Thunderbolts* is a movie that is many years in the making, while, at the same time, it seemingly comes out of nowhere. Sebastian Stan’s Bucky (who began his Marvel journey 14 years ago) and Florence Pugh’s Yelena, are front and center in this superhero movie, but this promotion was not necessarily a path that many fans expected the MCU to take. Given the final product, audiences everywhere should be cheering that Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios decided to assemble this unlikely group of questionable heroes.

This is Stan’s ninth film as Bucky and he also previously starred in his titular Disney Plus show The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. That is where he more openly made amends for his past, and his newfound heroics started to be more in the public spotlight.

His most recent attendance, before Thunderbolts*, was visiting his one-time partner Sam in Captain America: Brave New World.