Avengers 4 Theory: 10 Clues Bucky Will Take Over As Captain America

8. Stan's Been Reading For The Role

When actors take on a role that's already been depicted elsewhere, research is vital. When it comes to Marvel Comics specifically, that research becomes even more important - a fact Sebastian Stan is all too aware of.

Speaking to BUILD (via ScreenRant) last week alongside Infinity War directors Anthony and Joe Russo, the actor spoke of the potential for a Bucky-led Captain America film, and his comments could potentially have clued us in on where the series is headed next.

During the audience Q&A session, Stan noted how, "in the comic books... it was always interesting because there’s an emotional turmoil - there was a guilt there that was driving for me, a character, because, because it’s Steve’s absence, you know. It sort of felt like the guy had to once again carry on this you know vision that his best friend had for years and what he stood for."

What Stan does here is encapsulate pretty much the entire opening arc of Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting's seminal 'Death of Captain America' storyline from the comics. Given how that particular run has factored heavily into the MCU's interpretation of the character, with Winter Soldier in particular having adapted intricate details from that arc (Brubaker himself also had a cameo), could it be that Stan is reading up on a storyline that'll inspire the proceeding steps of the character's journey?

It would make a lot of sense, especially since most MCU actors rarely reference intricate details from the source-material, even if they end up being factored into their performance in one way or another.