Sebastian Stan joining The Batman 2 may be good news for Dark Knight fans, but Marvel lovers are a bit worried as to what it might mean for the actor's MCU future – and, specifically, Bucky Barnes' fate.
After the news broke that Stan was in talks to join Scarlett Johansson and Robert Pattinson in Matt Reeves' follow-up, many took to Twitter to point out that The Batman 2 is due to film around the same time as Avengers: Doomsday sequel Avengers: Secret Wars. The DC flick is set to start filming in spring 2026, while Secret Wars's production kicks off in the summer, and the inevitable overlap looks to be causing serious concern.
"I told y'all all the Thunderbolts besides Yelena are dying, with Sentry being on the thinnest of ice," one fan wrote on Twitter, noting how the New Avengers – Bucky, Yelena, Red Guardian, Ghost, John Walker, and Bob – are all geared up to fight Robert Downey Jr.'s Victor von Doom in Avengers: Doomsday.
"I JUST GOT THE THUNDERBOLTS, MAN. I JUSTTTTT GOT MY NEW FAMILY AND THEY'RE GONNA TAKE IT AWAY FROM ME," ranted another. "THEY'RE GONNA RIP IT AWAY FROM ME."
"Yeah, Bucky's cooked," added a third.
"THE BATMAN PART II and AVENGERS: SECRET WARS will be shooting at the same time on different continents. I suddenly don't love Bucky’s chances of surviving DOOMSDAY," ViewerAnon wrote on social media, before swiftly correcting themselves: "Scratch that, thought AVENGERS was shooting in Atlanta. Bucky lives!"
Others were more optimistic, too, suggesting that Stan could easily film both if he doesn't have a ton of screen time in each, especially since the movies are shooting in London.
"I'm picturing a scenario where anyone who's not a lead for Secret Wars isn't going to be needed for the whole shoot because of how many other actors/characters they have to get in," said someone else, as another tweeted: "Y'all would be surprised with what Sebastian Stan is capable of doing, he's had schedules tighter than that."
Even if Bucky was to die, who's to say Stan wouldn't be seen again as a different character in the MCU either? With all the multiverse shenanigans going over there of late, anything is possible. "We've already killed off Patrick Stewart in the MCU and yet – here he is in a trailer," said Whiskey, referencing the latest X-Men-heavy promo for Avengers: Doomsday. "Calm down."
We'll just have to wait and see what's in store for the Winter Soldier in Avengers: Doomsday, which releases on December 18. In the meantime, check out our guide to all the upcoming superhero movies heading our way, or our breakdown on how to watch the Marvel movies in order.
