Whoa, Bucky Almost Became a Green Lantern?! Sebastian Stan's Wild DC Audition Story!
Sebastian Stan: From Almost Green Lantern to the MCU's Beloved Bucky Barnes
Long before he became the MCU's beloved Bucky Barnes, Sebastian Stan came this close to joining the DC Universe—as a major superhero, no less! The legendary actor recently dropped a bombshell on the Happy, Sad, Confused podcast: he auditioned for Green Lantern in the 2010s, years before joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe! This really puts a lot into perspective regarding the history of this actor and those behind-the-scenes events which made Stan's choices both difficult yet successful, resulting in this major revelation and turning point.
This was before that entire DCEU timeline even began. The DC Universe reboot under James Gunn is only just happening; and there have been immense struggles; including several questionable decisions involving this franchise before the very beginnings of Henry Cavill's Superman. But before the very inception of this shared movie universe– the studio was making mistakes that are surprisingly not very well remembered by people today. This audition really sheds light on a specific pivotal point concerning some important early failures of that specific production line.
Stan's Audition Revelation: A Star-Studded Competition!
Stan described that incredible, slightly terrifying audition experience: "Then I think I told you there was Green Lantern [that was] another one that I screen-tested for. I remember getting there, it was like me, Justin Timberlake, Jared Leto, Ryan Reynolds, and maybe one other person. I'm looking at these guys going, 'I'm f---ed! This is not [where I] belong. There is no way this is happening for me.'" The star-studded list alone highlights what a major undertaking even trying out for a role this massive entails. That incredibly humbling realization makes his story and subsequent career choices within the Marvel franchise all the more impressive!
The list of actors involved shows just how intense this period in cinema really was, especially concerning the choices regarding which characters could truly launch themselves toward massive superstardom, and ultimately it could have resulted in something incredibly different: Stan being possibly the lead for this major character.
Stan on Missing Out: A Fortunate Twist of Fate?
Even though seeing Stan as Green Lantern would have been wild, he admitted that it likely was "for the best". He said on the podcast, "You'd come close, and it wouldn't happen, and in a way, I got to tell you...looking back, I'm almost glad it didn't [happen.]" He explains how he likely wasn’t able to handle that intense amount of fame in comparison to those incredibly famous actors; the humility displayed further cements that he understands himself.
The Green Lantern movie (released June 17th, 2011) flopped massively! Compare that to Captain America: The First Avenger (July 22nd, 2011)—Stan's MCU debut—which started his Bucky Barnes saga, making this an even bigger deal considering his involvement with such major plot points! The coincidence is significant, given the difference between his subsequent and the earlier potential role in this different superhero franchise.
Our Thoughts: Stan's Career Path Was the Right One
Looking back; Green Lantern's failure really demonstrates why choosing that specific project would have seriously hurt Stan's career! We can hardly imagine anyone other than Stan as Bucky, after seeing how that character became critically relevant for his later MCU plots.
It's pretty amazing however that this audition for Green Lantern ended with Stan ultimately joining a competing studio, showing just how complex decisions involved in those early steps within an actor’s career! That fact that both films were released in such close proximity was certainly more than mere coincidence; and further suggests this could also have changed the entirety of Stan’s career, changing its trajectory completely!
Conclusion: From Near Miss to Massive Success—The Stan's Story is Still Being Written
Sebastian Stan's Green Lantern audition is a really fascinating tale! It showcases just how precarious those early steps toward a film career could truly be. Those decisions involve not only sheer talent, yet often also enormous amounts of luck, including timing; something Stan’s story clearly benefits from enormously. And it’s a totally crazy what-if story: He might’ve had an incredibly different career had things unfolded differently. That potential different timeline demonstrates an important point; the overall outcome that shaped his path greatly benefited this remarkable and versatile actor, who now stands firmly amongst the great Marvel actors! Yet who can also likely transition into any DC roles if Gunn decides to use his talent for upcoming DCU projects!
