Sebastian Stan thinks you’re being too harsh on Marvel Studios and says Bucky Barnes may have a touch of Donald Trump in Thunderbolts*
Almost no one is denying anymore that Marvel Studios has hit a bit of a slump in recent times, yet it’s also managed to put out some bangers and utterly demolished the box office this summer with Deadpool & Wolverine. This explains why Sebastian Stan is defending the hell out of the House of M still.
The veteran Marvel actor, widely known as Bucky Barnes aka The Winter Soldier, has recently been promoting his work in The Apprentice – the movie where he plays Donald Trump – and he’s taken every opportunity to push back against MCU haters and mean critics because he believes these movies and shows are “a big part of what contributes to this business and allows us to have smaller movies as well.”
Regardless of your feelings towards Marvel Studios at the moment, he is not wrong about that. Big franchise flicks and shows are partially responsible for funding smaller projects that not nearly as many people are interested in watching. Leaving the average quality of each type of production aside, that’s just the reality. Stuff like Marvel or Star Wars brings in the big bucks so studios can try to put out more original and/or smaller projects across their release calendars.
As part of an extensive interview with GQ, published on October 7, the actor once again expressed his honest thoughts about the whole Marvel discussion and dilemma.
“I’ve never been part of a company that puts so much heart and thought into anything… I think if Marvel was gone, it’d be such a big hole to try and fill up. Don’t just go out there and s**t on something without offering something better,” he said. This time around, it sounds like he’s deflecting fair criticism as well, but he also points in the direction of Marvel being a big chunk of the Hollywood business at a time when the theatrical experience misses as often as it hits. For movie and TV crews, the regular work offered by such massive productions is a godsend, so it’s easy to see where he’s coming from.
His next Marvel credit will be Thunderbolts* (not a typo), an event movie full of individuals who aren’t quite heroes. He teased we might see a bit of Trump in Bucky Barnes, as he was trying to ‘exorcise’ him out when shooting the blockbuster. “I went off to Marvel after [The Apprentice]… And we were doing scenes, and I would do something, a thing or two, and be like, ‘F**k! This is still living somewhere.'” Given Barnes’ signature emotional instability, this might be a great wrinkle if it’s noticeable enough.
Even though Stan co-starred in the Disney+ series The Falcon and The Winter Soldier alongside Anthony Mackie, he reportedly won’t show up in Captain America: Brave New World, which marks the start of a, hopefully, reinvigorating 2025 in cinemas for Marvel Studios alongside Thunderbolts* and The Fantastic Four. Was Deadpool & Wolverine a fluke? Place your bets now.