Sebastian Stan Reveals Bucky Barnes' Ideal MCU Ending

By Aeron Mer Eclarinal Updated:
Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier only has two episodes left, meaning that the show's lingering plot threads are expected to be resolved sooner rather than later. The mind-blowing fourth episode served as a pivotal installment of the series, mainly due to John Walker's public execution of one of the Flag Smashers. 

The surprising decision of the new Captain America will no doubt be addressed in the much-hyped fifth episode, and the mid-season trailer of the Anthony Mackie and Sebastian-led project already showed a glimpse of an intense showdown between the titular pair and Walker. At this point, it's safe to say that the final two chapters of the series will be filled with thrilling, action-packed scenes while also raising questions as to what's next for Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes. 

Numerous pieces of evidence suggest that Sam is poised to take the Captain America mantle by the end of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, but Bucky's fate is still up in the air. Now, one-half of the show's leading stars has opened up about this specific topic. 

THE WINTER SOLDIER'S FITTING MCU ENDING 

Bucky Barnes Sebastian Stan
Marvel

Bucky Barnes star Sebastian Stan recently sat down with Uproxx to talk about The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and one of the topics discussed was the ideal ending for his MCU character. 

Without spoiling anything, Stan revealed that he envisioned Bucky dying as “a 200-year-old man with a family” in a “nice warm bed,” admitting that the character has pretty much “earned” that fate. 

“Oh man, hopefully at this point, it would be in a nice warm bed as a 200-year-old man with a family. That’s his way now, I think he’s earned that.”

BUCKY BARNES AS A FAMILY MAN? 

Bucky already had his fair share of ups and downs in the MCU. After seemingly dying during the events of Captain America: The First Avenger, the character returned as the brute force of Hydra in the form of the Winter Soldier. Luckily for him, he was ultimately redeemed by Steve Rogers at the end. 

The idea of a normal life is somewhat strange for Bucky, but Stan's comments could hint that the character is ready to retire down the road. Still, building a family will be difficult for now, especially since Bucky is trying to make amends for his past crimes as the Winter Soldier. 

Stan's vision for Bucky's ending is similar to the resolution of Steve Rogers' arc in the Infinity Saga. This goes to show that the two best friends have both envisioned having a family at the tail-end of their MCU journey. 

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier provided a sneak peek at how Bucky is trying to make things right for his past mistakes, but this mission was brought to a halt due to the threat of the Flag Smashers.

With two episodes left, it remains to be seen if this plot point will be resolved, but it's possible that it could be addressed off-screen in a future Marvel movie or even continued in a potential second season for the hit Marvel series

It will be a while before Bucky receives his own ending similar to Steve, but it's good to know that Stan has already pictured a fitting last hurrah for his Marvel character. 

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is now streaming on Disney+. 

Release Date
March 19, 2021
Platform
- About The Author: Aeron Mer Eclarinal
Aeron is a news/features writer and Content Lead for The Direct who has been working for the site since March 2020. From writing about the inter-connectivity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to having an extended knowledge about DC TV's Arrowverse, Aeron's expertise has since expanded into the realm of reality TV, K-drama, animated, and live-action shows from Netflix,  Disney+, Prime Video, MGM+, Peacock, Paramount+, and Max. When he isn't writing and watching all things MCU, Aeron is heavily invested with the NBA (go Celtics!) and occasionally watches thrilling matches in the WWE.