Who has the strongest friendship – Chris Evans and Sebastian Stan or their MCU counterparts Captain America and Bucky Barnes? Hailed as one of the most iconic duos in the MCU, Captain America and Bucky have appeared in a total of five films together, beginning with 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger and ending with Avengers: Endgame in 2019. Their friendship has played a key plot point in the MCU and even inspired “Stucky” – a fandom pairing that suggests their bromance might actually be more of a romance.
Chris Evans and Sebastian Stan, meanwhile, seem to genuinely like each other when they’re out of their superhero costumes. Making such an epic and long-running saga is no doubt a bonding experience and like many of their MCU co-stars, the pair demonstrate a real sense of camaraderie and look like they enjoy each other’s company off set. That said, Evans and Stan are actors so it could all be a façade. So, which pair is true friendship goals – the characters or the actors who play them?
Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes’ on-screen friendship dates all the way back to the 1940s when they were just a pair of whippersnappers eager to join the frontlines of World War II, and Bucky often found himself defending the weedy, pre-super soldier serum Steve. Even while Bucky was brainwashed, he still showed loyalty to Steve when he saved him from drowning at the end of Captain America: The Winter Soldier. That loyalty was returned when Cap stood by Bucky’s side as he healed from his brainwashing even as it caused a rift between him and Tony Stark. Cap and Bucky even have their own catchphrase – “I’m with you till the end of the line” – which is just about the sweetest thing ever.
While Chris Evans and Sebastian Stan haven’t had to fight Nazis, Tony Stark or Thanos together they nevertheless seem to have developed a genuine friendship while starring in the MCU. They’ve been known to shower each other with compliments during interviews, with Evans calling his co-star “the sweetest human being on the planet” and Stan returning the sentiment by stating “I love Chris, he’s awesome.” They’re supportive of each other’s work outside the MCU too: when Evans made his Broadway debut in the play Lobby Hero, Stan attended its opening night to show his support and when Evans was forced to drop out of Netflix film The Devil All The Time due to scheduling conflicts, rumor has it he suggested Stan replace him.
There’s plenty of evidence to suggest that Chris Evans and Sebastian Stan’s bromance continues when the cameras stop rolling. However, while their affection for each other is no doubt genuine, Evans and Stan don’t have quite the history and deep bond their characters share. For that reason, Captain America and Bucky Barnes have a stronger friendship – though Chris Evans and Sebastian Stan are friendship goals too.
