Bucky Barnes, played by Sebastian Stan, has one of the most interesting character arcs in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but the actor almost didn’t receive the part because he auditioned for another superhero role first. Sebastian Stan said in a new interview with CNBC Next that he tried out for the Captain America role in Captain America: The First Avenger, but was turned down because he was not “right for the part,” which finally went to Chris Evans. Stan was cast as Captain America’s boyhood pal Bucky Barnes.
Stan was wary about taking the initial rejection too personally. ‘Try not to take things personally. Learn how to face rejection,’ he said. ‘No matter what you do, stay obsessed with it.’
Stan confessed that the decision “worked out” well for him and that Bucky was a “much better role” for him. Given that he also got to portray Bucky as a brainwashed Hydra assassin known as the Winter Soldier before Steve Rogers eventually broke the spell and made him an ally again, this is a very accurate judgment.
Despite this, Bucky is plagued by the crimes he committed as a HYDRA slave. He even freely agreed to be put into stasis so that he could never be misled into hurting anybody again, and now the character appears to be focused on atoning for his misdeeds and moving on from his past. It’s been a fantastic character journey, perhaps even more so than Steve Rogers’ ‘man out of time’ routine.
That isn’t to say that Stan will never be able to wield the Captain America shield. If Steve Rogers bites the bullet in Avengers 4, Bucky is set to take up the mantle from him. The Romanian actor has addressed the possibility, stating that if Bucky does become a member of the Star Spangled Avengers, his portrayal will be considerably different and darker than Evans’. Fans can expect to see Stan in at least four more films (depending on whether his little appearance in Black Panther is counted), including next year’s Phase 3 finale, since he’s still far from finishing his nine-movie deal.
Most Marvel Studios performers sign long-term contracts immediately, but few have contracts as lengthy as Stan’s. Following Captain America: The First Avenger, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War was Stan’s fourth film with Marvel, accounting for slightly under half of his nine-film pact. Avengers 4 will be his fifth film under the deal, due out next year.
Stan isn’t the only actor who didn’t receive the Marvel role for which they auditioned but joined the franchise as someone else. Tom Hiddleston, who is best known for his portrayal as Loki in the Thor movie, originally intended to play the title character. Throughout the casting process, however, Kevin Feige and casting director Sarah Finn chose Chris Hemsworth, who has a remarkable similarity to the comic book’s God of Thunder. Despite this, things worked out for Hiddleston in the end, as Loki immediately became a fan favorite, even surpassing Hemsworth in popularity for a while.
