Sebastian Stan isn't Steve Rogers, but that's not to say that he won't be Captain America eventually now that the "Gossip Girl" actor has landed the role of James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes in "The First Avenger: Captain America."
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Stan will play Bucky in the forthcoming "Captain America" film from director Joe Johnston and Marvel Studios. Marvel has reportedly confirmed the news. Stan joins the previously cast Chris Evans as Steve Rogers and Hugo Weaving as the Red Skull.
In addition to "Captain America," Stan has signed on to reprise the role of Bucky in "five or six" additional Marvel films.
In the comic books, Bucky is a teenage orphan that was too young to join the army before he becomes Captain America's sidekick. In Ed Brubaker's recent revival of the character, Bucky was revealed as a covert operative that spent several decades as the brainwashed Winter Soldier. After a lengthy journey to redeem his time as the deadly assassin, Bucky picked up the mantle of Captain America in place of the fallen Steve Rogers.
Previously, Stan was mentioned as a frontrunner for the title role in "The First Avenger: Captain America," but he ultimately lost the part to Chris Evans. Stan's casting as Bucky is reflective of Tom Hiddleston's casting as Loki in director Kenneth Branagh's "Thor," as Hiddleston was a rumored contender for the role of the Norse God of Thunder before Chris Hemsworth secured the lead.
With Stan locked in for multiple Marvel films, it's worth pondering where the studio plans to take both Bucky and the "Captain America" franchise at large. Are they laying the groundwork for a sequel with the Winter Soldier as the central villain? Will Stan eventually assume the role of Captain America? For now, we're at least one step closer to filling out the main cast list for "The First Avenger: Captain America," which begins shooting this summer.
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