History YMMV / CaptainAmericatheWinterSoldier

* NightmareFuel

** A lot of the elements of the Winter Soldier's character and treatment are horrifyingly graphic. The flashbacks of his transformation into the Winter Soldier include a scene of his bloody arm stump [[MedicalHorror being amputated]] from his point of view. Likely done without anesthesia. And then there's the scene of him having his memories of Captain America wiped via electroshock therapy, which shows him screaming in agony as the machine closes over his face, with the strong implication that this happens frequently for him. When he is awake and conscious in the treatment room, he mostly just sits there dazed, barely reacts to anything around him and meekly takes orders, making it come across like HYDRA is using a mentally handicapped man for their own ends.
** Music-wise, the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVJGh51wR7k Winter Soldier's Theme]], especially its first half, is just plain unsettling. It starts with something that sounds like a distorted woman repetitively screaming in an empty hall, which as it turns out is actually a completely warped version of [[spoiler:Bucky's scream as he falls off the train during ''First Avenger'']]. It then goes through grinding mechanical noises and then something like engines powering up and a variety of industrial sounds amongst its ambient background. Overall, it comes off incredibly ''creepy'', and is not a thing to listen to if you're alone in the dark.

* HarsherInHindsight
** In-universe, Nick Fury's memory of how Alexander Pierce turned down a Nobel Peace Prize by saying that "peace isn't a reward, it's a responsibility." The problem is that Pierce's idea of peace is one [[spoiler:enforced by HYDRA]].

** The HYDRA reveal gets worse with ''ComicBook/CaptainAmericaSteveRogers'' revealing [[spoiler: that Steve was brainwashed into an agent of HYDRA.]]

** [[spoiler:How much free will does Zola have inside the computer?]] In the first movie he was unwilling to sacrifice himself for the cause but in the sequel he gladly keeps talking to allow a missile to hit his position. [[spoiler:Was he really being used by Pierce in much the same fashion that Pierce utilizes the Winter Soldier?]] Or had he in fact been playing the role of reluctant henchman as far back as ''[[Film/CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger The First Avenger]]'' while hiding his true nature? Or given that [[spoiler:he's now a computer program with access to the Internet]], did he simply make a backup copy of himself so that he didn't really sacrifice himself at all?

*** [[spoiler:Zola sold out Red Skull to save his own skin in the previous film, but this film shows that Zola is a firm believer in HYDRA's ideology.]] Was he planning on [[spoiler:rebuilding HYDRA all along, and did he partially sell out Red Skull to achieve such a goal?]] Or was it something he came up with in between films?

** Sam Wilson has tinges of not being merely a cheery TokenBlackFriend but secretly being concerned about Steve's psyche from a therapist's perspective. When first meeting, he twice brings up Steve's potential culture shock, then starts looking analytical once Steve responds that the 21st century has its advantages, as though he doesn't believe Steve and thinks he's trying to hide his actual discomfort with the modern day. While Sam doesn't push for that answer, his response of Steve coming to the Veterans Affairs office "to make me look good in front of the girl at the front desk" could then be read as a veiled request that Steve seek out some psychiatric therapy, especially considering no such front desk girl is shown.

** Sam mentions that his wingman was shot down by an RPG during a late-night mission. That's pretty tragic, until you see what his flying gear looks like, and then you realize that he had to watch his best friend get shot [[NightmareFuel point-blank with an RPG]]. Come ''Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar'' [[spoiler:while in an aerial chase Sam watches Rhodey/War Machine get accidentally shot out of the air by Vision's beam originally meant for himself. Despite being on opposing sides, Sam immediately tries to rescue Rhodey but he crashes into the ground before Sam or Tony can reach him. While Rhodey does survive he becomes paralyzed from the waist down]].

** Jasper Sitwell offhandedly mentions Stephen Strange as one of the people Zola's algorithm lists as a potential danger to HYDRA, despite it being a couple years before he would become a Master of the Mystic Arts. [[spoiler:In ''[[WesternAnimation/WhatIf2021 What If...?]]'' Strange Supreme ends up trapping a variant of Zola in a pocket dimension to prevent him from stealing the Infinity Stones from Erik Killmonger to use for his own dark designs. Guess HYDRA wasn't too paranoid about the good doctor interfering with HYDRA's agenda after all!]]

** As mentioned below, many fans embraced this film as a SpiritualLicensee to the ''Franchise/MetalGear'' games. Fast forward to ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'', and Cap is sporting a beard that makes him look an awful lot like [[VideoGame/MetalGearSolidVThePhantomPain Venom Snake]].

