I’ve changed my mind, the MCU should make more prequels

Although prequel projects are still a relatively new concept Marvel Cinematic UniverseI would be more than happy if the studio continued making them as long as they take notes from Sebastian Stan. The actual timing of the franchise has been complicated by the snap, as the MCU is now running on its own timeline that doesn’t align with real life. This has led to the franchise rarely dwelling on the past as events in the MCU continue to move forward.

Marvel’s first venture into prequels was in 2021 Black widow. Takes place after the events of Captain America: Civil WarSince the film was a sequel, they were able to expand on Natasha Romanoff’s character even after her Endgame Death. Considering that some of the original Avengers’ storylines have now concluded, A prequel would give them a way to return to the big screen without compromising their ending. One MCU star has been particularly vocal about his openness to a prequel, and I think Marvel should embrace his ideas.

Sebastian Stan has two ideas for a prequel film starring Bucky Barnes

Bucky’s backstory spans multiple eras

Actor Sebastian Stan has already shown interest in other potential Bucky Barnes projects and recently offered some ideas about possible prequels for the character. At a panel discussion during Comic-Con Liverpool 2024, Stan gave two specific ideas for exploring Bucky’s past as himself and as the Winter Soldier. Read Stan’s full quote below:

“We could probably use a prequel first
Captain America: The First Avenger
. We really got to learn about (Bucky and Steve’s) friendship. Or even a prequel before that
The Winter Soldier
where we actually see what happened to Bucky. We never explore it that much. We see him towards the end of his Winter Soldier arc. When he led this double life, when he taught Black Widow how to be Black Widow, that might be interesting to see.”

Bucky is a character we think we know, but in reality we haven’t really seen much of his actual story on screen. If there was anyone who deserved a more fleshed out project from Marvel, it would undoubtedly be him.

Considering how much of a fan-favorite character Bucky is, there would definitely be a market for his prequel projects. It is one of the most awaited parts of the upcoming film lightning* film for fans, and they always crave more Bucky content. He has such a rich backstory spread across multiple eras, so there’s no shortage of content. Whether Marvel decided to do something focused on Bucky during the war or a story centered around the Winter Soldier about his brainwashing by HYDRA, Stan has given the studio some great potential ideas to play with.

“Sebastian Stan’s Bucky and Steve Rogers Prequel Film Preserves Endgame’s Ending”

Captain America has already reached his perfect ending

The duo of Bucky and Steve Rogers is one that fans would love to see on screen again, but given the current MCU timeline, it just wouldn’t make sense. While the Multiverse Saga offers the studio an easy way to bring characters back, it also comes with major risks. Just because the multiverse is the obvious easy answer doesn’t mean it’s the right one. Steve was sent off Avengers: Endgame with his desired happy ending, and it would completely ruin the momentum of his story if Marvel had Chris Evans come back as a gimmicky variant.

Instead, Making a prequel would preserve the legacy Evans built for Steve In Avengers: Endgame At the same time, he gives Bucky the chance to see his best friend again. When we first met the duo The first Avengerthey are already best friends. We have no real idea how they became so close or how they even met, only how their relationship developed from there. Considering what we know about Steve and Bucky today, it would be an interesting concept to see how it all started in the ’40s.

The Winter Soldier and Black Widow prequel film needs to happen

Black Widow was the MCU’s only prequel so far

One of the other ideas Stan mentioned was a prequel focusing on Bucky’s time as the Winter Soldier. We’ve learned a little more about this era over time The Falcon and the Winter Soldierbut it focused more on Bucky’s guilt and subsequent redemption. A project that focuses solely on his time as HYDRA’s weapon would work perfectly now that we know who Bucky really is. He is not the villain introduced in The Winter Soldierbut rather a victim of everything.

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Thunderbolts* is expected to establish the MCU replacement for Black Widow, and it continues a tragic trend shown by Bucky Barnes’ Winter Soldier.

This Bucky prequel would also provide scope for the return of another MCU character. Black Widow already had a prequel with her 2021 solo film, but it was more of just a missing story that was supposed to be told earlier in the timeline. We know more about her Red Room trauma now, but as Stan suggested, it would be great to see it in more detail how Bucky helped her become the Black Widow. The fact that Bucky and Natasha’s paths have crossed before is the perfect opportunity for content and would help expand Natasha’s paths The Winter Soldier Story.

Will Marvel Actually Make Bucky Barnes Prequel Movies?

The best time would probably be now

Based on the current state of the MCU, it seems pretty unlikely that the studio will make a Bucky prequel film, let alone two. However, we can still dream. Marvel is always watching what resonates with fans, and they certainly know how popular Bucky remains as a character, even a decade after he was first introduced. The studio took some major risks with the type of projects they create and like some of them Loki And Agatha all the time, were very worth it. If there’s one character Marvel should take a risk on, it should be Bucky.

Stan’s age could also hinder possible prequel plans for “Winter Soldier.” Marvel’s schedule is pretty full at this point, and even if they followed his ideas, a project wouldn’t come to fruition until a few years later. By this point, Stan will be significantly older, which will make it even more difficult to pull off a prequel set in Bucky’s younger years. Whether or not Marvel takes inspiration from Stan’s ideas, they can at least learn that there actually is a market for prequels MCU.

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