Sebastian Stan Reveals Marvel Kept ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Cast Working Without a Full Script

Marvel Studios has built an entire promotional culture around secrecy, training fans over the years to expect vague non-answers whenever cast members get asked about plot details. But even by Marvel’s own standards, the level of confidentiality surrounding ‘Avengers: Doomsday‘ appears to have reached a new extreme.

Sebastian Stan, who has played Bucky Barnes across fifteen years and eleven Marvel projects, has spent much of this year fielding questions about the upcoming crossover event without being able to offer much insight. That’s not because he’s been careful about spoilers, but because he genuinely hasn’t had the information to share.

According to Stan, the reason for his vagueness goes deeper than typical studio caution. Speaking to French newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche, Stan revealed that the production never actually gave him a complete script to work from during filming.

“Honestly, I have absolutely no idea because we didn’t even have a script,” Stan said, according to GamesRadar+. “We didn’t have a script. We were just shooting scattered scenes. It’s a different way of working, continuous, constantly evolving.”

Stan didn’t stop at describing the chaotic production process. He also explained that Marvel’s decision to withhold the full screenplay was intentional, designed specifically to keep actors from accidentally revealing plot details during press interactions.

“The producers didn’t want us to read it in its entirety, to avoid journalists asking us questions,” Stan continued. “I’ve been following this rule for fifteen years, I’m used to it.”

That level of secrecy tracks with other accounts circulating from the production. Reports have suggested Marvel took its confidentiality measures even further by reportedly circulating around fifty different versions of the script across the cast, a tactic that would explain why so many actors have given conflicting or deliberately vague answers when pressed about the plot.

Other cast members have echoed similar confusion. Alan Cumming, who plays Nightcrawler in the film, previously described the production as “superhero soup” given the sheer number of characters involved, noting that even reading the scripts was difficult since so many characters carried multiple names. He also revealed that certain characters were assigned secret code names specifically to prevent surprise cameos from leaking ahead of release.

This isn’t the first time Stan has found himself navigating a Marvel production without complete information. He’s previously spoken about facing similar confusion while filming ‘Avengers: Endgame,’ describing moments of genuine uncertainty about his character’s arc due to the same kind of restricted access to material.

That history suggests Stan has developed a certain comfort with Marvel’s unconventional workflow over the years, even as the scale of secrecy around ‘Doomsday’ appears to have escalated compared to previous projects. Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has previously described this ongoing script development process as part of the studio’s creative approach, referring to continuous rewrites during filming as “plus-ing” the material as production moves forward.

The same interview that touched on ‘Doomsday’s’ secretive production also confirmed another major role for Stan outside the Marvel universe. He acknowledged joining Matt Reeves’ ‘The Batman: Part II’ as Harvey Dent, marking his first major venture into DC territory while still actively juggling his long-running Marvel commitments.

“I also can’t say anything about The Batman: Part II, by Matt Reeves, where I play Harvey Dent,” Stan added, maintaining the same tight-lipped approach that’s defined much of his press circuit this year.

With ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ set to release on December 18, Stan’s comments offer a rare, candid glimpse into just how unpredictable the production process behind Marvel’s biggest crossover event actually was. Given how much mystery still surrounds the film’s plot, fans may simply have to wait for opening night to get the answers Stan himself didn’t have.

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