* DracoInLeatherPants: Despite the fact that he was revealed to be [[spoiler: a HYDRA infiltrator, Sitwell]] still gets plenty of love from fans. It's helped by ''Series/AgentsOfSHIELD'' revealing that [[spoiler:some HYDRA agents were brainwashed, which could well be the case with Sitwell as he's a loyal S.H.I.E.L.D. agent in the comics]], although [[spoiler:''Film/AvengersEndgame'' portrays him as having been a HYDRA mole since at least around the time of ''Film/TheAvengers2012'']].

---> '''Steve:''' [[MeaningfulEcho I'm with you 'til the end of the line]]."

** [[spoiler:[[MadScientist Dr. Arnim Zola]] debuts as a cowardly scientist who joins the Nazis so they'll fund his work. Gleefully making war machines as [[Characters/MCUHYDRALeadership part of HYDRA]], Zola deliberately lets a SuperSoldier experiment go wrong and mutate his boss Johann Schmidt into the [[Characters/MCUJohannSchmidt Red Skull]] so his rival, Dr. Abraham Erskine, will be blamed and his family killed. When Schmidt lets Zola in on his plot to TakeOverTheWorld, the scientist enslaves and experiments on prisoners of war to build the super weapons necessary for the scheme before betraying his boss to the Allies when it's made clear failure is inevitable. Having become a true believer in totalitarianism, Zola joins the newly-formed [[Characters/{{MCUSHIELD}} S.H.I.E.L.D.]] and goes about reforming HYDRA within its ranks, all the while masterminding global conflicts to make the people desperate for security. To do this, he abducts and [[BrainwashedAndCrazy brainwashes]] people into being "Winter Soldier" assassins, keeping them in stasis and torturously memory wiping them between missions. All of this culminates in a plot to launch Project Insight, which will trap the world in an eternal surveillance state and give HYDRA the ability to slaughter any dissidents, with it being explicitly stated that this will lead to tens of millions of deaths.]]

** [[MadScientist Dr. Arnim Zola]] debuts as a cowardly scientist who joins the Nazis so they'll fund his work. Gleefully making war machines as [[Characters/MCUHYDRALeadership part of HYDRA]], Zola deliberately lets a SuperSoldier experiment go wrong and mutate his boss Johann Schmidt into the [[Characters/MCUJohannSchmidt Red Skull]] so his rival, Dr. Abraham Erskine, will be blamed and his family killed. When Schmidt lets Zola in on his plot to TakeOverTheWorld, the scientist enslaves and experiments on prisoners of war to build the super weapons necessary for the scheme before betraying his boss to the Allies when it's made clear failure is inevitable. Having become a true believer in totalitarianism, Zola joins the newly-formed [[Characters/{{MCUSHIELD}} S.H.I.E.L.D.]] and goes about reforming HYDRA within its ranks, all the while masterminding global conflicts to make the people desperate for security. To do this, he abducts and [[BrainwashedAndCrazy brainwashes]] people into being "Winter Soldier" assassins, keeping them in stasis and torturously memory wiping them between missions. All of this culminates in a plot to launch Project Insight, which will trap the world in an eternal surveillance state and give HYDRA the ability to slaughter any dissidents, with it being explicitly stated that this will lead to tens of millions of deaths.

*** [[TheMole Brock Rumlow]] poses as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent when in reality he's an [[{{Characters/MCUHYDRAOperatives}} assassin for Hydra]]. Having killed their enemies for years, Rumlow leads the manhunt against [[Characters/MCUSteveRogers Captain America]] and [[Characters/MCUNatashaRomanoff Black Widow]], even witnessing the torture [[Characters/MCUBuckyBarnes the Winter Soldier]] endures with no reaction, losing his canon counterpart's only moment of humanity. On the day of the Hydra Uprising, Rumlow personally launches the helicarriers for Project Insight, knowing that doing so will lead to millions of innocent deaths. He is uncaring when confronted with the damage his actions will cause, only bragging to [[Characters/MCUSamWilson Sam Wilson]] that Hydra will rule the world.
*** [[MadScientist Arnim Zola]] is the [[Characters/MCUHYDRALeadership engineer of Hydra's resurgence]] within [[{{Characters/MCUSHIELD}} S.H.I.E.L.D.]], having taken it over after [[Characters/MCUJohannSchmidt Red Skull]]'s demise. Spending decades turning S.H.I.E.L.D. into a front for Hydra, Zola masterminded decades of war and catastrophes to convince the world to willingly hand over free will, with even his own death unable to stop his reign of terror. Zola is also the man responsible for Bucky Barnes' torture and transformation into the Winter Soldier. After [[BrainUploading uploading himself into a computer]], Zola masterminded Project Insight, the systematic murder of millions of innocents who could potentially pose a threat to Hydra's reign over the world, and is so determined to see it succeed that he lets himself be destroyed in a bomb designed to kill Captain America and Black Widow.

