Captain America star Sebastian Stan talked about when he thought his time as Bucky Barnes was over. Stan has played Barnes in multiple Marvel Studios projects, including TheFalcon and the Winter Soldier and Avengers: Endgame.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was met with some mixed reactions, but for the most part fans really enjoyed following these two heroes who at one point started out at each other's throats. The dynamic these two shared during Captain America: Civil War had movie theaters laughing from both corners and made the internet react positively to the dynamic.
Stan sat down with Vanity Fair to reflect on his career and the impact his characters have had throughout his profession, noting that he didn't expect to play Bucky Barnes for 10 years. Marvel Studios played with the idea of having Barnes falling off the train in Captain America: The First Avenger with the actor wearing a green sleeve on his arm in order to tease the possibility of him returning later. However, when it came time to shoot the scene, the team at Marvel Studios decided to not go with the green sleeve, which made Stan think he was going to be let go. As everyone knows, Stan ended up coming back to the role for the Captain America sequels and the whole dilemma was about the team not knowing which arm to use rather than not wanting him.
Sometimes these things happen, so it's not unreasonable for the actor to expect to be let go. The superhero film world is as ever-changing as their comic book source material counterparts. Zachary Levi had a small role in Thor before ending up switching sides to DC, which is also known for having multiple talents who have been 'let go' for various reasons, including Ruby Rose, Ray Fisher, and Zack Snyder. All were dismisssed for different reasons but nonetheless, the hero role is never guaranteed to be permanent. After auditioning for the lead role only to land the role of The Winter Soldier, Stan set his expectations low but fortunately was proven wrong.
The Winter Soldier is fan favorite among many. The team at Marvel Studios did a good job at making Bucky Barnes more relevant than what he was in the comic book series, as well as making him a more dangerous threat. He went from being a B-tier sidekick to becoming an A-list hero who has garnered an immense amount of fans. The Winter Soldier's metallic arm became a popular aesthetic for cosplayers, fans, and viewers alike. His power ranks high among the other powerful heroes, which can be seen in his fight with Spider-Man.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier set up a great deal of new plot lines to happen in the future for these characters. There's potential for these characters to step up as the lead in the future MCU movies. Moving forward fans will see these characters walk a new path and shape the way fans view Marvel's world of heroes. No longer is it just Spider-Man, Wolverine and Hulk; now its welcoming newcomers like Shang-Chi and Ms. Marvel, to name a few.
The Captain America films are now available on Disney Plus.
Source: Vanity Fair