The first episode of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier hit Disney+ on Friday, continuing the Marvel Cinematic Universe‘s entrance into Phase 4. The new series focuses on Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) and Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), two longtime sidekicks of Captain America who are finally given the forefront of the narrative now that Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) is gone. The series features typical superhero action setpieces but is also digging into racism in America, loneliness, and dealing with extreme PTSD.
Sebastian Stan’s Bucky has been a fan favorite since he was introduced in Captain America: The First Avenger, and Stan signed a massive 9-film contract with Marvel when he won the part. While it isn’t clear how the new television series factors into that movie count, it’s clear that Stan has always been in it for the long haul, and that has proven quite lucrative for the actor.
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Stan recently admitted that after the release of the first Captain America film, he was so broke that he wasn’t sure how he was going to pay his bills. “In 2011, after the first Captain America came out, about a month later I had a call from my business manager telling me I had a month left to figure out how I was going to pay my rent,” Stan told Entertainment Tonight. “So, perception is always interesting, isn’t it? Nobody ever knows what the f— is really happening.”
Before his work in the MCU, Stan was best known as a supporting television actor from shows like Gossip Girl, Once Upon A Time, and Kings. Since the nature of the Marvel contract is usually a shadowy ordeal, Stan’s net worth can only be estimated, but reports guess that the actor has earned anywhere from $4 million to as high as $10 million, over the last several years. Taking into account the work that Stan has done outside of the MCU, including I,Tonya, Logan Lucky, The Martian, and the upcoming Tommy Lee and Pamela Anderson Hulu series, it is likely on the higher side of that estimate.
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US singer Miley Cyrus attends the 97th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California on March 2, 2025. (Photo by Angeka Weiss/AFP via Getty Images) -
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NEW YORK CITY – DECEMBER 19: "Toil and Trouble" – Elsbeth is thrown into the world of television after the showrunner of a long-running police procedural is brutally murdered in his office, and although it appears to be the act of a disgruntled fan, she begins to suspect the show's longtime star Regina Coburn (Laurie Metcalf) who yearns for artistic fulfillment. Meanwhile, Judge Crawford (Michael Emerson) continues to be a thorn in Elsbeth's side, on the CBS original series ELSBETH, Thursday, Dec. 19 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and streaming on Paramount+ (live and on demand for Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers, or on demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the episode airs). Pictured (L-R): Carrie Preston as Elsbeth Tascioni and Carra Patterson as Kaya Blanke. (Photo by Michael Parmelee/CBS via Getty Images)
