For anyone who sorely misses spending time amidst the streets of Gotham City, Matt Reeves’ upcoming DC movie The Batman: Part II is the grimmest and most corrupt oasis imaginable, and I cannot wait for it to finally arrive in October 2027. After months of casting rumors and speculation, the director formally revealed the sequel’s new and returning cast members, setting in stone Sebastian Stan’s casting news that surfaced back in January. All signs seem to point to the MCU actor portraying Harvey Dent / Two-Face, but something is amiss.

A week after rumors suggested actors are playing different roles from what’s expected (including unfounded claims about Scarlett Johansson and Charles Dance’s characters), Stan actually spoke out about it himself when talking to Deadline about his latest Cannes debut, the drama Fjord. Here’s the extremely peculiar wording he used when describing his impending performance(s):

In Gotham City, where vigilantes and theatrical villains are a dime a dozen, it’s not uncommon for actors to think of playing costumed heroes and buttoned-up alter egos as different roles. But we’re almost always talking binaries in that sense: secret identity & hero / villain. In this case, the morally upward attorney Harvey Dent and the acid-burned, coin-tethered Two-Face. To say “many roles” is a heightening that sparks lots of lofty and unlikely ideas, at least in my own head.

But as much as I’d like to broaden my speculation borders for these purposes, the outlet presents Stan’s quotes within the specific context of portraying Two Face, even if the actor doesn’t use the villain’s name himself. Speaking about the hair and makeup teams that will be crafting his presumably iconic look, the Romanian star shared this:

At least those notions all add up and sound completely reasonable, without immediately inspiring ideas about Sebastian Stan playing other characters. Plus, the initial Two-Face concept shots were shared by the actor’s stylist, so this does all track well enough.

However, I'm still stuck on the "many characters," which could feasibly play into the fact that he's been training and bulking up for the film. While that's a common move for actors in superhero movies, Harvey isn't any kind of superbuff, weight-lifting lawyer when he gets disfigured, and Two-Face would almost always rather use a gun than his fists. So why is Stan getting so toned up?

Scarlett Johansson’s first look sparked theories about who she'll be playing, with many fans opting for Gilda Dent, who factors quite heavily into the comics' Long Halloween arc, which is an inspiration for Matt Reeves. And who better to play a married couple within the DCU than two MCU actors?

Could Stan be playing both Harvey Dent and his own father, Christopher Dent? That's the role Charles Dance was rumored for, but who knows? Maybe Stan will also play the doomed acrobat father of Dick Grayson, and that's why he's having to build up more muscle again, for all the trapeze work. That seems like a stretch, though.

I'm sure it'll be months before we get another quote that ramps up the speculation dial quite like that, but if fellow co-stars Brian Tyree Henry or Sebastian Koch have any of their own offbeat quotes to share about their characters, I'm all (cowl) ears.

The Batman: Part II is set to swoop into theaters on October 1, 2027.

While comic book fans can still look forward to one upcoming DC movie hitting theaters in 2026 — James Watkins’ creepy Clayface — we’re still sadly a ways off from reconnecting with Matt Reeves’ Gotham City. That said, The Batman: Part II is filming, and Reeves surprised the fandom by officially confirming some of the new and returning actors starring in the sequel. But no such confirmations were made regarding the new additions’ characters.

Obviously Robert Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne and other established Gothamites will be back for the second feature, but what of the latest recruits: Sebastian Stan, Scarlett Johansson, Charles Dance, Brian Tyree Henry and Sebastian Koch? Here’s a basic look at what roles fans are thinking these actors are set for, based in part on pre-confirmation rumors.

On the one hand, the assumptions above all make a certain amount of sense, in that none of the speculation seems bizarrely over the top. If someone was trying to say Scar-Jo is actually playing The Joker's daughter, that would be a tad too far for me to buy into it. But on the surface, everything above tracks.

So why didn't Matt Reeves go all the way by confirming each of the roles that the new actors will be taking on? Even if he was intent on keeping Henry and Koch's roles under wraps, surely it would have made sense to the filmmaker to give fans a bone by validating all the predictions and assumptions about the Dent family's casting. Maybe it's because we've been wrong this whole time.

Rumor Suggests Batman Part II Castings Aren't For Roles We Think

The second Reeves' posts started spreading without any specific corroboration about the roles Stan, Johansson and others were playing, I started to think that something was fishy about it all. And I'm not just talking about Oz Cobb's B.O.

Those pangs of disbelief were seemingly justified when noted Hollywood insider Jeff Sneider shared a possible inside scoop on the latest episode of The Hot Mic shared to YouTube. There, Sneider revealed the grain-of-salt update from one of his sources who claimed that the current casting assumptions are off-base.

