Sebastian Stan Says ‘Thunderbolts’ Is Like Marvel’s Take on ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’

Sebastian Stan is sick of critics slamming Marvel movies, so much so that the actor is even comparing the upcoming MCU installment " Thunderbolts " to a classic film .

According to Stan, "Thunderbolts" is Marvel's version of Miloš Forman's Oscar-winning 1975 film " One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest ," which centered on a mutinous uprising in a psych ward.

Stan told Variety that his role in "Thunderblots" as Bucky Barnes "was kind of like 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' — a guy coming into this group that was chaotic and degenerate, and somehow finding a way to unite them."

Stan has played Bucky Barnes for more than a decade, starting with 2011's "Captain America: The First Avenger." For "Thunderbolts," Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Florence Pugh, Wyatt Russell, and David Harbour join Stan's Bucky. The upcoming feature will help kick off Marvel's Phase 5 .

As for the debates over the merit of Marvel movies, Stan simply said, "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."

Stan continued, "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. In the last couple of years, I've gotten much more aggressive about pursuing things that I want, and I'm constantly looking for different ways of challenging myself."

The actor leads "A Different Man," which debuted at Sundance 2024 and went on to land Stan the best actor award at Berlin. Stan executive produces the dramedy which was written and directed by Aaron Schimberg.