Bucky arrives with Rogers Hood's crew and slots into the plan without much deliberation, which is exactly the kind of soldier he has always been. He and Lang are paired together as disguised trumpeters during the court infiltration, a combination that generates more bickering than musical credibility. When the fighting breaks out he moves immediately to where he is most useful, engaging the Red Skull in combat and holding his own until Rogers arrives to punch him clear.

His role is lean and functional. He is there because Rogers trusts him and because a plan involving a castle full of Yellowjacket soldiers and a king wielding an Infinity Stone benefits from having someone like Bucky Barnes in the room. He does not drive the outcome but he keeps the pieces in place long enough for the outcome to happen, which in a battle this chaotic is its own kind of contribution.