Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan. Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes. Captain America and The Winter Soldier. These are MCU combinations as classic as peanut butter and jelly. It’s a pairing so sensical, in fact, that the duo had a whole Disney+ series devoted to them, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. But with Sam Wilson’s Captain America now returning to the big screen in Captain America 4, also known as Captain America: Brave New World, fans have one important question on their minds. Will the duo live on? Will Sebastian Stan be in Captain America 4? Or will Brave New World mark Sam Wilson’s first appearance without Bucky Barnes (as a thorn) at his side?
For now, official sources, mainly Sebastian Stan and Anthony Mackie, seem to confirm that Stan and Bucky Barnes will NOT be in Captain America 4. But can we ever really know the truth about MCU cameos? Here are some of the latest statements we’ve seen about whether Bucky Barnes will appear (or not) in Captain America: Brave New World.
Sebastian Stan Says He “Didn’t See Anthony Mackie” This Year, Implying He and Bucky Barnes Will Not Be in Brave New World
Most recently, Sebastian Stan addressed whether he’d be appearing in Captain America: Brave New World. Although Stan didn’t outright say he would not be in the upcoming MCU movie, his words certainly imply it. He noted to Variety, “[Filming] ‘Thunderbolts*’, let me tell you, it was a much quieter year for me because I didn’t see Anthony Mackie. So, I’ll say that. Although I miss Anthony Mackie like daily, and it’s something I don’t like to admit.”
Once again, the implication is that since he didn’t see Anthony Mackie he wasn’t filming on the Captain America movie. However, he did couch his response about “filming Thunderbolts*,” where perhaps he really did not see Anthony Mackie. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that Stan didn’t see Mackie while filming Captain America: Brave New World or that he didn’t film anything as Bucky Barnes for Captain America 4 before this year. It’s a lot to consider.
Anthony Mackie Says “I Don’t Have My Friends Anymore” on Captain America: Brave New World Set
Meanwhile, Anthony Mackie seems to be singing the same tune. Speaking to Radio Times, Mackie shared, “The Falcon and [the] Winter Soldier, I really enjoyed doing that show. I was actually excited to do a second season, just so me and Sebastian [Stan] can get paid to hang out. Because it’s like me, him and Daniel Brühl. It’s kind of like the perfect storm of happiness.” He went on to say that filming Captain America: Brave New World was different because Stan and Brühl were not with him. Mackie shared, “When they decided to go back to the movies, it is what it is, but I don’t have my friends anymore, so it kind of dampens it a little bit.”
But does he not have his friends at all, or does he not have them all the time? While this comment seemed to be an official confirmation from Mackie that Sebastian Stan and Bucky Barnes would not be with him in Captain America 4, it once again does not 100% give a straightforward answer about the potential cameos Brave New World could bring.
So, Will Sebastian Stan Appear in Captain America 4?
Despite all these official comments that indicate Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes will not appear in Captain America 4, we personally feel like… Bucky actually will show up in Brave New World. It just seems like the MCU cameo that makes the most sense, and since when has the MCU shied away from bringing in sensical cameos as a treat for their fans? After having an entire show together it seems strange that Bucky Barnes would not appear in a Sam Wilson-centric series, especially since the show left them in such a good place with one another.
At the time of filming The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Marvel Studios might have been considering a season two for the series. But now that it seems like the future of the MCU lies away from Disney+ shows, it would make sense to have Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes appear in Captain America 4 and kind of cement this transition in a scene. (Plus this way Marvel Studios could give fans a better idea of where Bucky in his next confirmed movie, Thunderbolts*)
Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan both hint Bucky Barnes will not appear in Captain America 4, but… remember when Andrew Garfield said he wasn’t in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Yeah, no one has forgotten that. And so. We still feel chances are pretty good Bucky Barnes and Sam Wilson will reunite at least once more.
