In an article posted today at Badass Digest, it is mentioned in passing that Sebastian Stan's Winter Soldier character will be a "central character" in Captain America: Civil War. "Sources close to production tell me that not only is the Winter Soldier involved in Civil War, he's a central character in it," it states. The article is mostly focused on the potential role of Daniel Bruhl's villain in the film, but speculates that Bruhl's character could be tied to the origin of the Winter Soldier.
Directors Joe and Anthony Russo had previously suggested that the Winter Soldier would play a key role in the third Captain America film, noting that they viewed Captain America 2 and 3 as a two parter. In April, the Russos told SlashFilm: "The next movie would seem to require a continuation of the journey of the Winter Soldier ... Both on Cap's part and the Winter Soldier part." However, those comments were made months ago, earlier in the film's development stage and before details of Captain America: Civil War emerged.
As more of the cast have been confirmed for the film in recent weeks, including Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man and Chadwick Boseman's Black Panther, there was some question among fans whether plans had changed, especially since there has been no official word on Sebastian Stan's Winter Soldier yet and reports on RDJ's contract suggested he pushed for a bigger role than was originally intended. However, this new report suggests the Winter Soldier will still be heavily involved in the third Cap film. What role do you think the Winter Soldier will play in Civil War?