Falcon and the Winter Soldier director addresses that ‘bisexual’ Bucky scene

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier director Kari Skogland has commented on those dreaming of a bisexual Bucky.

In an interview with Variety, Skogland waded into the hopeful and aggressively thirsty fan theory that Bucky, played by Sebastian Stan, is queer.

Across the Disney+ series, viewers have leapt on small details that seem to suggest that Bucky is bisexual, such as him briefly mentioning that his online dating apps have been full of people posing with tigers – something that men especially used to do.

But those hoping for a canonically bisexual Bucky will have to keep trying to manifest it.

Is Bucky bisexual?

Skogland clarified that the tiger quip wasn’t intended to hint at Bucky being bi.

“I think we just thought of it as an oddity of the times because he’s so confused by it,” she said.

“Because don’t forget, he’s 106 years old. So he’s just confused by the whole thing.

“What we were really more trying to display was his complete lack of technical skills, as well as being part of any kind of community.

“He doesn’t fit. So that was I think more our intention there that try to point to any one particular affinity.”

And for Falcon and the Winter Soldier fans who saw Bucky’s banter with Sam Wilson as all the proof they needed – well, you know the answer to this: Don’t read too much into it, Skogland stressed.

“It’s really love, right?” she said of the Marvel heroes’ bond.

“They love each other — at the end. They don’t love each other at the beginning, but they come to a friendship place where they love each other.

“So I’m not really sensitive to masculinity as any kind of barrier between that love, or how it should manifest.

“I’m completely fluid when it comes to any of that. So there’s no defined sexuality to any of it. So it’s, really, I think, just affection.”

Bucky and Sam are expected to return for the rumoured Captain America 4, after – spoiler – the latter took on Steve Rogers’ old mantle in the Falcon and the Winter Soldier finale. Fingers crossed Marvel writers decide to queer up proceedings before then.

• Nov 29 2023

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