Marvel Studios’ What If...? has been a game-changer for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), pushing boundaries with alternate realities and unexpected twists. The animated series offers fans a glimpse into how different choices and circumstances could have reshaped the MCU.
Released exclusively on Disney+, What If...? returned for its third season, expanding its exploration of alternate timelines. One of the standout episodes from Season 3, Episode 3—What If... Red Guardian Stopped Winter Soldier?—shines a spotlight on Bucky Barnes and his iconic metal arm.
Released on December 20, 2024, exclusively on Disney+, the episode takes viewers into an alternate universe where Alexei Shostakov, aka Red Guardian, intervenes in the Winter Soldier's mission. As events unfold, Bucky’s bionic arm becomes a key focus that shows feats of strength and versatility never before seen in the MCU.
The Winter Soldier's arm can knock out a giant, as demonstrated in What If...? Season 3 Episode 3, where Bucky uses his bionic arm to take down Goliath with a single punch. Now, this is the perfect time to go deeper into the arm's powers and its crucial role in the alternate reality.
Exploring Bucky's bionic arm and all its powers as shown in What If...?
Bucky Barnes' bionic arm is one of the most well-known weapons in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. HYDRA built it after Bucky’s fall in 1945, and it has been upgraded over time to make it stronger and better. It first showed up in Captain America: The Winter Soldier as a titanium arm that gave Bucky superhuman strength and let him block Captain America's shield.
Iron Man later destroyed it during Captain America: Civil War, and Wakanda replaced it with a vibranium arm in Avengers: Infinity War. The new arm is tougher, more flexible, and hits harder than the old one.
The vibranium arm absorbs vibrations, reducing the impact of attacks and punches while also enhancing Bucky’s own strength. It can crush concrete, rip open armored vehicles, and even stop bullets in mid-air. The arm’s strength is enough to overpower super-soldiers and easily lift heavy objects.
It’s also bulletproof and resistant to extreme conditions, including heat and cold, making it a reliable weapon in any environment. Its ability to absorb kinetic energy mirrors the technology in Black Panther’s suit, though Bucky’s arm hasn’t been shown to release stored energy the way T’Challa’s suit does.
In What If...? Season 3 Episode 3, Bucky’s arm reaches new levels of power. The episode, released on December 20, 2024, features an alternate timeline where Red Guardian prevents Bucky from completing his mission to steal the Super Soldier serum in 1991. Instead, they team up to fight S.H.I.E.L.D. and Bill Foster, also known as Goliath.
During their battle, Bucky’s arm displays its versatility and sheer force. He uses it to deflect gunfire, smash through obstacles, and absorb the impact of a police van crashing into him. But the most impressive moment comes when Goliath, using his size-shifting abilities, transforms into a towering giant. After Red Guardian throws him toward the giant's head, Bucky manages to knock Goliath out with a single punch to the face.
This scene shows just how strong the arm really is. It’s not just for defense or precision strikes—it can deliver enough force to take down physically much larger enemies. Considering it took multiple Avengers, including Spider-Man and Iron Man, to subdue a giant-sized Ant-Man in Captain America: Civil War, Bucky’s ability to take out Goliath on his own highlights how powerful his arm has become.
Despite its strengths, the arm does have weaknesses. In The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, it’s revealed that the Wakandans built a failsafe into the arm, allowing them to detach it with a specific sequence of movements. It’s also vulnerable to electrical attacks, as shown when John Walker disables it by slamming Bucky into power cables. These flaws make the arm powerful but not completely unstoppable, which adds to Bucky’s vulnerability as a character.
Bucky’s arm is more than just a weapon. It represents his past as HYDRA’s assassin, his struggle for redemption, and his reliance on technology to survive. Whether he’s fighting super-soldiers or giants or using it to repair a boat, the arm has become an extension of who he is. And as What If...? shows, it’s a tool capable of more destruction and power than anyone expected.
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What If...? is available on Disney+ exclusively for streaming.
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