Warning – this article contains major spoilers for Captain America: Brave New World
Captain America: Brave New World is now in cinemas, but do any familiar faces pay the patriotic superhero a visit?
The latest entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe sees Sam Wilson (played by Anthony Mackie) facing an impossible choice when new president Thaddeus ‘Thunderbolt’ Ross (Harrison Ford) tries to recruit him to reboot the Avengers.
He soon uncovers a dark conspiracy at the heart of the US government and is forced to go rogue to put a stop to a dangerous supervillain who unleashes a terrifying monster on Washington DC.
The globally successful mega-franchise has become renowned for treating fans to surprise cameos from their favourite heroes, and Brave New World is thankfully no different.
While the Avengers remain disbanded for now, Sam is still very much a team player and doesn’t turn down some words of encouragement from a friend during his hour of need.
So, does his rival-turned-bestie James Buchanan ‘Bucky’ Barnes (Sebastian Stan), aka the Winter Soldier, make an appearance?
Following a battle above the remains of the celestial Tiamut in the Indian Ocean, which is being mined for the resilient metal Adamantium, Sam’s new sidekick Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez), the new Falcon, is critically injured and taken to hospital.
Having failed to protect his partner, Sam is conflicted over whether he made the right choice by taking up the mantle of Captain America from Steve Rogers (Chris Evans).
Bucky pays Sam a surprise visit while the new Cap is questioning if he should have taken the super-soldier serum that gave both Steve and Bucky their incredible strength.
But Bucky advises against it, reminding Sam that people already respect him as their leader without the serum, strengthening his resolve as the patriotic hero.
After some inspiring words, Sam quips if Bucky, who’s now running for Congress, had his speech writers help him, to which Bucky admits they had a hand in it towards the end.
Sam’s new ally Ruth Bat-Seraph (Shira Haas) comes in just as Bucky’s leaving and can’t help admiring his good looks, to which Sam reminds her he’s technically 110 years old.
Bucky’s surprise appearance is not only sure to thrill fans, but it also serves as important set-up for Marvel’s next blockbuster, Thunderbolts*.
Formerly known as the Winter Soldier, Bucky is now considering a serious career in politics, but will ultimately be pulled into another comic book adventure with the likes of Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) and Red Guardian (David Harbour), plus his former adversary John Walker (Wyatt Russell).
Aside from Bucky, Captain America: Brave New World doesn’t have many other surprise appearances, keeping its attention on Sam’s battles with Samuel Sterns (Tim Blake Nelson) and Thaddeus Ross, who transforms into the Red Hulk.
However, once Thaddeus is de-Hulked and apprehended, he does have a brief return with his daughter, Betty, with Liv Tyler making her first appearance as the character since The Incredible Hulk in 2008.
Captain America: Brave New World is in cinemas now.