Bucky’s Arm: Stan Stands by Practical Choice

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We’re eating up every last morsel of behind-the-scenes information as the Thunderbolts* press tour continues on — and it’s always so interesting to hear an actor’s reasoning behind one choice or another. It’s such a physically demanding role to take on, that of a superhero (or even just a super-adjacent misfit). From fight sequences to super-suits, and, of course, all that CGI, the job utilizes a lot of your body. While we’re not sure every situation can allow for practical effects, most audiences often prefer it. Which is why we love the stand Sebastian Stan has taken regarding his character Bucky Barnes and the Winter Soldier’s cybernetic, prosthetic arm.

While speaking with Empire Magazine, the actor explained the reason why he has always opted for wearing a practically-made cybernetic arm over a far easier (and lighter) option known as a “green-sleeve.”

Per his chat with Empire:

I’ve always chosen a different path, not the one with the green sleeves. It’s as if it’s built on a foundation of sand, and once you spot a tiny weakness that could be exploited, all its credibility crumbles away.

It really is a nod to Stan’s commitment to this and any of his characters, isn’t it? To insist on the (likely) more cumbersome choice in the name of authenticity and believeability, for him and the audience, is not something every actor would do. But we can totally understand why he might. And, frankly, we the audience benefit when practical effects are used. Don’t believe me? Read the next section and I bet I’ll convince you. Or don’t and just wait until Thunderbolts* comes out and we see a whole new Bucky Barnes at play.

Believability Is Everything When It Comes To Good Superhero Stuff

There are so many factors that contribute to an actor’s performance — and many of them strive to find authenticity and deeper character embodiment in whatever way they can. This often comes in the form of physical immersion, which especially makes sense when you’re playing, say, someone who lost their arm and you have only ever known a life with both of your arms. Now, short of cutting off his own arm and paying for a bunch of techno-fascists to tailor-make you a cybernetic Swiss army knife of an arm (which does sound very expensive, time-consuming, and generally bad), wearing a heavy prosthetic that limits your mobility a certain way, or at least feels and looks real to you, feels like a really solid option. (Especially when you have Marvel Studios money to throw around!)

As a point of clarity, as stated by ScreenRant, character Stan (who plays Bucky Barnes) donned the green-sleeve onsole occasion—specifically during the battle against Iron Man when he lost his arm in the film “Captain America: Civil War”.

We’re sure that some aspects of his arm may get amped up with CGI or some sort of visual effects work in post-production to give it that super-sheen of hyper-capability (the thing is stronger than Captain America and currently made of Wakandan vibranium, which is verrrrrrry shiny and pretty), it’s fun for audiences and actors alike (we’re sure — though maybe not all the time) to watch practical effects used on screen. The capability and artistry of some of the artisans that work in Hollywood creating these things is fun to behold, and makes the world of the movie so much more believable and immersive. Just look at the original Star Wars trilogy, Barbie, or basically anything with The Muppets. Practical effects are just superior (if also very, very expensive and worth it if you can afford it)!

Empire Magazine via ScreenRant

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2025-03-16 04:13