Bucky Barnes has appeared in both Thunderbolts/New Avengers and Captain America: Brave New World, but his character trajectory hasn't made sense since The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

The asterisk hullabaloo had everything to do with setting up The New Avengers ahead of Avengers: Doomsday ’s release next summer. While I wasn’t exactly surprised about the reveal when the movie reached its end (especially considering we already know the Thunderbolts* cast are part of the Avengers;

Marvel Studios has officially rebranded Thunderbolts as The New Avengers, aligning the film’s narrative with broader Multiverse Saga plans.