Sebastian Stan reveals shocking details about career before Marvel role

Sebastian Stan opened up about his career struggles before landing the role of Bucky Barnes in Captain America: The First Avenger.

The Apprentice actor was more or less on life support when he landed the role in Marvel Cinematic Universe.

In an interview with the Vanity Fair, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier star, explained the state of his career back in 2011, saying that his business manager "told me I was saved by $65,000 that came in residuals from Hot Tub Time Machine."

Marvel Studios' co-president Kevin Feige explained why Stan's acting potential appealed to him, despite the actor being relatively unknown at the time.

"You could see that he has so much inside him and so much behind his eyes," Feige gushed.

He added, "I’ll never forget that." Sharing his thoughts with one of the producers of Captain America at that time, Fiege said, "He’s going to be a good Bucky, but he’s going to be a great Winter Soldier."

The movie turned out to be his career breakthrough, as Stan not only stayed with Marvel for more than a decade, but the production house also gave him bankability as an actor to help him get through various critically acclaimed films.

Last year, he filmed A Different Man which won him a Golden Globe and The Apprentice which earned him a nod at 2025 Oscars.

As of now, his latest project by Marvel, Thunderbolts*, will hit theatres on April 22.