With Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness approaching, rumors have been circulating about whether characters like Sebastian Stan's Bucky Barnes will have a cameo in the film. Now, Stan has commented on the growing speculation and his future in the MCU.
The Doctor Strange sequel will continue delving deeper into the complex multiverse, which has been building up in last year's shows and films like Loki and Spider-Man: No Way Home. With multiple cameos rumored for Doctor Strange 2, there are a lot of MCU characters who could make an appearance, which raises the question of which ones to expect.
While promoting his new film the 355, Stan shared with Collider if he will appear in the highly-anticipated film. "I am not in Doctor Strange 2. I promise," Stan insisted. In fact, Stan claimed to have no idea of when Bucky Barnes will return to the MCU at all. "Per usual, I can't answer that question," Stan said. "I have no clue, but look, I think it's sort of about seeing what's next for him, right? To some extent, the show, I felt, really graduated him to another level of experience and taking on his past a lot better and gave him another sense of place and sense of family that he's found there with Sam."
Fans last saw Stan in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which follows Sam Wilson's Falcon and Bucky Barnes' Winter Soldier as the two team up for a globe-trotting adventure. With Captain America 4 already confirmed and in early development, it is highly likely that that's when Bucky will make his return to the screen. Stan would further add, "So he's in a pretty good spot right now. I'd be curious to see what the next interesting thing that we could tell with him would be, and as you well know, that is above my pay grade. There are far wiser men and women who are making those decisions."
While it is possible that Stan will appear in Doctor Strange 2, especially with the number of characters already involved in the project and the direction they are headed involving variants and the sorcerer supreme, fans still shouldn't get their hopes up. Andrew Garfield denied his role in No Way Home for months before his exciting appearance in the film was actually revealed, but there's a chance Stan is being honest about not appearing in Doctor Strange 2.
For now, the cinematic universe is headed in a bolder, more cosmic direction, focused on introducing and crossing over many characters and storylines throughout the multiverse. This year's big releases other than Doctor Strange 2 include Thor: Love and Thunder and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, in addition to series like Moon Knight and Secret Invasion. For now, however, fans can re-watch The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and other Marvel Studios projects to get more of Bucky Barnes' story and prepare for Doctor Strange's 2 release.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is set to release on May 6, 2022.
Source: Collider Interviews/YouTube