The Winter Soldier himself, Sebastian Stan, recently pitched a “Sicario-esque” Bucky Barnes movie to Marvel Studios leadership.
When speaking to New York Magazine, Stan revealed that he pitched Kevin Feige on a solo Bucky Barnes film in the vein of Denis Villeneuve’s 2015 movie, Sicario. The film would have been smaller in scope, with a tighter budget, and focused on a more personal mission for Bucky. Stan noted that he was “half-joking” with his pitch, but Feige responded well to it and said it sounds cool.
“We keep a real small budget,” said Stan. “It’s about a guy who thinks he recognizes someone from his past that had something to do with when, you know, he was brainwashed, and he gets obsessed with this person. He goes on a whole journey to try to figure out who this person is. It’s a thriller.”
Although the MCU is intricately mapped out, the franchise has always had room to add in these kinds of unique passion projects. Ghost Rider, for instance, is something Ryan Gosling personally campaigned for and pitched to Marvel. The vision for the project was strong enough for Gosling to get the green light, and now, he’ll make his MCU debut in summer 2028. Whether Stan’s passionate about pursuing this idea enough to make it a reality remains to be seen, but joke or not, the idea does sound like it could be a breath of fresh air for the franchise. It would also put a beloved character front and center after being relegated to a supporting character for over a decade.
Stan will reprise his role in Avengers: Doomsday this December, and he could play a role in next year’s Secret Wars as well. Of course, Bucky Barnes could be killed off in either of these films, but death has never stopped a character from appearing again. Outside of multiversal/time travel shenanigans, Black Widow got a solo film after dying in Endgame. Marvel used it as an opportunity to fill a gap in the MCU timeline, and a similar thing could be done for Bucky should he be decimated by Doctor Doom.
Stan is also set to star in The Batman Part 2, which he is filming until December. His role is being kept under wraps, but he’s rumored to be Harvey Dent/Two-Face. Some have questioned the legitimacy of this rumor, as he’s sporting a bald haircut in the film and Dent is known for his dashing appearance. He could sport a wig as Dent before being transformed into a more deformed, balding version of Two-Face, but we’ll likely have to wait a while before knowing for sure.
Cade Onder
Cade Onder is a freelancer for IGN’s news team. He covers all things entertainment, including gaming, film, and more. You can find him on Twitter @Cade_Onder.
