Bucky Barnes actor Sebastian Stan has earned a major 2025 awards nomination, and his achievement has supercharged my excitement for Thunderbolts* and the MCU in general. Short of a cameo in Captain America: Brave New World, we are primed to see Bucky Barnes in the second MCU movie of 2025, Thunderbolts*, where he will ostensibly lead the titular team. Slated to release on May 2, 2025, Thunderbolts* will also be the final movie of MCU Phase 5, heralding what promises to be the most bombastic phase of the Multiverse Saga in MCU Phase 6 and its two Avengers movies.

I don’t want to jinx it, but I think things are looking up for the MCU from this point. My overall interest in Thunderbolts*, which stars the lesser-known reformed villains and antiheroes of the MCU, has steadily increased with each new reveal. While I was always excited to witness the return of Yelena Belova, Red Guardian, and Bucky Barnes, I wasn’t necessarily expecting this aspect of my enthusiasm to be elevated even further – but now, with Sebastian Stan’s recent recognition, I think Thunderbolts* could be in the running for one of the best movies of the entire saga.

Why Sebastian Stan Was Nominated For His First Academy Award

He Was Nominated For His Portrayal Of Donald Trump In The Apprentice

Nominations for this year’s Academy Awards have just been announced, and Sebastian Stan has nabbed a nomination for one of the ceremony’s most prestigious: Best Actor. Hot on the heels of his Golden Globes win for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy with A Different Man, Stan’s Oscars nod is for his other 2024 movie, The Apprentice. This historical drama stars Stan as a pre-presidential Donald Trump, delving into his life as a real estate businessman in the 1970s and 1980s.

The Apprentice has earned widespread acclaim while also uniting critics and audiences with a score of 82% and 83%, respectively, on Rotten Tomatoes. Stan’s depiction of Donald Trump is a frequently cited highlight of the film, as is Jeremy Strong’s Roy Cohn, with his ability to convey the physicality and characteristics of Trump in his younger years earning significant praise. At the height of a particularly inescapable political backdrop, critics also extolled the nuanced portrayal of now-President Trump, humanizing the deeply divisive figure without shying away from the less-than-favorable aspects of his rise.

Despite the overall praise of Stan’s depiction, Trump himself lambasted the movie as a “defamatory, politically disgusting hatchet job.”

All these factors had a significant part to play in Stan’s nomination, which seemingly came at the cost of Daniel Craig’s expected spot on the list for his depiction of William Lee in Queer. While Stan’s nomination may have come as something of a surprise, it’s worth noting that the Academy Awards nominations are voted on by the nearly 10,000 members of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and the current political climate may have indeed factored in. With that being said, I’m not suggesting that this supersedes Stan’s talent, as his Golden Globes win further demonstrates.

Marvel’s Thunderbolts* Movie Will Showcase Sebastian Stan’s Acting Talent

Thunderbolts* Will Delve Into Themes Of Mental Health

I’m positive that Thunderbolts* is about to further illustrate why Sebastian Stan is deserving of his Oscars nod. Stan’s Bucky Barnes has been a firm fan favorite since his debut in Captain America: The First Avenger, though Captain America: The Winter Soldier significantly galvanized the hope he would spend even more time in the spotlight. This was largely thanks to Barnes’ stellar portrayal of Bucky Barnes’ tumultuous mental state, expertly depicting a character whose brainwashed Winter Soldier persona clashed with the deep-seated love for Steve Rogers in his subconscious.

According to what the movie’s stars and director have been teasing, Thunderbolts* may be the next best portrayal of Bucky Barnes’ tortured mind. While I can already tell that Thunderbolts* is about to delve into the mental health of its stars from the Thunderbolts* trailer alone, multiple actors have confirmed this motif. Red Guardian actor David Harbor, for instance, stated in an interview with EW:

Part of the film is — for a lot of these characters, not to get too deep on it — but it deals a little bit with mental illness and self-hatred, for sure, and the tripping over yourself.

Meanwhile, John Walker actor Wyatt Russell added:

Go [watch Thunderbolts*] for the kicks, stay for the emotional complexity and the mental health issues.

Director Jake Schreier mirrored this sentiment in an interview with Empire, specifically referencing the rather playful notion that Bucky Barnes washes his vibranium arm in a dishwasher, as seen in the Thunderbolts* trailer, stating:

Come for the dishwasher jokes, stay for the deep emotional journey.

He suggests there is more to it than a jokey confirmation that Bucky’s arm is dishwasher safe, and hints that Bucky’s starring role will delve into Bucky’s emotional state just as much as his co-stars’. Multiple confirmations that Thunderbolts* will not shy away from the complex themes of mental health makes me hopeful that we’re about to see Stan at his best, delving once more into Bucky’s tortured mind as he fronts the team, whereas The Falcon and the Winter Soldier didn’t exhaustively explore his struggles.

I’m Hopeful For Sebastian Stan’s MCU Future After His Oscar Nomination

Marvel Studios Will Want To Keep An Oscar Nominee In Its Lineup

There are many reasons why many like myself are concerned about the fate of the Thunderbolts. Their lack of powers compared to most of the MCU’s powerful characters, especially Sentry, puts them in particularly vulnerable positions. The conspicuous absence of Taskmaster for most of the Thunderbolts* trailer, meanwhile, suggests that the Thunderbolts will not make it out of the movie in one piece. While I understand that bringing Bucky Barnes’ MCU journey to an end would be poignant and help to deliver pathos, I also think this would be a particularly inopportune time for Marvel.

I just hope that Marvel Studios recognized his talent long before his Oscars recognition, and that Thunderbolts* will both highlight his talent and springboard his MCU future.

Instead, I’m hopeful that the MCU still has plenty in store for Bucky following his Oscars nod, as it would be remiss of the studio to do away with such an evidently talented actor. It isn’t as if his acclaim should preclude him, either, as Robert Downey Jr. was confirmed to be re-joining the MCU just months after his Oscars win for Oppenheimer. I just hope that Marvel Studios recognized his talent long before his Oscars recognition, and that Thunderbolts* will both highlight his talent and springboard his MCU future.