In the world of big studio franchises, actors (save for the biggest A-list stars) don’t necessarily always have the greatest amount of power. They obviously have some creative influence, especially on set, but when it comes to the macro decisions for a character there are a lot of other voices involved – including both filmmakers and executives. An extension of this, Sebastian Stan admits that in the development of the new Disney+ original The Falcon And The Winter Soldier he was mostly “in for the ride,” but the great discovery that he made as the series was coming together was that Bucky Barnes a.k.a. The Winter Soldier is being taken in the “most interesting” direction in the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
As captured in the video up top, I had the pleasure of doing a virtual interview with Sebastian Stan and Anthony Mackie this past weekend in the run up to the release of their first Marvel series, and my first question out of the gate was about special requests they made as The Falcon And The Winter Soldier was first coming together. Stan laughed it off a bit, saying that the opportunity wasn’t really presented, but expressed gratitude about the choices made for his character. Said the actor,
I don't know if we get a lot of those special requests that were asked... Speaking for me, I was just grateful that we get the continuation of what the story is. And quite frankly, I think what we discovered with the show was the most interesting storyline, to be honest, which is why I feel like Kevin [Feige] always knows what's best. We just follow the ride; we're in for the ride. And but I think we just wanted to focus on that dynamic and make sure we finally gave it the proper chance.
After more than a decade of franchise-building, you definitely get the sense that every actor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and every fan would have zero issue if “Kevin Feige Always Knows What’s Best” was added to the Marvel Studios logo that plays in the front of all of the company’s productions.
To Sebastian Stan’s point, the opening of The Falcon And The Winter Soldier does put his eponymous character on an excellent path forward. In the first episode of the series he is still getting his life in order in the wake of The Blip, trying to make amends for executing decades of horror as a brainwashed Hydra assassin – but he struggles because he suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. It makes for a great launching point for the hero in the series, and by the time the first episode ends you’re immediately hungry to see where the story is going to take him.
You’re opportunity to have that exact experience is coming up this week, as The Falcon And The Winter Soldier will be having its world premiere on Disney+ this Friday starting at 12pm PST/3am EST. You can be sure that it will inspire a wave of reactions, so be on the lookout for a ton of coverage here on CinemaBlend – and to see what else is ahead for the Marvel Cinematic Universe on the streaming service, be sure to check out our Upcoming Marvel TV guide.
