Ahead of his starring turn in Thunderbolts*, Sebastian Stan discussed getting into shape to reprise his role of Bucky Barnes/the Winter Soldier. The fan-favorite Marvel Cinematic Universe star has been with the franchise since its early days, debuting as Captain America’s best friend in Captain America: The First Avenger in 2011. Since then, he has played the Winter Soldier in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, among other MCU projects. As such, he is one of the actors with the most longevity in the series.

In an appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers, Stan was confronted with a shirtless pH๏τo of himself in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Responding, the actor quipped: “The good old days. Still trying to get back to that shape, I don’t know if it’s gonna work out at 42 years old.” Elsewhere in the interview, Stan called attention to his 15-year career with Marvel, stating: “I’ve grown up with Marvel, I grew as an actor and with this character, it’s like I have a brother, in a way, a family member I see for Thanksgiving every year.”

What Sebastian Stan’s Comments About His Bucky Barnes Physique Mean

Stan’s comments regarding playing the Winter Soldier indicate a couple of things. Importantly, he enjoys working for Marvel and revisiting his character, but the physicality of portraying Bucky has become more difficult with age. Stan is not alone in this; Wolverine actor Hugh Jackman has long been open about the physical toll of getting into superhero shape. It can be a grueling process to reach and maintain that appearance, especially as an actor who sometimes has to play roles with different body types.

At this stage, it doesn’t seem necessary for Stan to put himself through that if he doesn’t want to. The earlier MCU films often featured shirtless scenes, which are a big part of why actors like Chris Pratt developed a muscular physique for their roles. However, Marvel has, for the most part, moved away from those token shirtless sH๏τs of its male superheroes. Given their relative lack of narrative value, there’s no real reason to feature the actors shirtless unless they want to be.

Our Take On Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes Comments

In Stan’s case, he suits the character of Bucky so well that it doesn’t matter what he looks like without a shirt on. Over the years, he’s played the rakish best friend, the brooding villain, and the antihero seeking redemption extremely well. It’s hard to imagine another actor achieving what Stan has as the Winter Soldier. Stan brings a gravitas to a difficult role, and it is exciting to consider where his performance will take the character next in Thunderbolts*.

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