A teaser forThunderboltsconfirmed that theMCUhas retconned Bucky’s arm. Themystery shroudingThunderboltshas liftedsomewhat with the release of its first trailer, revealing a little behind the circumstances that bring the titular team together. It helps to draw a line beneath much speculation as rumors including Valentina Allegra De Fontaine’s occupation of the Avengers tower are vindicated. It also all but confirmed thatLewis Pullman’s Bobis indeed Sentry, the latest impossibly powerful Marvel character to join the MCU, after depicting him surviving a barrage of bullets and showing a glimpse of his S-shaped buckle.
The teaser also shows how theThunderbolts memberswill be pitted against one another before being assembled by De Fontaine. Yelena Belova, John Walker, Ava Starr, and Antonia Dreykov engage in a tussle before summarizing that “Someone wants [them] gone.” Bucky is not a part of this particular crowd but is later seen pursuing Yelena, John, and Alexei Shostakov with lethal intent. While this gives rise to new questions about the clandestine figure hunting the Thunderbolts, these shots definitively answer one question that’s been left hanging for two years.
Thunderbolts* Retcons The Guardians of the Galaxy Christmas Special
Bucky’s Black And Gold Arm Was Recently In Rocket Raccoon’s Possession
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Specialwas released on July 19, 2025, and depicts Nebula gifting Rocket Raccoon Bucky’s black and gold vibranium arm in its festive final sequence. The scene pays offa line fromAvengers: Infinity Warwhere Rocket admires the arm before asserting that he will obtain it at some point, though this would not happen inAvengers: Infinity WarnorAvengers: Endgame. Instead,the arm is apparently stolen by Nebula off-screen before she brings it to Knowhere, ostensibly leaving Bucky without his ace in the hole.
James Gunn seemingly confirmed the canonicity of Nebula’s gift via social media, stating that she “Tore it off his body.”
The brevity of the scene and the fact that Bucky’s arm is so integral to his character led some to question the canonicity of the event. Yet it appears thattheThunderbolts*trailer just definitively confirmed that Bucky does, in fact, still possess the Wakandan-made marvel, and is still utilizing it to its fullest extent as he uses it to topple a speeding Humvee. It is also front-and-center in another scene that shows Bucky cleaning his arm in a dishwasher, granting a glimpse into how Bucky lives his day-to-day life with the powerful prosthetic.
How Bucky’s Arm Retcon Could Be Explained In Thunderbolts*
The MCU Might Employ A Timeline Excuse
While Marvel may purely retcon the fleeting scene inThe Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special,given how the arm carries far more narrative importance with Bucky than it does with Rocket, this could feel cheap. Instead, there are multiple ways in which the MCU can justify its appearance on Knowhere and then back on earth in the possession of its true owner. Unfortunately,none of them will rectify the fact that the festive scene now feels somewhat unnecessaryand messy.
This may have been the plan all along, and perhaps James Gunn’s suggestion that Nebula tore it from Bucky’s “Body” carries a more macabre meaning if Bucky ends up dying in Thunderbolts*.
One of the more convoluted ways Marvel may do this is by manipulating the timelines, making it so thatThe Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday SpecialandGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3both take place after the events ofThunderbolts*. This should be relatively simple, given how the Guardians' recent outings have been largely divested fromthe Multiverse Saga’s mainline narrative. This may have been the plan all along, and perhaps James Gunn’s suggestion that Nebula tore it from Bucky’s “Body” carries a more macabre meaning if Bucky ends up dying inThunderbolts*.
Alternatively, with theMultiverse Saga providing variants aplentyacross universes,Nebula may have come into possession of an arm from an alternate universe. This seems unlikely, given howDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnesshammered home the dangers of interfering in other universes. Transferring something as important as Bucky’s arm from one universe to another seems like an extremely pertinent example of this, turning the gift into a catalyst for an incursion.
Doctor Strange caused an incursion by visiting and interfering in other universes.
A more agreeable solution is that Nebula simply gifted Rocket with a counterfeit arm - although Rocket’s entire tech-savvy MO makes it extremely unlikely that she would be able to deceive him in this way. Instead,the arm may simply have been returned to Bucky in time forThunderbolts*. If that is the case, thenThunderbolts*may have to address the sequence of events.
Will Thunderbolts* Address Marvel’s Retcon Concerning Bucky’s Arm?
Thunderbolts* Strikes A Very Different Tone To The Guardians Franchise
Despite featuring two characters that are prone to delivering comic relief,theThunderboltstrailerseems to be striking a particularly somber tone that is rarely seen in the MCU. Additionally, despite them sharing the same cinematic universe,Thunderboltsseems decidedly more grounded thanGuardians of the Galaxy, even if it does feature Marvel’s answer to Superman. With these factors in mind,it seems highly unlikely that the movie will dedicate a line or two to explaining how Bucky’s arm is no longer in the possession of a spacefaring raccoon.
The fact that the appearance ofBucky’s arm inThe Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Specialbecame so trivial means that the movie will likely not waste time nor risk muddying the tone of the movie by addressing the retcon at all. Nebula’s gift to Rocket was never followed up on inGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, making it tantamount to a throwaway Easter egg instead of a consequential narrative beat. This may feel unsatisfactory for a franchise that is typically more conscious of these narrative developments and connections, but it may ultimately be for the best.
Bucky’s Arm Could Be Important To Thunderbolts* In A Different Way
Bucky’s Arc As A Disabled War Veteran Still Has Narrative Importance
It isn’t as if Bucky’s arm will go unaddressed inThunderbolts*. The teaser already demonstrated how effective it remains as a tool while also going so far as to show how Bucky maintains it in his day-to-day life. While throwing it in a dishwasher may seem like an odd choice to the casual observer (especially those who don’t own a vibranium prosthetic), it helps to ground Bucky’s experience in reality, even if his prosthetic arm is made from a mythical material.
This experience will no doubt be fleshed out inThunderbolts*, which Red Guardian actorDavid Harbor recently asserted would deal with the mental health issues of its main cast.Bucky’s new look is concerning, as he appears more disheveled than his recent appearance inThe Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and supports Harbor’s comments. This backslide into mental determination may be upsetting, but it also stands to reason given he may now be cut off from his support network. The daily use of a prosthetic arm coveted by people who don’t need it may even compound this.
Instead, the movie may be about to delve further into Bucky’s struggle with being a disabled veteran, affording the complex and compelling character arc even more screen time.
Bucky’s severe demeanor in theThunderboltsteaser suggests that the healing he underwent inThe Falcon and the Winter Soldiermay not have stuck. Instead, the movie may be about to delve further into Bucky’s struggle with being a disabled veteran, affording the complex and compelling character arc even more screen time. Regardless, Bucky’s vibranium arm is likely to be of importance inThunderbolts, even if the movie does breeze over its recent jaunt into space.
Thunderbolts*
Cast
Thunderbolts follows seven disillusioned individuals who find themselves trapped in a perilous situation. Tasked with a daunting mission, they must face the most shadowy aspects of their histories to survive and achieve their goals.
