Sebastian Stan Tries to Tease Us With Doctor Strange Sorcery

Sebastian Stan teased Screen Rant with a hint of some Doctor Strange sorcery that he's looking forward to in Avengers: Infinity War. Bucky Barnes was revealed as the White Wolf in Black Panther's post-credits scene, which sets the stage for him to be recharged and ready to fight alongside the Avengers against Thanos in the much-anticipated sequel. It appears that the former Winter Soldier won't become the next Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe - at least in the foreseeable future for the mega-franchise.

However, the MCU has not been without its teases as far as Bucky taking the Captain America mantle. Steve Rogers has changed a lot, apparently ditching his signature Cap shield in favor of new Wakandan shields ahead of Infinity War. He also has some elements of his "Nomad" identity from the comics. Bucky may not pick up the actual Captain America shield in Infinity War or the MCU moving forward, but Stan hinted that Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) could use his powers to try to make it more of a possibility.

Speaking to Screen Rant at the Infinity War junket, Stan teased that the Sorcerer Supreme could use his powers in the mystical arts to help Bucky Barnes. It came after a question of whether Bucky deserves to be the next Captain America, hinting at the Sorcerer Supreme's deep involvement in the relationship between Barnes and Rogers. Here's the full exchange:

Screen Rant: You've been Steve's longest friend. Why or why don't you deserve to pick up the shield?

Sebastian Stan: You know the thing about this film, something like that is that the thing about this film is that “Benadryl Cumberbatch” did this thing with his arms that were really specific and I'm really looking forward to seeing that on the IMAX screen.

SR: Did some things with his arms?

Stan: Something to think about.

Bucky Barnes MCU Captain America White Wolf

Beyond the visual aspect of Doctor Strange's mystical powers gracing giant IMAX screens, Stan's tease hints at multiple possibilities for the role that the Sorcerer Supreme will play between Barnes and Rogers. The childhood friends are likely to have a strange reunion in Infinity War, with both heroes significantly changed. It's possible that Doctor Strange's arm movements open a massive portal that sends them back in time, perhaps all the way to their beginnings.

Another possibility is that Doctor Strange transports Bucky to the world at the end of Captain America: Civil War, giving him an opportunity to pick up the shield that Rogers left behind. But now that Bucky is on track to become the White Wolf, rather than the new Cap, such a moment would certainly create all kinds of internal conflicts with the former Winter Soldier. The moment could be a case of neither hero wanting to assume the Cap mantle.

It will be interesting to see how Doctor Strange, who will play a key role in fighting alongside the Avengers against Thanos in the first place, factors into his dealings with Rogers and Barnes in particular. That Stan went in the direction of Doctor Strange's powers when asked about his character and Captain America is intriguing to say the least. But the fact that he expressed excitement to see it in IMAX could merely mean that he's just expecting Avengers: Infinity War to deliver some epic visuals.