Bisexual Bucky Barnes Is the Queer MCU Superhero We Deserve

Highly anticipated Disney+ show The Falcon and the Winter Soldier finally debuted, much to the great pleasure of viewers who have been fans of these characters for years. In addition to the usual action and humor the MCU has always delivered, the Disney+ shows (WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and the Loki series set to premiere in June) also have great potential to really dive into the human emotions and psyches behind these beloved characters. And maybe — finally — the MCU is on the brink of presenting us with meaningful queer representation. And it could be in the form of a bisexual Bucky Barnes.

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In the first episode of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Bucky Barnes goes on a date with a woman who asks him about his dating life. It is revealed to us that Bucky has been doing the online dating “thing” and specifically notes the weird tiger photos he keeps seeing.

Which brings us here.

Straight people, I have a question. On Tinder, is it men who tend to post pictures with tigers all the time? Or women? I ask because Bucky complained about all the tiger pictures he sees on Tinder. (I want him to be bi so bad. LOL.) #FalconAndTheWinterSoldier

— Saeed Jones (@theferocity) March 22, 2021

“Straight people, I have a question. On Tinder, is it men who tend to post pictures with tigers all the time? Or women? I ask because Bucky complained about all the tiger pictures he sees on Tinder.”

Can this really be happening? Is bisexual Bucky Barnes finally a thing?

Some folks are convinced:

also, not for nothing, as a fellow bi who was on the dating apps for a bit, the tiger photo thing is very much a male phenomenon, so Bucky has his filters set to men and women, bi Bucky is real, it’s canon now, try to take him from me!!!!!!!

— Lauren Shippen (@laurenshippen) March 20, 2021

“As a fellow bi who was on the dating apps for a bit, the tiger photo thing is very much a male phenomenon, so Bucky has his filters set to men and women, bi Bucky is real, it’s canon now, try to take him from me!!!!!!!”

Not to mention there’s actually an entire Tumblr dedicated to this phenomenon, aptly titled Tinder Guys With Tigers.

But bisexual Bucky Barnes is by no means confirmed. If only we could ask the show’s head writer, right? NME recently asked lead writer Malcolm Spellman about the theory, to which Spellman replied: “I’m not diving down rabbit holes, but just keep watching.”

Honestly, a pretty unsurprising response from someone who wants to keep viewers engaged without giving anything away. Though we do have to note here that the MCU is notorious among LGBTQ fans for its queer-baiting, and Disney has made its stance on gay people quite clear.

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It’s entirely understandable to get our hopes up over the potential of bisexual Bucky Barnes. Since his first appearance in Captain America: The First Avenger, fans have been speculating about the relationship between Bucky and Steve, “best friends since childhood,” with a bond “strong enough to help break through decades of brainwashing, like a kiss from a fairytale.”

Now, between couples therapy and rolling around in the grass together, it’s also undeniable that his chemistry with Sam Wilson is off the charts.

All of the necessary foundation is there. We just need the MCU to deliver.

Will the Winter Soldier be the MCU’s first male bisexual superhero? Do you stan a bisexual Bucky Barnes?

Photos courtesy Marvel Studios / Disney