Sebastian Stan Addresses How Bucky Barnes Becomes The Leader Of Marvel's Misfit Avengers In Thunderbolts*

Published Mar 7, 2025

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Bucky Barnes actor Sabastian Stan explains why the former Winter Soldier ends up ing and leading a group of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier's ending. However, Bucky Barnes seems to have gone back to his old ways in Thunderbolts*.

In an interview with Empire, Thunderbolts* star Sebastian Stan addresses the fact that Bucky Barnes has fallen back into his old habits, comparing Bucky to The Godfather Part III's Michael Corleone, paraphrasing Al Pacino's character, “Every time I try to get out, they pull me back in."Stan explains that meeting people just like him convinces Bucky to them of his own volition. Read Stan's full comments:

“It’s like the Al Pacino quote from Godfather III, 'every time I try to get out, they pull me back in.' Bucky is going to come across this group, and realize that they’re quite similar, in a way, to him. So I think he feels he can contribute and be a leader.”

What Sebastian Stan's Comments About Bucky Leading The Thunderbolts Means

Sebastian Stan's Winter Soldier Persona Isn't Completely Gone

Bucky Barnes may have deactivated his Winter Soldier programming, but as The Falcon and the Winter Soldier suggests, Bucky doesn't what life used to be like without it. Bucky is so accustomed to fighting that living like a regular person isn't enough. Although Captain America: Brave New World revealed that Bucky Barnes is now a congressman, his violent impulses may lead him to find another fight, this time alongside the Thunderbolts. Sebastian Stan's comments this idea, though they also suggest that Bucky will be "pulled" into the Thunderbolts by an external force — possibly by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine's influence.

Bucky Barnes in Congress in Thunderbolts* trailer looking serious

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Bucky Barnes has become one of the MCU's longest-standing characters, and his wild storylines over the years have made him the most unique MCU hero.

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Whatever pushes Bucky Barnes to revisit his Winter Soldier days as a member of the Thunderbolts, he will likely regret it at some point. The Thunderbolts have little chance of stopping Sentry, and Bucky's chances of dying in Thunderbolts* are the same as his fellow anti-heroes'. On the other hand, Michael Corleone is unable to escape his and his family's past inin The Godfather Part III, and he suffers his life's biggest tragedy soon after he realizes it. However, Corleone survives, retires, and dies of old age. Sebastian Stan's Godfather III comparison could be a hint that Bucky Barnes will survive the events of Thunderbolts*, having made some sacrifices along the way.

Our Take On Sebastian Stan's Comments About Bucky Leading The Thunderbolts

Bucky Barnes' MCU Future Is Among The Most Mysterious

Bucky Barnes looking serious in Thunderbolts* and scared in Captain America: Civil War — Custom image by Felipe Rangel

Every MCU hero is at a different point in their own journey. Characters like America Chavez and Kate Bishop are only beginning to find their footing as heroes, while heroes like Doctor Strange and Thor are now incredibly experienced Avengers at this point. However, two heroes seem to have completed their arcs, yet they don't seem anywhere close to retiring: Bucky Barnes and Smart Hulk have both come to with their past, and they're still up to crime-fighting. Something dramatic may have to happen to give Bucky Barnes a definitive farewell, and it could come as early as Thunderbolts*.

Source: Empire