As Marvel Studios moves into its 2022 game plan for the MCU, fans and critics alike are taking a moment to look back on the biggest year in franchise history from 2021. From trippy new stories like the one from WandaVision to more grounded entries like The Falcon and the Winter Soldier on Disney+ and Black Widow in theaters, fans have more content to enjoy now than ever before.
Helping start off the year right was Sebastian Stan, a 10-year MCU veteran who just took on his first headliner role in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier alongside Anthony Mackie. With supporting roles in five previous movies, it was finally time for Stan's first project where he was the main focus, and he took the challenge on with passion and excitement the whole way through.
With Stan having spent such a long time in the MCU, he's seen dozens of projects add to the franchise narrative outside of his own work as Sergeant Bucky Barnes. Recently, when asked which movie or show was at the top of the bunch, he put a couple of unique Phase 4 outings into the spotlight.
Sebastian Is a WandaVision & Black Widow Stan
In a recent interview with ComicBook, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier star Sebastian Stan shared his favorite Marvel Studios projects outside of his own work on Disney+.
Specifically, he touched on two entries from 2021 in WandaVision and Black Widow, which both released in Phase 4. Stan loved how WandaVision showed "such a different world" than anything else in MCU history while praising the "action sequences" in Black Widow, which he admitted will always "have a soft spot" for the MCU veteran:
"Listen, I really liked WandaVision. For me, that was a series that I really liked because I thought it was such a different world. Such a different take on those characters and from what they've done before with them. So I really liked that. And then, you know, Black Widow, obviously, is always going to have a soft spot in my heart. There are some action sequences in that that are just insane."
Stan Loving the MCU's Phase 4
Looking at how long Sebastian Stan has been a part of the MCU, his opinions on the franchise's excellence certainly hold plenty of weight. That being said, the fact that his two favorite entries both come from 2021 says a lot about how Marvel Studios continues to deliver excellent material, regardless of recency bias.
Even with mixed expectations, WandaVision kickstarted Phase 4 with a bang as the MCU's first-ever Disney+ series, earning rave reviews and impressive viewing numbers between January and March. The show was even nominated for 23 Emmy awards, coming away with three big wins and becoming one of the franchise's most popular outings to date.
As for Black Widow, Stan's experience with leading lady Scarlett Johansson left him with great memories, and the film itself uses much of the same tone and feel as Stan's Captain America movies. Johansson got to be a part of top-notch action scenes while giving fans a look at a post-Civil War adventure that made an impact on Stan as a viewer.
As for Stan himself, it's still unclear when he will make his next appearance as Bucky Barnes, even with Captain America 4 in the early stages of development. No matter when that happens though, he remains a fan of the franchise that he's helped build as dozens of new additions come in the future.
All episodes of WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier are available to stream on Disney+, as is Black Widow.
