Marvel star Sebastian Stan says Bucky Barnes is in "a really fun place" in Thunderbolts: "This is the right place to be"

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Exclusive: Sebastian Stan says he never thought he'd still be playing Bucky Barnes after 13 years

Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes/The Winter Soldier
(Image credit: Marvel)

Sebastian Stan is returning to the MCU as Bucky Barnes once again in Thunderbolts*, which sees a new team-up of some of Marvel's biggest misfits. 

The first look at the Marvel Phase 5 movie was shown at San Diego Comic-Con, where Stan told crowds that he feels like Bucky has "nine lives". Elaborating on his comment to GamesRadar+ after Marvel's Hall H panel, the actor shares how amazing it's been to be part of the MCU for 13 years. 

"It was in a good way," he explains of his "nine lives" comment. "I never expected to be back, certainly with this group, but it's turned out to be an amazing journey for my character. We got him into a really fun place now and I think this is the right place to be. If you see the movie, we're all a very odd bunch and he fits right in."

The first trailer for Thunderbolts* was shown behind closed doors during the panel, and it featured Yelena (Florence Pugh) visiting Red Guardian's (David Harbour) apartment. The pair then encounter the rest of the team, including Bucky, John Walker (Wyatt Russell), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), and Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko) as the group of anti-heroes find out that they have all been assigned to a dangerous mission.

GamesRadar+ also spoke to Harbour and Russell, who tell us they hope their characters will have the same longevity in the MCU as Stan.

"Do we hope we'll have longevity in the franchise? I could use the work," Harbour laughs. "I could use it," adds Russell. "I'm not going to turn down anybody. I hope so unless it turns out to be a real drag and then you can hook me out."

Catch up on our SDCC 2024 Comic-Con live coverage, as well as all you need to know about the upcoming Marvel movies and shows on the way. 

Fay Watson
Fay Watson
Deputy Entertainment Editor

I’m the Deputy Entertainment Editor here at GamesRadar+, covering TV and film for the Total Film and SFX sections online. I previously worked as a Senior Showbiz Reporter and SEO TV reporter at Express Online for three years. I've also written for The Resident magazines and Amateur Photographer, before specializing in entertainment.