Sebastian Stan Defends Marvel Movies From the Critics Who Have Bashed Them It's "Convenient to Pick On Marvel Films"

Veteran Marvel actor Sebastian Stan has been a member of the MCU since 2011, when his character Bucky Barnes debuted alongside Steve Rogers in Captain America: The First Avenger. He has gone on to reprise the role in many more Marvel films, as well as the series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. He is set to return in the anticipated supervillain alliance film, Thunderbolts*, and he still has a lot of love for the franchise that has contributed greatly to his success.

During a recent interview with Variety, in which Stan sat down to discuss his upcoming role of Donald Trump in the film, The Apprentice, the actor talked a bit about the criticism Marvel movies have faced from the entertainment industry, namely prolific directors. Even Thunderbolts*, which is set for a May 2, 2025 release date, has come under fire for enduring strike delays and last-minute cast changes, and has been under scrutiny for those setbacks, preemptively calling the film a dud. Stan said of the situation:

“It’s become really convenient to pick on [Marvel films]. And that’s fine. Everyone’s got an opinion. But they’re a big part of what contributes to this business and allows us to have smaller movies as well. This is an artery traveling through the system of this entire machinery that’s Hollywood. It feeds in so many more ways than people acknowledge.” He adds, “Sometimes I get protective of it because the intention is really fucking good. It’s just fucking hard to make a good movie over and over again.”

Not every movie is going to be as great as the best of the Marvel movies. They have definitely endured a slump, but I think things are looking up. They’ve slowed down in how much they produce, and the quality of footage we’ve seen for many of the upcoming movies looks really promising.

Which Marvel movies are you looking forward to seeing in the next year?