A treasured character from the Marvel Cinematic Universe may not be with us much longer.Credit: Marvel StudiosJames “Bucky” Barnes, played by Sebastian Stan, has one of the most compelling arcs in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. First appearing in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), Bucky begins as Steve Rogers’ (Chris Evans) loyal best friend and fellow soldier before his fall from a train leads to a dark transformation.Revived and brainwashed by HYDRA, he becomes the Winter Soldier—an elite assassin with a metal arm and no memory of his past. His emotional reunion with Captain America in 2014’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier sets the stage for years of redemption, guilt, and friendship that define his journey through Captain America: Civil War (2016) and beyond.Credit: Marvel StudiosOver time, Bucky’s path evolves from weapon to warrior seeking peace. Freed from HYDRA’s control by the Wakandans and dubbed the “White Wolf,” he fights alongside the Avengers in Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019), helping save the world he once threatened.In The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Bucky confronts his trauma head-on, learning to move forward and support Sam Wilson’s (Anthony Mackie) rise as the new Captain America. With his return in 2025’s Thunderbolts*, Bucky Barnes remains one of the MCU’s most layered heroes—a survivor constantly searching for purpose beyond his haunted past.Credit: Marvel StudiosSebastian Stan Speaks Out on Marvel Journey“I have to try to offer something different than before,” Stan said on the Stronger Podcast, via Variety. “And I’ve never favored one role over another.”Stan then discussed his time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, saying it was only the first step for him. Since appearing in the MCU, Stan has stepped into a number of different roles, including a younger Donald Trump in The Apprentice (2024) and Edward in A Different Man (2024).Credit: Marvel Studios“The Marvel stuff, I’ll always, till the end of time, [feel it] really helped me grow as a person and helped me grow as an actor, and it taught me relationships and [I worked with] Robert Downey [Jr.] and Scarlett [Johansson] and all these people I looked up to. It was a business,” the Academy Award-nominated actor continued. “It was a family, and it gave me a sense of belonging, and it’s always there for that, but it was only the first step for me.”There has been continuous discourse over who will and won’t survive in the upcoming crossover Avengers event, Avengers: Doomsday (2026), and it could act as the perfect sendoff for one of the MCU’s most cherished characters.Credit: Marvel StudiosDoomsday Is ComingMarvel Studios’ Avengers: Doomsday (2026) is quickly becoming one of the most daring projects in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and its journey to the big screen has been anything but straightforward.The film reunites Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame directors Anthony and Joe Russo, signaling a massive return to the franchise’s biggest storytelling roots. However, instead of continuing the Kang-focused narrative once planned, the movie is now shifting its sights to the rise of Doctor Doom—portrayed by none other than Robert Downey Jr., marking his highly anticipated comeback to the MCU in a completely new and unexpected role.How do you feel about Sebastian Stan’s role potentially coming to an end in Avengers: Doomsday? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!The post Goodbye, Bucky Barnes? Sebastian Stan Speaks Out on Stepping Away From MCU appeared first on Inside the Magic.