Sebastian Stan's 15 Best Movies, Ranked

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Sebastian Stan's career has seen him grow from having small roles in major movies to becoming a supporting player who steals the show to a legitimate star in some of Hollywood's biggest blockbusters. After appearing in films like The Covenant and The Education of Charlie Banks, Stan broke out with a recurring role on Gossip Girl as Carter Baizen, followed by parts in Once Upon a Time and Political Animals. It was in 2011 that he landed the role that changed his life going forward, portraying Bucky Barnes in Captain America: The First Avenger, a character he's still playing today.

Based on his recent projects, Stan appears to be fighting his MCU image. Though he is set to reprise his role as Bucky Barnes in Thunderbolts*, he is also receiving acclaim for recent performances like The Apprentice and A Different Man. Of note, Stan made appearances in critically-acclaimed movies like Black Swan and Black Panther, though those are only single-scene roles in Oscar-winning movies that barely feature him. It all comes together to give Stan an impressive resume of well-received movies that is still growing as he becomes more successful.

15 Dumb Money (2023)

As Vlad Tenev

The true story behind Dumb Money is a fascinating one and it brings together a star-studded ensemble to play all the unexpected characters in this tale. Paul Dano stars as Keith Gill, an ordinary guy who posts videos of his stock investing practices and tips. When he puts all of his savings into stock for the video game company Game Stop, it catches on with online investors, turning the stock into the hottest one in town and making so-called Wall Street experts take some dirty tactics to mitigate their own losses at the unexpected move.

Sebastian Stan takes on one of the most notable names associated with the scandal as Vlad Tenev, chairman of the commission-free stock trading website Robinhood who faced a lot of controversy in folding to hedge fund people and shutting down the Game Stop stock options on his app. Stan is excellent at playing the tech hotshot whose confidence quickly fades as the issue gets more serious. The movie is an entertaining and funny David vs. Goliath story that is amplified by the likes of Seth Rogen, America Ferrera, Pete Davidson, and Anthony Ramos.

14 Hot Tub Time Machine (2010)

As Blaine

Sebastian Stan doesn't get a lot of chances to show off his comedic side, but one of his earliest movie roles shows his underrated sense of humor. Hot Tub Time Machine is a silly and hilarious R-rated comedy that follows a trio of friends who return to the ski lodge where they spent their wild teen years. After partying in a hot tub, they find themselves transported back to the 1980s and back into their teen bodies where they have the chance to relive their youth.

Stan gets to play the villain of the movie, the uptight ski patrol bully, Blaine. Stan plays the role straight-faced, which makes it even funnier when he becomes convinced the main characters are Soviet spies simply because of his love of the 1980s action movie Red Dawn. The movie is packed with laughs as it blends time travel antics and R-rated shenanigans to great comedic effect.

13 Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

As Bucky Barnes

Sebastian Stan kicked off his move famous role of his career in Phase 1 of the MCU. Captain America: The First Avenger tells the origin story of Steve Rogers set in the 1940s as he gets the super-soldier serum and becomes a superhero. Stan plays an important role as Steve's best friend Bucky Barnes, who fights alongside him before tragically falling to his death near the end.

Many consider Captain America the best MCU trilogy, and like the majority of the franchise's films, Captain America; The First Avenger received positive reviews, including seven Saturn Award nominations. Stan and Evans immediately showed their strong on-screen chemistry and the action sequences were praised. While this entry in the trilogy features the least amount of Stan as Bucky, he helped to establish Bucky as a memorable character and a key part of Steve's life which was essential for projects to come.

12 Destroyer (2018)

As Det. Chris

The neo-noir crime drama film Destroyer stars Nicole Kidman as Erin Bell, an undercover police officer who goes on a vigilante spree against gang members after a case is blown. While Toby Kebbel and Tatiana Maslany have more prominent roles, Stan has high billing as Erin's former partner and FBI agent, Chris, with whom she also had a romantic relationship.

Destroyer is grittier than Stan's MCU movies, and it really allows him to show his range. However, the film mostly flew under the radar, though it did have critical praise and earned Kidman a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Drama. The size of the movie helped to show that, while Stan remained in the MCU, he was also interested in exploring small projects where he had the chance to work with very talented collaborators, like Kidman.

