Bucky Barnes remains the Winter Soldier for now, at least if the title change to The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is any indication. But with Sam now claiming the mantle of Captain America in the MCU, and Bucky eager to leave his previous life as the Winter Soldier behind him, it stands to reason that he might consider a new identity. Showrunner Malcolm Spellman hinted as much in a recent interview. With Bucky finally laying his past to rest, it seems the right time for him to take on a new name.
The obvious option is “White Wolf,” the name the Wakandans gave him as he healed after the events of Captain America: Civil War. Bucky used the name in the course of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and Spellman has teased that the final title card originally read Captain America and the White Wolf. However, another name from the Marvel Comics may suit Bucky better, especially with everything he’s been through -- Nomad.
The name originates with Steve Rogers, who took it after renouncing his mantle in 1974's Captain America #180. The storyline entailed a secret criminal conspiracy in the government that he hoped to expose, forming at least part of the inspiration for both Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War. Several other characters adopted the name in the course of Marvel history, including at least two minor Rogers sidekicks.
When Avengers: Infinity War opened, speculation abounded that Rogers would go by the name “Nomad," befitting his exile and life in hiding since the events of Civil War. It didn’t quite happen. Although the armor he wore in that movie has been referred to as his “Nomad” armor informally among fans. That provides an easy excuse for Bucky to claim the handle, and, in the process, do for it what Sam has done for the Captain America title.
Nomad may be more fitting than the White Wolf, as a subtle exchange in Season 1, Episode 5, “Truth,” indicates. Bucky assisted Ayo and the Dora Milaje in retrieving Baron Zemo. “It would be prudent to make yourself scarce in Wakanda for the time being. White Wolf,” she told him afterward. While she used his Wakandan name, she also indicated that he’s not welcome in the nation that gave it to him. The parallel to Rogers renouncing Captain America is too fitting not to at least consider, which makes Nomad the perfect moniker for Bucky going forward.
More importantly, it better reflects the arc he’s just completed: away from the Winter Soldier and his relationship with Steve onto a new path. He finds himself a man without a country, despite his presidential pardon, and Wakanda is clearly no refuge for him either. But he knows himself now and has the serenity to move forward on that alone, aptly reflecting both the name and the parts of Steve that it embodied.
Whatever name Bucky uses going forward in the MCU, it’s clear that he’s no longer the Winter Soldier. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier charted a clear arc of redemption for him, and the name no longer fits. Nomad makes a more apt identity, considering who he is now. It's also a way of claiming a small part of Steve’s legacy for his own. Interestingly enough, Marvel Studios recently trademarked the name “Nomad,” and speculation abounds on what it might mean for the MCU. Giving it to Bucky may turn out to be ideal.
Created by Malcolm Spellman and directed by Kari Skogland, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier stars Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Emily VanCamp, Wyatt Russell, Noah Mills, Carl Lumbly and Daniel Brühl. The series is available on Disney+.