Following their recent Golden Globe win, I"m even more confident that the MCU has been underutilizing one of their best actors for the last 14 years. Having made his MCU debut as Bucky Barnes in 2011"s Captain America: The First Avenger, Sebastian Stan has consistently been one of Marvel"s most solid performers. However, he has not yet enjoyed a spotlight as big as other A-list stars featured in the MCU.
Debuting as Steve Rogers" best friend Bucky Barnes, Sebastian Stan"s beloved MCU character has endured quite the dark journey following his capture and brainwashing by Hydra, forcing Bucky to serve as The Winter Soldier, one of their top assassins from WWII up until 2016"s Captain America: Civil War. Following the breaking of Hydra"s control over his mind, Bucky has been striving to redeem his dark past. That said, Bucky Barnes" journey has always felt secondary in the MCU, despite the dynamic performances from Sebastian Stan (which I"m hoping will change soon).
Sebastian Stan's Bucky Barnes Has Been A Standout Of The MCU For 13 Years Without A Lead Role Providing Some Stellar Performances as The Winter Soldier Close A member of the original Captain America"s Howling Commandos, Bucky and his evolution from WWII hero and one of Rogers" closest friends into a dark brainwashed assassin is ripped straight from the comics, and Sebastian Stan"s portrayal over the years has often been cited as one of the MCU"s very best characters. As such, Stan has provided some brilliant dynamics and dimension to the character over the years. This is especially true once Bucky"s brainwashing and Hydra"s mental triggers are broken, returning to Barnes the free will he"d been without for decades.
Likewise, Bucky"s attempts to redeem himself while grappling with the sins he had no control over (yet still felt responsible for) are fascinating to watch, particularly in 2021"s Captain America & The Winter Soldier. That said, Bucky"s journey has never really taken precedence, with Sebastian Stan never having a true leading role in the MCU. Even in Captain America & The Winter Soldier where Bucky"s arc was present, Sam Wilson"s Falcon had a much bigger spotlight as he grappled with inheriting Steve Rogers" shield and mantle and what that would mean going forward.
Sebastian Stan's Golden Globes Win Proves He's A Talented Actor 2 Nominations & 1 Win To that end, Sebastian Stan winning a Golden Globe further confirms just how good of an actor he is. At the 2025 Golden Globes, Stan won the award for Best Performance by a Male Actor – Musical or Comedy for his role in 2024"s A Different Man. In the dark comedy thriller, Stan plays Edward Lemuel/Guy Moratz, a struggling actor with neurofibromatosis who gets an experimental treatment that cures his condition. Despite taking on a new name and identity, Stan"s character still struggles in his life and career despite his condition having been cured.
It"s also worth noting that Sebastian Stan also received a second nomination at the 2025 Golden Globes for his role as Donald Trump in 2024"s The Apprentice. This was in a separate category: Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama. Despite not winning a second Golden Globe, the mere fact that Stan received two nominations and one win in the same year is quite impressive, proving his acting ability and wide range with these two objectively complex roles. As such, they further support my belief that Marvel should be taking advantage of Stan"s talent far more.
I'm Convinced Marvel Needs To Utilize Sebastian Stan's Acting Talent More With Bucky Barnes Thunderbolts* Is A Good First Step Close Currently, Sebastian Stan is set to return as Bucky in 2025"s Thunderbolts*, an ensemble film starring some of the MCU"s darker and more morally ambiguous players who will be assembled by Julia Louis Dreyfus" CIA Director Valentina de Fontaine. While Thunderbolts* is far from being a solo Winter Soldier movie, I do expect that both Sebastian Stan and Florence Pugh"s Yelena Belova will have bigger leading roles in comparison to their fellow teammates. As such, it"s a good first step for Bucky to get the leading role he deserves.
Related All Marvel Movies Releasing In 2025 The Marvel movies releasing in 2025 offer a variety of storylines and superheroes, with many hitting theaters after previously announced delays.
Posts 4 That being said, there are rumors and fears from MCU fans that Thunderbolts* may end with Bucky"s demise. This would be a major mistake on Marvel Studios" part, especially considering how much investment has been put into Bucky"s overall arc and journey. If the former Winter Soldier"s story has to end at some point in the MCU, it needs to be after Bucky gets his own project with Sebastian Stan in a true leading role.
I've Worked Out How Sebastian Stan Could Have A Larger Role In The MCU A Solo MCU Movie Or Series Feels Necessary Culminating Bucky Barnes" story with a solo feature feels necessary considering all the character has been through, not to mention all the work Sebastian Stan has put into making The Winter Soldier one of the MCU"s most grounded and dimensional characters. Regardless of whether it"s a full-fledged movie or show, I"m not particularly choosy. The main point is that Bucky Barnes deserves to have a fully satisfying conclusion, one that sees him having fully reconciled with his past as the Winter Soldier.
"I"m excited to see Bucky"s story continue in Thunderbolts*, though I"m not getting the impression that joining Val"s team will be the best way to end his story in the MCU..."
I"m excited to see Bucky"s story continue in Thunderbolts*, though I"m not getting the impression that joining Val"s team will be the best way to end his story in the MCU.
Instead, I would love to see a Black Widow-type MCU feature for Bucky, one that would finally give Sebastian Stan the leading role he"s always deserved. Even if Bucky does meet his end in some sort of ensemble project, whether its Thunderbolts* or a future Avengers movie, I really just need Bucky to have his own project beforehand, either set in the present-day MCU, or even at some point in his past.
Thunderbolts* is set to release on May 2nd, 2025 from Marvel Studios.
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Thunderbolts* Not Yet Rated AdventureAction Marvel's Thunderbolts* is a superhero movie based on the comic team of the same name. The movie acts as a part of the MCU's fifth phase of films. The film sees the likes of Bucky Barnes, Yelena Belova, Wyatt Russell, the Red Guardian, and more as an unlikely group of heroes and villains brought together to fight for good.
Release Date May 2, 2025 Main Genre Action Franchise(s) Marvel Cinematic Universe Cast Florence Pugh , Sebastian Stan , David Harbour , Wyatt Russell , Olga Kurylenko , Hannah John-Kamen , Julia Louis-Dreyfus , Geraldine Viswanathan , Lewis Pullman , Joshua Mikel Character(s) Yelena Belova , James Bucky Barnes / Winter Soldier , Alexei Shostakov / Red Guardian , John Walker / U.S. Agent , Antonia Dreykov / Taskmaster , Ava Starr / Ghost , Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine , Mel , Bob / Robert Reynolds / The Sentry , Bob's Dad Director Jake Schreier Writers Lee Sung-jin , Eric Pearson , Joanna Calo Budget $200 million Studio(s) Marvel Studios Distributor(s) Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Expand

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