Thunderbolts star Sebastian Stan teases Bucky's role in the Marvel movie – and pushes back on MCU criticism

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

MCU star Sebastian Stan has teased what to expect from his character Bucky Barnes's role in Thunderbolts*, the upcoming Marvel Phase 5 movie.

Stan told Variety that Thunderbolts* "was kind of like One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest – a guy coming into this group that was chaotic and degenerate, and somehow finding a way to unite them."

The actor also pushed back against criticism of the MCU, which has been heating up amid box office disappointments and mixed reviews since Avengers: Endgame. "It's become really convenient to pick on [Marvel films]," he commented. "And that's fine. Everyone's got an opinion. But they're a big part of what contributes to this business and allows us to have smaller movies as well. This is an artery traveling through the system of this entire machinery that's Hollywood. It feeds in so many more ways than people acknowledge."

He added: "Sometimes I get protective of it because the intention is really fucking good. It's just fucking hard to make a good movie over and over again."

"I never expected to be back, certainly with this group, but it's turned out to be an amazing journey for my character," Stan told us at Comic-Con. "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."

For everything else the MCU has in store, see our guide to all the upcoming Marvel movies and shows.

TOPICS

I'm the Deputy Entertainment Editor here at GamesRadar+, covering all things film and TV for the site's Total Film and SFX sections. I previously worked on the Disney magazines team at Immediate Media, and also wrote on the CBeebies, MEGA!, and Star Wars Galaxy titles after graduating with a BA in English.