Sebastian Stan Teases Bucky/Winter Soldier's MCU Future

Sebastian Stan, who has portrayed Bucky Barnes in the MCU since his first appearance in Captain America: The First Avenger, has shared how he might be involved with the franchise in the future. Stan portrayed Bucky Barnes most recently in Marvel and Disney + series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, leading the show alongside Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson as Falcon. The actor is also set to star in the upcoming spy thriller The 355, where he will appear alongside a cast of A-listers led by Jessica Chastain.

Bucky Barnes has been present almost since early on in the MCU’s history, but became pivotal to the franchise with his appearance in the acclaimed Captain America sequel, Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Stan returned as Barnes, who had been transformed into the cybernetically enhanced assassin the Winter Soldier, and was one of the film’s antagonists until his redemption. Since then, his storyline has impacted Captain America: Civil War, and has been continued in the Infinity Saga. Stan hasn’t appeared as Barnes in any MCU films since Avengers: Endgame, but in 2021 his story was expanded on in the series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. The series examined the impact of Barnes’ character history, and how he would deal with the trauma of Thanos' Snap and the subsequent Blip.

Now, in an interview with ComicBook.com, Stan has revealed what he knows about the Winter Soldier’s future in the MCU. The actor admitted that he has no knowledge of future plans involving the character, and doesn't know when, or if, he will appear on screen as Bucky Barnes again. Elaborating on the comments, Stan gave hope to some fans by saying that “anything is possible" in the MCU's future. Read his full comments below:

"I don't know [if I'll be appearing in another MCU movie], I really don't. I haven't known that for 10 plus years, I always am very happy when I get to live another day, hopefully before I get too old. We'll see, anything is possible."

Fans may be sceptical of Stan’s comments, given that MCU actors are often bound by secrecy about their future Marvel projects. However, if taken at face value, Stan does seem to confirm that there is no current plan for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier season 2, which will disappoint many eager fans of the series. Stan’s comments also raise questions over Anthony Mackie’s future in the MCU as the new Captain America, since it's equally unclear as to when the actor would also make his return if not in a second instalment of their joint series.

Whether or not Stan returns to Marvel's big screen, MCU fans still have plenty to look forward to with Phase 4 only just getting started. What’s more, there are several films scheduled for the 2022 slate that could feasibly see the return of Stan and Mackie. This is certainly the case for the upcoming Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, given its mysterious multiversal plot. It would also be easy for fans to speculate on how either Stan or Mackie might play a role in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever or Ant-Man 3, given their larger ensemble casts. Nevertheless, if The Falcon and the Winter Soldier really was Stan’s final outing as Barnes, at least there is a strong back catalog of Winter Soldier appearances in the MCU for fans to revisit and enjoy.

More: MCU Releases In 2021: What Worked & What Didn't

Source: ComicBook.com