Marvel Explains Why the Wakandans Left a Failsafe In Bucky’s Arm

The Falcon and The Winter Soldier settled on many fronts while leaving a lot of doors open. The possibilities for upcoming stories are at an insane level. Leading Sam and Bucky into the events after six months of Avengers: Endgame, we see them dealing with a handful of problems. Personal lives are being dealt with. But there is a bigger demon that lurks, i.e., the Flag-Smashers. The show introduced new characters such as John Walker (later introduced as the U.S. Agent), and Valentina. We also got to see Zemo and Sharon back in action. Overall, the show was packed with shocking moments and top-tier action. One of the most stunning moments came when Ayo removed Bucky’s arm. Now, Marvel has explained why the Wakandans left a failsafe in Bucky’s Arm

The show definitely left the viewers thinking. It left a lot of loose threads, and it is actually good that this is the case. The reason why I say this is because it prompts the viewers to get out of the box and imagine whatever they want to. There were many theories that were prevalent before and during the series. There were moments where we just left gaping in awe. The first action sequence including Falcon and Batroc was legendary. It only meant that the show was going to shift into hyperspeed from there. But there was one particular moment in the series that made me spill my tea. That was when Ayo decided to play around with Bucky. She took out his arm!

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier VFX supervisor Eric Leven recently discussed the logistics of Bucky’s iconic arm. He explained why there was a little failsafe in the arm, and how t In a behind-the-scenes video posted by Marvel Studios,  Leven said:

Since it was a Wakandan arm, the Wakandans put a little failsafe in there so that if they ever got in a situation, like they did, they were able to hit a little code in the magic arm so it would pop off.

There’s some magical pressure point here (gestures to shoulder), a magical button that’s going to detach his arm. Ayo knows where that is.

Bucky was not aware of this possible failsafe. When it happened, the viewers were in literal shock. When Bucky saw what Ayo did, for a second he believed that he could never trust anyone. Well, he was in the wrong too as he helped Zemo escape from a German prison. Zemo was the one who murdered Wakanda’s former king, T’Chaka. So, obviously, the Wakandans weren’t going to take it likely. Hence, the failsafe is justified.

Leven talked about the many discussions he had with Marvel about the failsafe. They even discussed whether it should have a Wakandan energy signature. He continues:

“Bucky is wearing a black shirt and it’s kind of hard to tell what’s going on, so there were conversations about ‘well, should we have a bit of energy glow? Should there be a little purple Wakandan energy signature, or a little light, to help the audience figure out what’s going on?’ So, there were a lot of conversations about what color should this light be? How bright should this light be? What should the light do?”

Marvel is particularly known for its attention to detail. That being said, the energy signature was added to Bucky’s arm! It turns out this energy signature was included in the final scene in a “blink-and-you’ll-miss-it” moment. Leven goes on to say:

“We ended up doing a very, very subtle light inside around his shoulder, and then a very subtle light that travels down his arm. It’s a blink and you’ll miss it kind of thing.” 

So now we know why the Wakandans left a failsafe in Bucky’s Arm. The Falcon and The Winter Soldier did a fairly good job in amalgamating Bucky’s past ranging from when he was the Winter Soldier to the time he was in Wakanda. And ultimately, Bucky got a peaceful and happy ending. Now let’s see where he will be returning in the coming projects of MCU. 

The Falcon and The Winter Soldier has concluded its run on Disney+. Directed by Kari Skogland, the series stars Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson, aka Falcon, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes, aka The Winter Soldier, Daniel Brühl as Baron Helmut Zemo, Emily VanCamp as Sharon Carter, Wyatt Russell as John Walker, Desmond Chiam, Miki Ishikawa, Noah Mills, and Carl Lumbly.