Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021) between artwork of Doctor Doom from Marvel Comics and the Avengers logo

Thunderbolts* star Sebastian Stan has recently commented on Avengers: Doomsday, specifically the return of Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom and Stan’s own hopes for his character Bucky. The upcoming list of Marvel movies will feature Stan sooner rather than later, with Bucky returning in 2025’s Thunderbolts*. As part of the ensemble cast of Thunderbolts*, Stan is continuing his long stint as a main character in the MCU that began in 2011 with Captain America: The First Avengers. Now, with the story of Avengers: Doomsday on the horizon, Stan’s attention turns to projects beyond his next confirmed appearance.

In an interview with GQ for his upcoming non-MCU film The Apprentice, Stan was asked about Avengers: Doomsday and, more specifically, Robert Downey Jr.’s return. Stan is no stranger to sharing an MCU screen with RDJ after multiple appearances together as Bucky Barnes and Tony Stark/Iron Man respectively:

“I hope I’m in a scene with him. Is there any other guy that could pull that off? I don’t know, probably not. After Tropic Thunder , is there anything that guy can’t do?”

As outlined by Stan, this time RDJ returns to the MCU not as Iron Man but as the villainous Doctor Doom. Not only is this a big deal for fans of the MCU, but stars like Stan himself, who outlined his desire to have a scene with RDJ’s Doom and heaped praise on his former, and likely future, costar. Stan’s comments that there is nothing RDJ cannot do stem from the actor’s transition from primary MCU hero to one of its biggest villains, which Stan hopes Bucky can witness firsthand in-universe.

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Bucky Barnes aiming his gun in Thunderbolts* trailer

While Stan’s reverence for RDJ and overall excitement for the actor’s MCU return is nice to see, his comments hold a more interesting prospect for the franchise’s future. Stan mentioned that he hopes he has a scene with RDJ’s Doctor Doom, seemingly indicating a role for Bucky in Avengers: Doomsday‘s story. Thus far, the only cast members outside of Downey Jr. that have been confirmed for Avengers 5 include those of The Fantastic Four: First Steps and Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange, with more of these announcements likely coming in 2025.

That said, Stan has all but confirmed that Bucky will be part of Avengers 5. The actor’s comments do not seem to reflect someone who is hoping to be in the movie, nor does Stan commit to the usual disclaimer that he has not been in contact about the Avengers movies often found in interviews with Marvel stars. As such, Stan’s dream for Bucky regarding Avengers 5 could mean the former Winter Solider has a role in the unfolding story of the Multiverse Saga beyond the intriguing story of Thunderbolts*.

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Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange and Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes in Avengers: Infinity War

While my excitement for Avengers 5 is likely to be diminished given the return of the Russo Brothers and RDJ, Stan’s comments have filled me with a new kind of hope for the movie that I somehow had ignored previously. As Stan’s hopes for Bucky’s role in the film point out, there will be several former MCU actors who have shared the screen with RDJ’s Iron Man who will confront Doctor Doom. Many have made jokes in the form of online memes about how this will affect characters like Spider-Man, but, for me, Stan’s comments put it into perspective.

The impact of someone who looks like Tony Stark being a multiverse-threatening villain will drastically recontextualize Tony Stark’s legacy, presented through the eyes of those who knew him…

It is not only characters who were closely related to Iron Man that will be taken aback by Doom’s appearance but just about every being in the MCU. The impact of someone who looks like Tony Stark being a multiverse-threatening villain will drastically recontextualize Tony Stark’s legacy, presented through the eyes of those who knew him, like Bucky. While this opens a potential can of worms regarding how Avengers: Doomsday will handle the idea of Iron Man’s legacy, it also provides me – and many others – with a lot to be excited about in terms of the film’s character dynamics.