Source: This story originated with Variety.

Sebastian Stan is preparing audiences for an emotional “Avengers: Doomsday” — even though he has yet to see the finished film himself.

The actor returns as Bucky Barnes, also known as the Winter Soldier, in the forthcoming “Avengers: Endgame” follow-up. Speaking with Decider, Stan acknowledged that he does not know how the highly anticipated movie ultimately came together.

“I haven’t seen the movie, and I don’t know how it turned out,” Stan said in comments reported by Variety. “I’m sure it’s going to be probably heartbreaking, in a lot of ways. We’ll see who makes it to the next level.”

Some fans have interpreted that ominous assessment as a suggestion that multiple characters could be killed off. However, Stan did not confirm any character deaths or specific plot developments, and his comments make clear that he has not watched the movie.

What the actor could speak about was the experience of returning to the set and working alongside familiar faces. Stan said he was able to “reunite with everyone,” turning the production into a reflection on the cast’s shared history.

“It was very nostalgic to look back and think about all of these years that we’ve known each other and grew up together,” he said. “It’s incredible in that way. It’s been a family, and it never stops being that way.”

The cast is still piecing together the story

Stan is not the only “Doomsday” cast member who remains uncertain about the film’s full narrative. Alan Cumming, who reprises his role as mutant superhero Nightcrawler, recently told SiriusXM that he had not completely worked out what happens in the movie.

“To be honest, I don’t fully understand the plot,” Cumming said.

Cumming first played Nightcrawler in 2003’s “X2: X-Men United.” Discussing his return for “Avengers: Doomsday,” he also revealed that most of his scenes were filmed “in front of a blue screen.”

The actors’ limited grasp of the complete story may be connected to the production process used by co-directors Joe and Anthony Russo. The filmmakers shot “Avengers: Doomsday” with an unfinished script, and Joe Russo told the Associated Press last month that they treat screenplays as evolving documents.

“We always view the script as a living organism,” Joe said. “We’re improvisation-based, rehearsal-based directors. We like to see what the actors bring to the characters, and sometimes you don’t get the actors until a few days or few weeks before you shoot them. And a lot of the time, that’s when the magic happens.”

That approach provides context for why performers may know their own scenes without having a complete picture of the film. For now, both Stan’s warning of possible heartbreak and Cumming’s uncertainty leave the larger “Doomsday” narrative undisclosed.

Stan’s return as Bucky Barnes

“Avengers: Doomsday” continues a screen run for Stan’s character that began with 2011’s “Captain America: The First Avenger.” His subsequent appearances have included “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” “Captain America: Civil War” and “Avengers: Infinity War,” along with other Marvel films.

Although Stan cannot yet say how his latest appearance turned out, his remarks point to a production shaped by long-running professional relationships. His description of the cast as a family also places the reunion at the center of his experience, even as the movie’s outcome remains unknown to him.

What Happens Next?

Stan’s latest film, “Fjord,” arrives in theaters Friday. “Avengers: Doomsday” is scheduled to premiere theatrically on Dec. 18, when audiences will learn whether his prediction of heartbreak proves accurate — and who, in his words, makes it “to the next level.”

ShowBiz Take

The cast’s uncertainty underscores how fluid the film’s production has been: an unfinished, evolving script, improvisation-based directing and blue-screen-heavy shoots left even returning actors without a complete view of the story. That makes their interviews less reliable as spoilers while offering a revealing look at the Russos’ creative process.

Stan’s emphasis on nostalgia, reunion and which characters may “make it to the next level” also frames “Doomsday” as a potentially consequential chapter for performers and characters connected across many years. Even without confirmed plot details, that emotional framing is already fueling fan speculation and reinforcing the film’s event status.