The first episode of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier sees its title characters step into leading roles for the first time and with that comes an influx of new information about their personal lives.

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We are reintroduced to Bucky Barnes as a private citizen following his official pardon by the US government, but see him struggle to find a place in a world that is completely unfamiliar to him.

After some encouragement from a new friend, he goes on a date with an employee from a restaurant he frequents, where he lets slip an intriguing detail: his sister is still alive.

Comic book fans will be aware that Bucky has a sister in the source material, but many will have assumed that she had passed away in the many decades since he became the Winter Soldier.

Read on for all your essential details on Bucky's sister and whether she could appear in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

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The Falcon and the Winter Soldier: Who is Bucky's sister?

In the comic books, Bucky has a sister named Rebecca, but the two of them were separated at a young age following the deaths of their parents in two unrelated accidents.

Despite being underage, Bucky was able to secure a place in the military, while Rebecca was sent to boarding school and the two seemingly never saw each other again.

That said, Rebecca clearly mourned the loss of her brother, once seen as an elderly woman in the present day attending a Christmas event for veterans – where she first met Captain America.

The two crossed paths again several years later when Steve arranged a proper funeral for Bucky – who was still thought to be dead at this point – telling Rebecca how her brother nobly sacrificed his life during the Second World War.

Will Bucky's sister appear in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier?

Rebecca's appearances in the pages of Marvel Comics have been few and far between, but there is a possibility that we could meet her at some point in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

During the aforementioned date scene, Bucky implies she is still alive by referencing her in the present tense, which would be very possible assuming she was a young girl when they were separated in the 1930s.

Additionally, Rebecca was co-created by Marvel comic book writer Len Kaminski, whose name is included on Bucky's list of past associates at an earlier point in the episode – which also suggests a possible appearance later down the line.

While she is unlikely to play a major role in the story, seeing Bucky reunited with his sister in her old age after 80 years apart has the potential to be a powerful and emotional moment that would add a new dimension to the character.

We know that Bucky will meet Sam's sister, Sarah (played by Adepero Oduye), at some point in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and perhaps their strong bond will be what encourages him to seek out his own sibling.

Of course, we mustn't get too tied up in fan theories and suspected cameos – we all remember what happened with WandaVision, after all – but this certainly seems like a plausible direction for the story to go in. Stay tuned.

Read our The Falcon and the Winter Soldier review, plus learn more about The Falcon and the Winter Soldier cast including John Walker and Sharon Carter and never miss an episode with our The Falcon and the Winter Soldier release schedule.

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The Falcon and the Winter Soldier premieres on Disney Plus on Friday 19th March. You can sign up to Disney Plus for £7.99 a month or £79.90 a year now. Check out the rest of our Sci-fi and Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what's on tonight.

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