Sebastian Stan has expressed surprise over the success and longevity of his role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The reprisal of his character Bucky Barnes in Disney+’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier continues his lengthy streak in the MCU. He made his first appearance in the 2011 film Captain America: The First Avenger, followed by two more Captain America films in 2014 and 2016.
“I certainly did not know that I would be playing the role for 10 years,” Stan shared in a new interview with Vanity Fair.
He went on to credit the success of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier to MCU’s Spider-Man Tom Holland saying, “Basically Anthony [Mackie, who plays Falcon] and I got a show because of Tom Holland”.
Jokingly, Stan added: “Which is something I really hate for him to know.”
Despite any earlier assumptions that his character would die and that he would put leave the franchise after the first Captain America he “felt really lucky” that he was able to continue his portrayal.
“It was essentially a very relatable character,” he said of Barnes’ struggle with his past as a World War II veteran. “It was always an interesting character.”
According to Stan, the MCU had humble beginnings, though producer Kevin Feige and his team had big plans for building an entire universe and creating multiple movies.
“I just think Kevin Feige doesn’t get as much credit as he deserves for being the genius mastermind of putting this entire thing together,” Stan said.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is streaming on Disney+.