Sebastian Stan's Role

The insider says Stan is set to play a villain that isn't Two-Face, but doesn't indicate what the role actually is (allegedly). That would absolutely make sense for why the actor has been bulking up recently, since there isn't much of a reason for Stan to bring his muscles to swole levels to play a lawyer. Getting half of one's face/body gnarled up by acid isn't a fast track to buff-dom, and though Two-Face has never been depicted as a weakling, he handles his problems via guns and henchmen, not fistfights.

Given Stan and Robert Pattinson's similar ages (43 and 40, respectively), a lot of fans (like myself) have been holding out hopes that the MCU star is joining Reeves' Bat-verse as Tommy Elliot, otherwise known as the mega-villain Hush. The Batman linked the Elliot family to the Waynes' murders, and The Penguin gave insight into Gotham City's Elliot Bridge and its namesakes. It'd be weird to lay out that groundwork with no payoff in Part II, but we obviously can't say for sure just yet where it's going.

Charles Dance's Role

The other claim made in the grain-of-salt email sent to Jeff Sneider is that Game of Thrones vet Charles Dance will be playing the father of Scarlett Johansson's character. Which one could take in several ways, especially if one believes Stan is playing Hush. So let's take a big swing here.

This switcheroo detail doesn't necessarily negate the previous belief that Dance is playing the father of the District Attorney who becomes Two-Face. It does, however, set up the idea that the Black Widow star could be portraying a gender-swapped version of Two-Face. Or maybe neither actor will be part of the live-action Dent family.

Scarlett Johansson's Role

If Scar-Jo isn't playing Gilda or a would-be Two-Face, could she be taking on the role of Andrea Beaumont, introduced as the titular vigilante in 1993's Batman: Mask of the Phantasm? That would probably get fans generally more pumped than a female Two-Face, especially if Dance would be locked in as Andrea's father Carl Beaumont.

I do still like the idea of Johansson playing The Long Halloween's take on Gilda Dent, given the sordid events that play out in that arc. But I wouldn't complain about seeing her as any of The Batman: Part II's villainous entities.

Sneider and host John Rocha also speculated about whether or not Brian Tyree Henry could be stealthily playing a race-swapped Harvey Dent and Two-Face, which sounds pretty fantastic to me. I'd take Henry as Batman as well. Or whatever role he wanted, really.

Hopefully we'll find out whether or not these speculation sessions were worthy of happening long before The Batman: Part II actually hits theaters on October 1, 2027.

Director Matt Reeves continues to share images from The Batman: Part II, and now we have our first look at Scarlett Johansson in her mysterious role. The internet has its guesses, and it looks like they've settled on her playing the spouse of an iconic Batman rogue.

As big names like Sebastian Stan are attached to this upcoming superhero movie, fans think they've cracked the code on Johannson's part in the DC movie. Take a look below at who many believe is Gilda Dent:

For those who may not be familiar, Gilda Dent is the wife of Harvey Dent. Her story is all over the place amongst her various appearances in DC Comics. The common thread is that her loyalty to her husband, even after his transformation into Two Face, is unwavering.

Keep in mind, none of this is confirmed. That said, there's plenty of chatter online about Scarlett Johansson's role. For the time being, it seems there's a small army of people convinced she's playing Gilda:

• That’s gilda dent alright - @Mandevil23
• Scarlett Johansson saying 'I Believe in Harvey Dent' is gonna be so iconic - @_CinemaHub_
• LETS GOOOOOOO. WELCOME GILDA DENT 🙏🔥🦇 - @TheBatmanSagaNW
• Gilda Dent is here and I’m already terrified for Harvey. - @HashimKhanoo7
• Welcome to Gotham, Gilda This cast is stacking impossibly good. Can’t wait for the Dent family drama in Reeves’ world - @al_saudigirl

People seem pretty convinced, but again, we don't know this is for sure who Scarlett Johansson will be playing in The Batman: Part II. That said, her short dark hair does seem to match up with the comic panels that people are sharing online.

This latest look arrives as conversation continues about which villains will appear in The Batman: Part 2. We already know Colin Farrell is back as Penguin, and many believe Sebastian Stan is playing Harvey Dent. There's also whispers of Barry Keoghan appearing as Joker, and the general snow theme surrounding the movie has people wondering if Mr. Freeze may show up as well.

All this to say, adding Scarlett Johansson on top of every other big name that is in the movie is wild. The Batman: Part II is not hurting for talented actors, and I wonder if a role like Gilda Dent could be too small for someone of Johansson's caliber in Hollywood. She has experience in the MCU as a superhero, so maybe her role could be closer tied to something like that?

