In a new interview with the French Sunday newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche, published Tuesday, the actor who has played Bucky Barnes since 2011 described a production built around fragments rather than a complete narrative. “I know absolutely nothing about it,” Stan said. “Because we didn’t have a script. We just shot scattered scenes. It’s another way of working, continuously, constantly evolving.” He said producers deliberately withheld the full screenplay to keep cast members from fielding pointed questions from reporters. “I’ve been following this rule for fifteen years,” he added. “I’m used to it.”
The comments arrive as Marvel Studios tightens its grip on plot details ahead of the film’s December 18 release. Directors Anthony and Joe Russo are reuniting a sprawling ensemble that includes Robert Downey Jr., returning as Victor von Doom, alongside Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Vanessa Kirby, Pedro Pascal and a slate of original “X-Men” cast members such as Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen. Downey has already previewed footage and called it “absolutely fantastic,” while a recent trailer hinted that Doom’s turn toward destruction stems from losing everyone he loved.
Stan’s remarks also touched briefly on his upcoming role in Matt Reeves’s “The Batman: Part II,” where he is set to play Harvey Dent, a comment that reportedly got tangled in translation before the French outlet issued a correction. Marvel has leaned on incomplete scripts before for major crossovers, a tactic that limits leaks but leaves even veteran cast members guessing at their characters’ fates. Fans have speculated for months about which Avengers might not survive “Doomsday,” with Stan previously teasing in a separate appearance that “we’ll see who makes it and who doesn’t.”
Audiences will get another piece of the puzzle before the film opens. Disney plans to re-release “Avengers: Endgame” as “Avengers: Endgame Encore” on September 25, a move being positioned as connective tissue between the 2019 finale and the new film’s opening chapter.
