and water etc. I need to say one thing.

I find it abhorrent that people feel the need to critique/comment on the body of a real life person considering all we now know of what these super cut beefy actors go through (which btw includes extreme dehydration which is life threatening) just so a movie can have a "sexy shirtless scene" and what Sebastian Stan has said in the past about his body dysmorphia. And in the context of Bucky as a character, it's disgusting considering he spent almost a century with no autonomy over what he looks like or what he did with his time, he's not cattle to judge.

So yeah we can think up all the in universe explanations we like and post the most backhanded compliments in support of him, but the thing is we shouldn't be commenting at all. This isn't like what they did with Thor where it was part of a poor taste storyline and a costume that Hemsworth donned, this is a real person's body and after the horrible treatment the late Chadwick Boseman received for his body's changes undergoing treatment, I would've hoped people had learned that even "complimentary" comments about body weight changes can be inappropriate and unwelcome. Just don't say anything?? It's so easy to shut up.

every day I whisper "make Bucky gay and Jewish you cowards, go full Arnie Roth or go home" and maybe one day it'll happen. introduce him to a cute teacher called Michael. do it.