In the comics, Steve Rogers was shot and killed by a brainwashed Sharon Carter shortly after the events of Civil War. Bucky then took over the Captain America mantle in what proved to be a stellar run for the character in that role.
Steve eventually returned but, years later, lost the Super Soldier Serum and reverted to his true age. With that, Sam Wilson - a.k.a. The Falcon - became the new Captain America in another popular comic book story arc.
In The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, Marvel Studios skipped Bucky altogether and went straight to Sam. The latter will take centre stage in Captain America: Brave New World, while the former HYDRA assassin looks set to be a key player in Thunderbolts*.
Appearing at Tokyo Comic-Con this weekend, Sebastian Stan lifted Cap's shield and, much to the delight of fans in attendance, he teased: "Not Captain America...yet."
This doesn't necessarily mean too much, though it's certainly possible that Stan will get the chance to suit up as Captain America in Avengers: Doomsday and/or Avengers: Secret Wars. Looking beyond those movies, there's a chance Bucky could wield the shield after Sam.
2024 has been an incredible year for the Captain America franchise star following critically acclaimed turns in The Apprentice and A Different Man. Marvel Studios would be wise to take advantage of that momentum.
"It's always been fun for me to come back to him after all these years because you're growing as a person, and then the character ends up growing," Stan said in a recent interview. "I never would have thought we would have ended up where we have with him, but it's a very interesting group of characters, and they all bring out different sides of themselves."
"I think [Bucky] finds himself way more suited to them than initially maybe he wants to admit, but he's always an evolving character, and that's what I love about him," the actor continued. "It's always trying to find another way of expressing. I think it'll be fun. I think people will be excited for the movie."
You can hear more from Stan about his MCU future in the player below.
Marvel Studios, and a crew of indie veterans, who definitely sold out, present Thunderbolts*, an irreverent team-up featuring depressed assassin Yelena Belova alongside the MCU’s least anticipated band of misfits.
The cast of Thunderbolts* will be led by Florence Pugh as Yelena Boleva, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes, David Harbour as Red Guardian, Wyatt Russell as U.S. Agent, Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost, Olga Kurylenko as Taskmaster, Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, and Lewis Pullman as "Bob."
Written by Eric Pearson, Lee Sung Jin, and Joanna Calo, and directed by Jake Schreier, Thunderbolts* is currently set to be released in theaters on May 5, 2025.