With the upcoming release ofA Different ManandThe Apprentice,Sebastian Stanis hot right now. Although he’s the lead in these smaller films, his rise to fame started as a supporting character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as James Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes, aka the Winter Soldier. Going from Steve Rogers' sidekick inCaptain America: The First Avengerto a brainwashed villain inCaptain America: The Winter Soldierto a misunderstood fugitive inCaptain America: Civil Warto one of the MCU’s greatest heroes in the projects beyond that,Bucky is one of the most complex characters in the entire franchise. His presence in the MCU has led to so many memorable moments.
Stan, as Bucky, has appeared in some of the most highly regarded and fan-favorite MCU projectsand has been fortunate enough to appear in many of the franchise’s best fight scenes.Fight scenes are a staple of any comic book universe, and fights like the highway scene inThe Winter Soldier, boththe airport fightand the Bucky and Cap vs. Tony fight inCivil War, and, most recently, another three-person battle (Bucky and Sam vs. John Walker) in the Disney+ showThe Falcon and the Winter Soldierare among Marvel’s best. Many of the projects Stan has been a part of with Marvel have included a big, memorable fight involving his character, which is always regarded as a highlight of whatever he’s in. The reason for them being so special, besides the wonderful work by fight choreographers, is simple: emotional stakes.
Bucky’s Debut as a Baddie Sets the Stage for His MCU Journey
Starting off as the “lovable side character killed off too soon” in 2011’sThe First Avenger, Stan really jumped into the pop culture lexicon with his performance in 2014’sThe Winter Soldier. General audiences and obsessive Tumblr fans flocked to the character of Bucky Barnes, in part due to him beingthe misunderstood anti-hero of the beloved film. In the sequel, Bucky is brought back into Steve Rogers' life in the form of a HYDRA sleeper agent, the Winter Soldier. A lot of emotional complexity is brought into the plot, with Steve having a moral crisis as he attempts to both save the lives of innocents being killed and save his friend from the clutches of an evil organization. Now, as the film has been out for a decade, it’s clear what decision was made, but it’s interesting to look back and see how important some of the scenes were to the greater franchise.
One of the most discussed moments of that film isthe highway fight scene midway through the film. Bucky stops Cap (Chris Evans) and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) in their car and wreaks havoc, with the intention of taking out a HYDRA agent they’re escorting.Filled with knife flips, grenade launchers, and Captain America’s shield getting snatched, the scene ends with the revelation that Bucky is, in fact, the infamous Winter Soldier. The whole sequence hits so much harder thanks to this reveal, heightening the stakes for an already tense film.Winter Soldieris alsoone of the highest-rated and regarded films in the franchise, so when you add that on top of the emotional gravitas that comes with the fight, it leads toone of the most emotionally important moments in Cap’s arc throughout the MCU.
Sebastian Stan Reveals How Bucky Fits Into the ‘Thunderbolts’: “Way More Suited to Them”
“I never would have though we would have ended up where we have with him.”
Bucky Enrolls in a Civil War in One of the MCU’s Best Fight Scenes
The road was not over for Bucky afterWinter Soldier. After fleeing the crime scene at the end of the film (and having gained his memories and consciousness back), he reappeared and came back into Captain America’s life inCivil War, when he was pinned for the murder of the king of Wakanda. The film features what many consider one of the best action sequences in the entire franchise: the airport scene. Just saying that phrase evokes excitement in the nerd community. While it includedthe first MCU appearances of Spider-Man and Ant-Man in his “Giant Man” form, and offered up the novelty of seeing our favorite heroes duke it out with one another, at the end of the day, the fight is really all about one person: Bucky. Not only does Stan get some great action moments as Bucky in this scene (holding his own against Spider-Man with Falcon), he’s the catalyst for this entire altercation. If it weren’t forCap breaking the law and protecting his friend, none of the events that occur within the brawl would ever have happened.
Speaking of instigating fights, Bucky is also at the center of another seat-gripping fan favorite: theCap and Bucky vs. Tony throwdownat the end of the film. After the reveal that Bucky, as the Winter Soldier, killed Tony’s parents, there’s an immediate switch in not only the stakes but also the emotion and thought process within Tony. His blind rage towards Bucky — this embodiment of the evil that ruined his life — disrupts his moral compass and causes a brawl to occur, the likes of which had not been seen in the franchise up to that point. It’s moving, brutal, and bloody. Many thought the fight might go in a darker direction before it ended with all of them keeping their lives.
Throughout the film, Bucky evolves into a person who believes they’re lucky to be alive but still grieves about the misdeeds that he brought onto the world while under the spell of HYDRA.While the debate of who was in the right inCivil Waris still debated among fans, it’s clear to all that, if it weren’t forStan’s heartfelt portrayal of the complex Barnes, it wouldn’t have been as effective.
The Winter Soldier Makes a Name for Himself on the Small Screen
With Disney+’s 2021 miniseriesThe Falcon and the Winter Soldierbeing lost in the sea of 2021 MCU projects, it’s easy for fans to forget that it includes some great moments for Sebastian Stan. As an actor,Stan is able to dive deeper into the nuances of Bucky in the show, facing the consequences of his actions and making amends for what he did. As one of the most underrated Marvel projects,The Falcon and the Winter Soldiermay not have made the biggest impression on general audiences, but it did leave fans with some of the MCU’s most powerful scenes.
Many consider the highlight of the series to be Bucky and Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) taking on John Walker (Wyatt Russell), who was given the mantle of “Captain America” by the government, even though Sam was handed the shield directly by Steve Rogers at the end ofAvengers: Endgame. This betrayal of Steve’s legacy left a sour taste in fans' mouths, especially when, at the end of Episode 4, Walker brutally kills people with the shield, tainting the sacred nature of the “Captain America” title.
Episode 5 starts with a chase scene, which leads to an eventual fight pitting Bucky and Sam against Walker. The sequence left a lasting impression on fans thanks to itsinteresting choreography, secluded setting, and the intense anger on display from Walker, which leads him to destroy Sam’s Falcon wings. One of the notable things about this series, including this battle, is the fact that Bucky is now a sort of antihero. At the end of the day, he chooses good over evil, but the ways of getting there, and the people he associates with, are somewhat devious. At the beginning of the fight, you can tell he’s content with fighting Walker, after all the things that Walker put Bucky and Sam through up to that point in the show.
So, Bucky has gone from being the smiling partner-in-crime to Cap to a mind-washed, sleeper-agent terrorist to someone trying to survive being hunted to a pseudo-hero who sometimes associates with the wrong crowd (like in the upcomingThunderbolts*). What Stan was able to do, with the help of theRusso Brothersand many other Marvel writers and directors, was develop and evolve what was really a side character inThe First Avengerinto being one of the MCU’s most important and beloved characters. All the killer fight scenes he took part in certainly didn’t hurt.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
Following the events of ‘Avengers: Endgame,’ Sam Wilson/Falcon and Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier team up in a global adventure that tests their abilities – and their patience.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldieris available to stream on Disney+.
