Sebastian Stan's Bukcy Barnes has been through a lot in the MCU. He started as Captain America's best friend and sidekick, became his enemy as an agent of HYDRA, found redemption in Wakanda, and later found a new ally in Sam Wilson.
In Thunderbolts*, Bucky is an acting Congressman, but his new gig doesn't last long. Pulled into Valentina Allegra de Fontaine's dastardly machinations, he teams up with the "Thunderbolts" and later co-leads the New Avengers alongside Yelena Belova.
Today, we have some cool new concept art from the movie showcasing the various costume designs considered for the former Winter Soldier's latest MCU return in Thunderbolts*.
Some of these work better than others, but there are a few that you could argue improve on what we saw in theaters earlier this month.
"I’ve been lucky," Stan recently said of his stint in the MCU that began with 2011's Captain America: The First Avenger. "On most of the Marvel films that I’ve worked on, the communication was always, 'May the best idea win, whoever has it, be it the director, the actor, Kevin.' It’s always been very inclusive in that way, and [Thunderbolts*] was really, really that way."
"They were really open to us bringing our input, and if we had a better idea of how we could say something, it was heard or, at times, even included in the movie. Florence had a lot of ideas that she brought: the jump at the beginning, and even the [beginning] costume, rather than appearing all heroic in a certain way."
"Lewis [Pullman] and David also came with a lot to offer their characters," he continued, "and the fact that we had a lot of say in it contributed to some of the dynamic that we ultimately ended up with."
Take a closer look at this new Thunderbolts* concept art in the Instagram gallery below.
In Thunderbolts*, Marvel Studios assembles an unconventional team of antiheroes - Yelena Belova, Bucky Barnes, Red Guardian, Ghost, Taskmaster and John Walker. After finding themselves ensnared in a death trap set by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, these disillusioned castoffs must embark on a dangerous mission that will force them to confront the darkest corners of their pasts.
Will this dysfunctional group tear themselves apart, or find redemption and unite as something much more before it’s too late?
"Thunderbolts* redefines superhero storytelling to deliver a moving and powerful story that does for the 'Multiverse Saga' what The Avengers did for the 'Infinity Saga' in 2012," we said in our review. "These heroes have earned their place on a Wheaties box."
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 now playing in theaters.