Sebastian Stan’s New Role Hints at Major Avengers: Doomsday Twist!

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Since debuting as the Winter Soldier in “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” (2014), Sebastian Stan has become a cornerstone of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. After regaining his memories and freeing himself from Hydra’s control, he embarked on a journey of redemption from his past as history’s deadliest assassin. Following years of evasion and combat, “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” (2021) marked Bucky’s emergence from the Winter Soldier’s shadow and into a new identity.

At the movie’s end, Bucky is affectionately referred to as the New Avengers’ recruit. Coinciding with his promotion to lead the New Avengers, he sports a fresh appearance. The post-credits sequence in the film Thunderbolts features Barnes donning a red star on his right shoulder, reminiscent of his suit from Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly’s 2022 Sentinel of Liberty comic series. In these comics, Bucky adopts the alias Revolution, mirroring his current character evolution in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). It appears that Bucky Barnes is embracing a new persona for the forthcoming chapters of the MCU, and the comics may offer insights into his impending role within it.

Who Is The Revolution?

Bucky Barnes stops running and takes over

After spending many years evading his past as the Winter Soldier, Bucky got an opportunity to control his destiny for the first time when he discovered the Outer Circle in Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty #1 (by Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly, Carmen Carnero, Nolan Woodard, and Joe Caramagna).

Throughout his lifetime, Bucky served as a key strategist for the Outer Circle’s operations, acting as one of their elite soldiers. Upon discovering the Outer Circle and their secret game known as the Century Game, Bucky eliminated one of its participants and claimed a place among them at the decision-making table.

In this action, Bucky found himself at odds with Steve and other global heroes, yet it led to a significant milestone in his character growth since being unveiled as the Winter Soldier. During discussions about Bucky’s role in the Revolution, writer Jackson Lanzing emphasized the need for him to receive a mission that allowed him to step away from his past rather than merely running away from it, and instead, progress forward.

In the Revolution, Bucky has stopped trying to make amends for his past transgressions and instead, he’s fully embracing them as he takes aim at the true forces manipulating everyone. Following the fall of the Outer Circle, Bucky persisted with his revolutionary spirit by creating his own Thunderbolts squad. In the comics “Thunderbolts: World Strike” (by Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly, Geraldo Borges, Arthur Hesli, and Joe Sabino), they successfully dismantled the Red Skull’s operation before turning their attention to Doctor Doom in “Doomstrike”.

How Bucky’s MCU Journey is Similar to The Comics

Bucky Barnes has been through more than most

Since joining the ranks during World War II, Bucky’s existence has been consistently marked by conflict. Despite shaking off Hydra’s mental manipulation, Barnes found himself trapped in a relentless sequence of conflicts – engaging in battles not only against other heroes, extraterrestrial beings, and even himself.

In the latest Thunderbolts movie, Bucky completes the loop in the conflict, stepping down from the U.S. Senate to take charge of the Thunderbolts and wholeheartedly accept his identity and past. Now heading the New Avengers, Bucky’s new uniform symbolizes this transformation much like it did in the comics.

It appears that Lanzing and Kelly’s reimagining of Bucky has served as inspiration for the MCU to develop Barnes in a similar manner. Whether or not Bucky changes his name within the MCU, it’s evident that he is stepping into a new phase of life as a hero. In a recent interview, the writing duo expressed their joy at seeing their creative take on Bucky come to life on screen and the potential for Bucky’s storyline to draw from their portrayal.

In response to witnessing Bucky’s Revolution design in the movie, Jackson Lanzing expressed it was quite unexpected for them as writers, and this marked the debut of their work within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Moving forward, there could be additional chances for their writing to appear in the MCU, given one of their recent titles heavily revolves around its primary antagonist.

Doctor Doom and Bucky Barnes Have Beef

Revolution comes for Doom

In their latest Thunderbolts: DoomStrike mini-series, Lanzing and Kelly seem to hint at how Bucky might be involved in the forthcoming Avengers: Doomsday.

Following Doom’s ascension to Sorcerer Supreme and ruler of the world as depicted in “One World Under Doom” by Ryan North, R.B. Silva, David Curiel, and Travis Lanham, Victor made an attempt to enlist Bucky into his agenda and explained that Bucky’s battle against the Red Skull served as a catalyst for his own quest to seize control of the world. In the comic series “Thunderbolts: Doomstrike,” penned by Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly, Tommaso Bianchi, Yen Nitro, and Joe Sabino, Victor is seen not only attempting to thwart Doom’s quest for global domination but also rectifying the circumstances that led to his initial rise to power.

Following the movie’s premiere, it was disclosed that the closing credit scene showcasing Bucky in his fresh suit was filmed by the Russo brothers during the production of Avengers: Endgame. This could hint at elements of his comic book character arc being incorporated into the upcoming Avengers film. As ardent fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the writing duo voiced their enthusiasm about potentially including a tiny portion of their work in the next Avengers installment.

Lanzing mused about the possibility of their story influencing Bucky in “Avengers: Doomsday,” suggesting, “If that sequence was filmed on the set of ‘Doomsday’ by the Russos, then perhaps Bucky kicks off the movie wearing our costume. If this turns out to be true (and here I’m really getting my hopes up), I believe we might receive a special acknowledgment in ‘Doomsday,’ which is truly thrilling.” Moreover, the writers also crafted a connection for Bucky with the upcoming main antagonist of The Avengers, Doctor Doom, making it more likely that the MCU will draw from their latest comic series for Bucky’s next adventure.

Bucky Could Be the Secret Weapon Against Doom

The two characters’ history together is very recent

In the expansive Marvel Universe, Doctor Doom and Bucky Barnes seldom crossed paths in the comics up until the latest Thunderbolts: Doomstrike storyline. This unique narrative brought them into conflict and established an intense connection between the two characters.

Regarding the plot for “Doomstrike”, Kelly mentioned, “We established in ‘World Strike’ the foundation for Bucky’s connection to Doom. In Marvel comics, there isn’t much history of interactions between Bucky and Doom. However, most of their encounters are featured in our own storyline.

In the upcoming film “Avengers: Doomsday”, the cast is jam-packed with superheroes. However, it’s quite possible that Doom and Bucky will share some screen time, considering Sebastian Stan and Robert Downey Jr., two of the franchise’s leading actors, are involved. As we move forward into the next phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, their paths are likely to cross again, given that Bucky and Tony Stark have unresolved issues from their confrontation in “Captain America: Winter Soldier”.

When Lanzing and Kelly’s work is one of the few references for depicting the interaction between the two characters on the silver screen, it suggests that Marvel Studios and/or the Russos are at least somewhat acquainted with their portrayal of Bucky. This implies a strong possibility that elements from the comics may be reflected in the movie, potentially delighting fans. Regardless of whether Bucky adopts the moniker ‘Revolution’ in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the innovative work by Lanzing and Kelly on the character has been instrumental since its creation, and ignoring it for future screen development could prove to be a significant oversight.

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2025-05-27 21:24