When Marvel first announced Captain America: The Winter Soldier, they did so without even telling one of its titular stars, Sebastian Stan. As James "Bucky" Barnes, Stan first joined the MCU in 2011's Captain America: The First Avenger. Poor Bucky appeared to be one of the film's causalities, but comic fans knew better. He soon resurfaced in 2014's The Winter Soldier, albeit as a brainwashed assassin. Stan has since gone on to appear in several other MCU films and is currently one of the lead actors in the franchise's latest Disney+ series.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier first premiered in March and has so far released three episodes. Starring Stan and Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson, the series picks up months after the life-altering Avengers: Endgame. Both Bucky and Sam are at a crossroads in their lives, and the emergence of new threats have forced them back together once more, despite their contentious relationship. For Bucky, much of his arc focuses on his recovery from his time as the Winter Soldier, which is technically over but still haunts him greatly.

Related: Why Bucky Is Still Called The Winter Soldier In The MCU

Looking back on it now, it's impossible to picture an MCU without Bucky. However, his return in Captain America: The Winter Soldier took Stan by surprise at first, largely because Marvel neglected to tell him it was happening. During an interview with BBC Radio 1, Stan recalled how he learned the news the second Captain America film would include Bucky as the Winter Soldier. "I think the way I learned about it was, I had a friend who texted me from Comic-Con saying, 'Dude, they just [announced] the sequel and your name is in the title,'" he said. "And I was like, "Oh. That's good, that means I'm in the movie, right?'" That's certainly one way to realize you're going to appear in a major studio blockbuster.

Winter Soldier holding Cap's shield while fighting on the street in Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

Marvel, like various other studios in Hollywood today, has a tendency to not always tell their actors what's going on. For example, Endgame's Cassie Lang actress Emma Fuhrmann didn't appear to have been told she was being recast ahead of the official announcement that Kathryn Newton will play the character for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Stan's experience is a much happier occasion, but it just goes to show that when you're under contract with Marvel, anything can happen.

Stan's MCU future beyond The Falcon and the Winter Soldier still remains to be seen, and that's likely due to spoilers for the show more than anything else. Even if this proves to be the end of the line for him, Stan has had a good run with the franchise. Bucky deserves a good ending, though, so hopefully he'll be invited back for more adventures in the future. Captain America: The Winter Soldier might have come as a surprise for the actor, but he probably doesn't have many quibbles about it anymore, so long as Marvel got better about keeping him in the loop.

More: Winter Soldier's Powers And Abilities Explained

Source: BBC Radio 1

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