*** [[TheMole Brock Rumlow]] poses as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent when in reality he's an [[{{Characters/MCUHYDRAOperatives}} assassin for Hydra]]. Having killed their enemies for years, Rumlow leads the manhunt against [[Characters/MCUSteveRogers Captain America]] and [[Characters/MCUNatashaRomanoff Black Widow]], even witnessing the torture [[Characters/MCUBuckyBarnes the Winter Soldier]] endures with no reaction. On the day of the Hydra Uprising, Rumlow personally launches the helicarriers for Project Insight, knowing that doing so will lead to millions of innocent deaths. He is uncaring when confronted with the damage his actions will cause, only bragging to [[Characters/MCUSamWilson Sam Wilson]] that Hydra will rule the world.

** [[spoiler: [[TheBrute Brock Rumlow]] is a [[Characters/{{MCUSHIELD}} S.H.I.E.L.D.]] operative who is really a [[Characters/MCUHYDRAOperatives member of HYDRA]]. As a STRIKE commander, Rumlow happily killed HYDRA's enemies for years. When Captain America exposes HYDRA's infiltration of S.H.I.E.L.D., Rumlow personally activates Project Insight, a trio of Helicarriers designed to kill millions of people who may threaten HYDRA's power, before killing several S.H.I.E.L.D. agents in the chaos. Barely surviving the battle and becoming severely disfigured, Rumlow abandoned his loyalties to HYDRA and became the ArmsDealer Crossbones, killing rival dealers and attacking several police stations. He then attacks the Institute for Infectious Diseases in Lagos, killing everyone inside and stealing a dangerous bioweapon. When stopped by Captain America, Rumlow [[SuicideAttack sets off a suicide bomb]], hoping to kill Cap and the numerous people nearby as revenge for his disfigurement.]]

** Nick Fury's "The last time I trusted someone, I lost an eye." line becomes rather amusing in light of ''Film/CaptainMarvel2019'', where this is revealed to be MetaphoricallyTrue '''at best'''. [[spoiler:He became affectionate with Carol Danvers's alien cat, Goose, who ended up scratching him and causing an infection that made him lose sight in an eye. Although, granted, explaining that indignity wouldn't make as compelling an explanation. It's even more hilarious if one likes to think that his wording refers to either having trusted Carol or ''Goose himself''.]]

** Sam tells Fury, "I do what [Steve] does, just slower." In the comics less than a year later, [[spoiler:Sam was given the mantle of Captain America after Steve loses his powers]]. And then it came full circle when [[spoiler:[[MythologyGag the same thing happened]] in ''[[Film/AvengersEndgame Endgame]]''.]]
** In the UK release, ''Series/{{Sherlock}}'' is on Steve's To-Do List. Creator/BenedictCumberbatch would portray the titular character in the ''Film/DoctorStrange2016'' movie. [[Film/IronMan1 Tony Stark]] actor Creator/RobertDowneyJr played Sherlock Holmes in the Creator/GuyRitchie–[[Film/SherlockHolmes2009 directed]] [[Film/SherlockHolmesAGameOfShadows films]]; and both Tony Stark and Stephen Strange are [[spoiler:among HYDRA's targets for Project Insight]]. So it looks like [[spoiler:HYDRA]] is so determined to prevent Steve from watching Sherlock Holmes in any form or media.
** [[spoiler: Arnim Zola]] strongly hints that HYDRA [[WhoShotJFK was behind the assassination of John F. Kennedy]]. The same year, Film/XMenDaysOfFuturePast had Magneto charged as the alleged killer, who then claims how Kennedy was a fellow mutant and that he was trying to save him. Aside from Marvel being associated with both films, anyone who knows Magneto's backstory will find this ironic and/or appropriate.

** Nick Fury's "The last time I trusted someone, I lost an eye." line becomes rather amusing in light of ''Film/CaptainMarvel2019'', where this is revealed to be MetaphoricallyTrue '''at best'''. [[spoiler:He trusted Carol Danvers, and her alien cat ended up cutting him and causing an infection that made him lose sight in an eye. Although, granted, explaining that indignity wouldn't make as compelling an explanation.]]
*** Alternatively, one could interpret the ''Winter Soldier'' line as indicating that Fury [[spoiler:trusted '''Goose''' herself, specifically when using her to devour his attackers: "I'm trusting you not to eat me." His overzealous affection for Goose when that trust is rewarded, however, directly leads to the fateful scratching.]]