11 The Devil All The Time (2020)

As Lee Bodecker

While Sebastian Stan likely could have gotten a lot of leading roles following his MCU success, he initially gravitated towards supporting roles in large ensembles, like in The Devil All the Time. Based on the novel of the same name by Donald Ray Pollock, The Devil All the Time is a psychological thriller that proved to be a big hit for Netflix. Taking place in 1960s Ohio, the story follows several intertwining characters, including Lee Bodecker (Stan), a dirty cop, and Preston Teagardin (Robert Pattinson), a charming yet sinister preacher.

The Devil All the Time reunited Stan with his MCU costar Tom Holland but in a much darker and grittier story. It is a hypnotic and engrossing journey through the darkness of humanity with several standout performances. Stan shows his willingness to subvert audience expectations by playing a genuinely unlikable and evil man.

10 Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

As Bucky Barnes

At the time, Avengers: Infinity War was the biggest movie in the MCU. The film sees members of the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy come together to try and stop the Mad Titan Thanos from collecting the six Infinity Stones and wiping out half of all life in the universe. Along with strong reviews, Infinity War was a massive box office hit, bringing in over $2 billion (via Box Office Mojo).

Stan's role in this action epic is relatively small since there are so many characters included, but a key part in Bucky's MCU timeline is dying from Thanos's snap. Notably, Bucky is the first character to fade away after the snap and the look of disbelief on Steve's face as his friend vanishes drives home the emotion of the powerful ending of Infinity War.

9 Avengers: Endgame (2019)

As Bucky Barnes

A year after the cliffhanger ending of Infinity War, Marvel fans got their conclusion in Avengers: Endgame, which managed to be even bigger. This installment has the surviving heroes of Thanos' actions going on a heist through time to gather the Infinity Stones and bring everyone back, while a Thanos from 2014 opposes them. Like its predecessor, this was a huge hit grossing nearly $3 billion (via Box Office Mojo) and holding a 94% Rotten Tomatoes rating.

Bucky returns during the climactic battle against Thanos's army, gives an emotional goodbye to Steve, and accepts Sam as the new Cap, which sets up The Falcon and the Winter Soldier TV series. Again, in such a massive movie, Stan's role is relatively small but he remains a key part of this huge story that Marvel had been building for so long.

8 Fresh (2022)

As Steve

After years of playing the anti-hero Bucky Barnes, Stan has taken on roles that are purely villainous, with the most wicked being Steve/Brendan in Fresh. The Hulu original movie starts off as a romantic comedy where Steve woos Noa (Daisy Edgar-Jones) only to take a horrific twist when it's revealed that he's a butcher of human meat who kidnaps Noa to sell her body parts to rich cannibals.

Fresh was a critical success and became a pop culture hit, with a lot of the praise going toward Stan and Edgar-Jones' performances. Most impressive is Stan's heel-turn of a performance, turning this charismatic "perfect guy" into a nightmarish villain without it feeling inauthentic. The movie is gruesome and hard to watch at times, but it is also an entertaining and thrilling ride from beginning to end.

7 Logan Lucky (2017)

As Dayton White

After four years away from directing, acclaimed filmmaker Steven Soderbergh came out of retirement to helm Logan Lucky. The heist comedy tells the story of a family that attempts to rob the Charlotte Motor Speedway during a NASCAR race. Logan Lucky's success led to Soderbergh making several more movies in the years that followed. While the impressive cast sees Channing Tatum, Riley Keough, and Adam Driver play members of the Logan family, Stan is among the scene stealers as Dayton White, a NASCAR driver obsessed with fitness and being prepared for his races.

It is another smaller role for Stan, but one that shows off his hilarious comedic dead-pan skills that deserve to be featured in more movies. The movie itself is a true crowd-pleaser of a heist movie, feeling like a Southern version of Soderbergh's Ocean's movie franchise, filled with memorable characters, likable criminals, and a fun caper at the center.

6 The Apprentice (2024)

As Donald Trump

While The Apprentice was not a financial success for Sebastian Stan, it is quickly becoming one of his most talked-about roles. The Apprentice tells the strange and complicated story of the origins of Donald Trump, long before he became President of the United States, and the way he was mentored by lawyer Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong). As Trump was trying to make a name for himself in New York City's busy real estate world, Cohn taught him the tactics that would give him the personality he became famous for which perhaps led to his political success.

