Don't Expect Bucky Barnes To Return In Black Panther

After the events of Captain America: Civil War, King T'Challa returns home to the reclusive, technologically advanced African nation of Wakanda to serve as his country's new leader.

"I am not in Black Panther", Stan told Good Morning America in the D23 Expo, seemingly anticipating the interviewer's question.

A lot of people would've hoped that Bucky would reconcile his differences with T'Challa and be a major player in Black Panther, but I think the movie wants to focus on T'Challa being able to handle himself first without any outside help from anyone.

Black Panther, which picks up after the events of Civil War, finds the new king pulled in all sorts of directions with numerous groups attempting to take the throne that he now sits on.

While it's sad to hear that Bucky won't be in Black Panther, it does make sense, as the movie already has quite a bit of ground to cover even without him present.

All joking aside, Stan did actually clarify that he is not in the film, despite Bucky now being held in cryosleep in T'Challa's (Chadwick Boseman) Wakandan palace.

However, his mettle both as king and as hero will be tested as he faces off against a number of foes, including the dissident Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan), who believes he can rule better than T'Challa, and the Vibranium poacher Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis), who presents a threat to the Wakandan way of life.

T'Challa will have plenty of support along the way, though, with Letitia Wright joining the film as Shuri, his tech-genius sister, and Angela Bassett playing his regal mother and advisor Ramonda.