** Jasper Sitwell offhandedly mentions Stephen Strange as one of the people Zola's algorithm lists as a potential danger to HYDRA, despite it being a couple years before he would become a Master of the Mystic Arts. [[spoiler:In ''[[WesternAnimation/WhatIf2021 What If...?]]'' Strange Supreme ends up trapping a variant of Arnim in a pocket dimension to prevent him from stealing the Infinity Stones from Erik Killmonger to use for his own dark designs. Guess HYDRA wasn't too paranoid about the good doctor interfering with HYDRA's agenda after all!]]
** When Nick Fury is hiding out in Steve's apartment to warn him about the threat of HYDRA, he uses the phrase "My wife kicked me out" as a SpySpeak term, in case the residence is bugged. [[spoiler:''[[Series/SecretInvasion2023 Secret Invasion]]'' would later reveal that Fury really ''does'' have a wife, and one who isn't human at that.]]

** Sam mentions that his wingman was shot down by an RPG during a late-night mission. That's pretty tragic, until you see what his flying gear looks like, and then you realize that he had to watch his best friend get shot [[NightmareFuel point-blank with an RPG…]]. Come ''Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar'' [[spoiler: while in an aerial chase Sam watches Rhodey/War Machine get accidentally shot out of the air by Vision’s beam originally meant for himself. Despite being on opposing sides, Sam immediately tries to rescue Rhodey but he crashes into the ground before Sam or Tony can reach him. While Rhodey does survive he becomes paralyzed from the waist down]].
** Senator Stern is left alive at the film's end, possibly to lead into a role in future MCU projects which will now go unfulfilled after Garry Shandling's untimely death (in fact, this film was his final acting role).

** One of the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents turned HYDRA defectors/infiltrators in the film is named Jack Rollins. Two months post-release, an ultra-popular paramilitary-styled trio in Wrestling/{{WWE}} called Wrestling/TheShield is betrayed and disbanded by its "architect", who goes by the name of ''{{Wrestling/Seth|Rollins}}'' [[Wrestling/SethRollins Rollins]].

* MoralEventHorizon
** [[spoiler:Arnim Zola]] is revealed to have crossed the line years ago by torturing [[spoiler:several members of Bucky's division, including Bucky himself]]. If that particular line crossing isn't bad enough, [[spoiler:he helped rebuild HYDRA as S.H.I.E.L.D. and created an algorithm to target any and all potential enemies, which would have killed at least twenty million people, according to his calculations]].
** [[spoiler:Alexander Pierce]] crosses it by casually murdering [[spoiler:his cleaner when she stumbles across the Winter Soldier sitting in his house. Considering what he's been up to and who he's been working with, he probably crossed it a long time ago, in-universe]].

*** On the other end of the spectrum, ''Series/TheFalconAndTheWinterSoldier'' reveals that [[spoiler:her niece Sharon, after being left to hang out and dry by The Avengers and forced to be a fugitive after the events of ''Civil War'', starts over as [[TheQueenpin the Power Broker]] who is willing to sell out state secrets for profit.]]

*** [[spoiler:Was Zola ever really a coward?]] Or was he just afraid of Red Skull and not much else? Being afraid of someone as AxCrazy as Red Skull is pretty reasonable for just about anyone. [[spoiler:Plus, Zola seems to drop his sheepish nature as soon as Red Skull is defeated. So maybe he was never a DirtyCoward and more just aware of his limitations.]] It's also worth noting that every time he shows fear in the last film was in situations where anyone would be afraid (such as being held at gunpoint).

*** [[spoiler:Was Zola ever really a coward?]] Or was he just afraid of Red Skull and not much else? Being afraid of someone as AxCrazy as Red Skull is pretty reasonable for just about anyone. [[spoiler:Plus, Zola seems to drop his sheepish nature as soon as Red Skull is defeated. So maybe he was never a DirtyCoward and more just aware of his limitations.]]

* AwardSnub: The film was nominated for a whopping ''fourteen'' Saturn Awards, but did not win a single one of them. This is somewhat alleviated with [[Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy the MCU's other film of 2014]] winning some of those awards.

* AluminumChristmasTrees: [[spoiler:Zola's]] algorithm is an example of statistical [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binary_classification binary classification]], which has been in use since at least WWII (for detection of hostile aircraft based on their radar signals). Also counts as a GeniusBonus.[[invoked]]

* GeniusBonus: The movie makes a great visual metaphor at the end which could be a rebuttal to Harry Lime's famous "Dot" speech in ''Film/TheThirdMan''. Given said film was one of the earliest cynical spy films, this is entirely possible.