The true story of The Apprentice is a fascinating one regardless of what the audience thinks of Trump himself. However, this modern Greek tragedy is elevated by the performances, especially Stan in the lead role. He doesn't look or sound particularly like Trump, which makes it all the more impressive how he inhabits the role completely.

5 A Different Man (2024)

As Edward Lemuel / Guy Moratz

Sebastian Stan has further cemented himself as one of the boldest and most engaging actors in Hollywood right now with her performance in A Different Man. The psychological thriller stars Stan as Edward, an aspiring actor who is convinced that his facial disfiguration will prevent him from ever finding success in the industry. However, after undergoing a procedure to give him an entirely new face, the outcome is not what he had envisioned.

Stan is mesmerizing in the complex dual role required for the movie, commanding the entire story. Once again, he shows a willingness to take on characters that might not always be easy for the audience to connect with but have fascinating layers to them. Stan recently won the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for his performance.

4 Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

As Bucky Barnes

Non-comic book readers didn't expect Stan to return for Captain America: The Winter Soldier but he did in a big way. The sequel reveals that Bucky is not only alive but has been brainwashed and works as a super-soldier assassin dubbed the Winter Soldier, who is the film's main antagonist. Stan had more material to work with than in the first movie, and Bucky's relationship with Steve was moved to the forefront.

The movie is also a clever dive into Steve Rogers living in the 21st century and dealing with a new reality in which it is harder to tell who the villain is. Due to its political thriller aspects, Captain America: The Winter Soldier is widely considered one of the best MCU movies while also introducing key characters like Sam Wilson and Wanda Maximoff to the franchise.

3 The Martian (2015)

As Dr. Chris Beck

Stan is often at his best when working alongside other great actors in an ensemble piece, which was the case with Ridley Scott's The Martian. Based on a novel of the same name by Andy Weir, the film centers around astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) who is left behind alone on Mars after his crew believes he died. Although Damon doesn't share many scenes with other actors, Stan works with Jessica Chastain, Michael Peña, and more as Dr. Chris Beck, a member of the team in space.

The Martian grossed over $600 million (via Box Office Mojo) and won the Golden Globe for Best Picture - Musical or Comedy. Indeed, it is a movie with some surprisingly big laughs with Damon's winning performance and the large cast of characters seeking a way to bring him home. It is also a clever sci-fi story that is a celebration of rational thinking, cooperation, and perseverance in the face of overwhelming odds.

2 Captain America: Civil War (2016)

As Bucky Barnes

While the Civil War in the MCU is about team members having differing opinions on the Sokovia Accords, the emotional crux of Captain America: Civil War is the bond between Steve and Bucky. When Bucky is accused of a terrorist attack, Steve and some of his fellow heroes decide to stand by his side and take on Iron Man and the remaining Avengers. Steve ultimately risks everything, fights against his friends, and becomes a fugitive on the run by the end of the film, all to protect Bucky.

Stan gets to show different sides of Bucky as he deals with the consequences of his brainwashed actions in this movie, which surpassed $1 billion at the box office (via Box Office Mojo) and sets up the future of the MCU with new characters and the split of the Avengers. The fact that Bucky is at the center of a fight that pits the Avengers against each other showcases how important of a character he became in the MCU.

1 I, Tonya (2017)

As Jeff Gillooly

In I, Tonya, Stan gets to play a totally different kind of character as Jeff Gillooly, the real-life husband of controversial figure skater Tonya Harding, played by Margot Robbie in one of her best movies. The film takes a comedic approach to the story of Harding's life and the attack on her rival Nancy Kerrigan ahead of the 1994 Winter Olympics. Gillooly is an abusive and manipulative husband, giving Stan a new kind of villain to play.

I, Tonya was nominated for Best Picture - Musical or Comedy at the Golden Globes (losing to Lady Bird), while Stan held his own beside multi-award nominees Robbie and Allison Janney. He plays Gillooly as a grounded character, making it believable that he thinks he's the good guy, but also shows the deep flaws of this detestable man.