As we wait as patiently as possible for Captain America: Civil War to arrive and give us the next chapter of the Marvel cinematic universe, none of us have anything better to do than to drill down into the existing trailers and look for anything of interest that we can find. Of course, we do this just to come up with theories. We never really expected to get answers. Turns out that if you want to know anything about Civil War you could try just asking the actors. Sometimes it’s that simple.
In a move that likely sent numerous Marvel lawyers through the roof, one fan asked Sebastian Stan something about his character and he got a straight answer. Instagram user coleisadreamer tagged the Winter Soldier in a post asking him about the backpack that Bucky Barnes can be seen wearing in a few points in the trailers. Not only did Stan respond, he told the guy exactly what was in the pack.
In his backpack there are a dozen notebooks that compose the scattered memories dating back to as far as he can remember which somewhat piece together a scattered life. In a similar way to Alzheimer's, he's written things down, for fear of losing his memory again. He was prepared, were something to happen, to walk away with nothing but that backpack, which is why it's the only thing he takes and knowing full well that not everything those pages contain is pretty.
This is actually some pretty good information, as it gives us a bit of a window into the mental state of the former assassin at this point in the story. He’s been spending the time since Captain America: The Winter Soldier trying to piece together his life as best he can. It sounds like he has been able to recall some of his early life with Steve Rogers as well as some of his life as the brainwashed Hydra assassin. He lives in fear of losing those memories so he writes everything down, and keeps them in a "go bag" so he can leave with them at a moment's notice. Something that apparently happens when Black Panther tracks him down.
It makes the motorcycle chase that we see in the trailer feel pretty emotional suddenly. Bucky Barnes isn’t just on the run but he’s trying to protect what little connection to his own past that he still has. If he’s captured, he’ll almost certainly be separated from his backpack, which would be like separating him from whatever humanity he’s trying to find.
What questions would you like to send to the cast of Captain America: Civil War? You should give it a shot. They might actually answer them. We’ll learn all the answers one way or another on May 6.
