In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Sebastian Stan started out by playing Captain America’s best friend, Bucky Barnes. In the 15 years since the character’s onscreen debut in 2011, the Winter Soldier has become a fan favorite and a hero of his own. But when Stan’s MCU narrative was still in its infancy, he was immersed in the fairytale world of the ABC fantasy series “Once Upon a Time” playing another character with a tortured mind, the Mad Hatter.
“Once Upon a Time” is set in the fictitious Storybrooke, Maine, where fairytale fantasies meet modern reality due to a curse. Stan’s part as the Mad Hatter, whose civilian name is Jefferson, was a guest-starring role. His rendition of the classic fairytale character from Lewis Carroll’s “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” made his first appearance in Season 1, released in 2011, while his last appearance came in Season 2.
In a 2014 interview with Zap2it, Stan reminisced on his time as the Mad Hatter while doing press for “Captain America: The Winter Soldier.” He spoke of the fun he had with the character and the potential for where its storyline could go. “There’s so many possibilities there,” Stan said of the Mad Hatter/Jefferson. “One of the things those guys did so well — out of the many things — is they just reinvented all of those characters in a new way. They reintroduced them to a whole new generation. The Mad Hatter was never like that in just the cartoon. It remains to be seen.”
Once Upon a Time (and its spin-off) wouldn’t recast Sebastian Stan’s role
While Sebastian Stan only appeared in the first
While Sebastian Stan only appeared in the first two seasons of “Once Upon a Time,” the hit fantasy TV show aired on ABC for seven total seasons. It also had a 13-episode spin-off, “Once Upon a Time in Wonderland,” which was meant to feature Stan reprising his role as the Mad Hatter. But Stan’s time in that fairytale universe coincided with Bucky’s growing role in the MCU.
When speaking with Zap2it in 2014, Stan already mentioned that coming back to “Once Upon a Time” wasn’t “really on (his) radar.” When the Marvel star made such comments, “Once Upon a Time” co-creators Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis were already aware that Stan might be too busy to return. “We love Sebastian and we are probably the heads of the Sebastian Stan fan club, but he’s in demand,” Kitsis said in a 2013 interview with E! News. “We’re not the only ones that love him! Unfortunately, his schedule is nonstop.”
In the same interview, Kitsis emphasized that there were no intentions to recast anyone for “Once Upon a Time” or its spin-off, despite reports claiming Stan would be replaced. The shows stayed true to Kitsis’ word and didn’t recast Jefferson for further appearances.
