But the point is that he didn't stop him because he was his friend. He did make a decision to stop fighting him and let Bucky knock him out. The problem I have with Cap is he comes off too perfect. He does whatever he wants regardless of the obvious warning signs and never really seems to pay for his decisions. Unlike Tony who's mistakes seems to magnified by those around him including his own team. Ultron was a huge example. He did whatever he wanted and the team completely gave him shit for it. Yeah it was a bad decision (although ultimately it may be one that in the end more then makes up with it due to vision being born) but everyone, especially cap, let him know how badly he screwed up. Cap never gets that flack for the choices he made or they never blow up in his face the way Tony's mistakes do. No matter how bone headed they were especially in this movie.
It was because he was his friend that Cap knew that Bucky was not himself. I mean that's what it comes down to. He's not doing it just because he is -his friend- but because Cap's friends are not bad people. That's how he chooses his friends. It's not that he is perfect, it's that he is a good man. That doesn't mean perfection, it just means having a strong moral compass. And I absolutely agree with this assessment that Tony gets more shit than Steve in this comparison. But I think there's also a reason for that. Tony does things for the wrong reasons and they blow up on him. Steve does things for the right reasons so even if something blows up, people tend to be more forgiving.
I disagree that things never really explode in Steve's face. Something literally did in this film. What happened with Crossbones is a HUGE blunder and people actually died. It's true that the movie doesn't dwell on it for as long as it probably should, but I think it is felt. Steve blames himself more than anyone else, so no one else needs to beat him up about it more.
Furthermore, I think that it is interesting that you brought up the issue of Bucky being a case that everyone is so forgiving about in the end. Because in Ed Brubaker's run of Captain America, after Steve dies and Bucky takes over as Captain America, that actually becomes a huge crux for Baron Zemo's motive when he returns to create chaos by leaking out the Winter Soldier's crimes to the world. He wants accountability and he is pissed off that when villains do bad things and then try to reform and integrate in the world, people don't give them that chance or benefit of the doubt, but when someone like Bucky tries it, he is accepted with open arms because he was the friend of Steve Rogers. So he basically forces the issue, turns the world against Bucky as Captain America, and makes him stand trial for his crimes as the Winter Soldier. It was a really cool arc.
Huh? The Avengers weren't even formed at that point (except for Cap, BW and Hawkeye), only after Loki showed up in Germany.
Yes but they're still people. They were individuals first before they became Avengers, and their shortcomings as people apply. They messed up before they became Avengers, when they became Avengers, and after they became Avengers. So the people who are standing behind Captain America when he says "the safest hands are still our own" are basically a bunch of fuckups who have been fucking up before they were even known as Avengers.
That's a point I absolutely agree with, and it lends weight to the oversight argument. But honestly, when Captain America speaks, I listen, so #TeamCap all the way!