We still have a long time to find out for sure, as The Batman: Part II is not showing up in theaters until October 1st, 2027. I'm curious to see how much we learn about all of these characters in the lead-up to the next adventure, and if this movie sets the stage for another follow-up.

The DCU is still in its infancy, but fans are excited for the upcoming DC movies that co-CEO James Gunn is crafting. But Matt Reeves' The Batman franchise isn't set within the shared universe, and therefore operates on its own rules. The highly anticipated sequel will feature Sebastian Stan as Harvey Dent/ Two-Face, and he's looking ripped while training for the forthcoming blockbuster.

Fans who spent years watching the Marvel movies in order know Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes, but he'll be pivoting over to the DC side of things for The Batman Part II. He's getting personal training from Rise Movement, who shared a photo of him fueling up over on Instagram. And the 43 year-old actor's arms are looking ripped, as you can see below:

Holy arms, Batman! It looks like Robert Pattinson's title character might have the odds stacked against him in The Batman Part II, because Harvey Dent is looking swole AF. We'll have to see how much action the actor gets into in the DC blockbuster, and if he actually transforms into the beloved Batman villain Two-Face. But he's clearly taking prep for the sequel seriously.

The comments section of the above post is filled with folks giving Stan his flowers for looking so ripped ahead of filming The Batman Part II. Plenty of folks are comparing him to Pattinson, who is much more slim than most of the Bruce Wayne actors. Although in his defense he was looking very fit in the first movie.

While we didn't actually get to see Sebastian Stan workout in this clip, we can see the fruits of his labor. Both his arms and chest are looking huge, so whatever regimen he's on seems to be working. We'll just have to wait and see if either the trainer or the actor himself put out some thirst traps on social media during their continued collaboration.

The Batman's sequel has been delayed a number of times, but anticipation has been buoyed thanks to its spinoff TV series The Penguin. James Gunn made it sounds like a new Bruce Wayne won't be introduced to the newly formed DCU until Matt Reeves' movie is released, so hopefully it still ends up hitting theaters as currently planned.

The Batman Part II is expected to arrive on the big screen on October 1st, 2027. Since it's not part of the 2026 movie release list, we'll have to practice some patience until the first footage from the highly anticipated title are finally released.

Even though it seems like fans will forever be at least 18-24 months away from ever experiencing Matt Reeves’ The Batman Part II, the highly anticipated sequel is coming together slowly but surely. And we’re at the point in the pre-production process where star Robert Pattinson is letting some teasy enthusiasm out while promoting his upcoming A24 movie The Drama, and it sounds like he really digs the script.

Speaking with Deadline in a clip shared on TikTok, Pattinson was asked what he could share about returning to the cape and cowl, and whether or not it the production was currently ongoing. Sharing that it’s expected to kick off in a couple of months, the Die My Love star also shared some carefully crafted thoughts about the script from Reeves and co-screenwriter Mattson Tomlin, and how this upcoming superhero movies will stand apart from everything else. In his words:

Obviously, Matt Reeves & Co. wouldn't take a years-long break between movies just to come back and serve up a warmed-over story that hits all the same beats we've seen before. But it still gets me pretty pumped to hear Pattinson share that praise regardless.

What could some of those big swings be that he's talking about? Let's go through some guesses, from the most likely to the least likely.

• The Batman Part II will be an entirely faithful adaptation of Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale's The Long Halloween miniseries, with Sebastian Stan and Scarlett Johansson as Harvey and Gilda Dent.

This idea is aligned with a lot of recent rumors and assumptions related to Scarlett Johansson's surprising casting, which preceded Stan joining the franchise by a month, and is based on previous reports that Reeves' sequel would dig into the all-time classic comic book arc.

The storyline includes Harvey going from a friend of Bruce Wayne's to a disfigured and vindictive foe, with his dutiful wife Gilda at his side. It's the likeliest arc adaptation of any, especially when tied into news of A-listers turning down the role of Christopher Dent, Harvey's father.

• The Batman Part II will introduce Dick Grayson and /or the entire Flying Graysons family.

Within Batman's long comic history, The Long Halloween is technically viewed through the prism of it being one of the biggest cases from his early days as a vigilante, which would obviously match up with how long he's been donning the Bat suit in live-action. As such, it's a bit too early for our brooding hero to become a suitable guardian for an orphaned ward. But answer me this: who's swinging bigger than a family of trapeze artists?

Live-action Robins are few and far between, and it might make sense for Reeves to want to give such an important mythos character as much time on the screen as possible for development purposes. I don't necessarily expect this one, given the myriad other new characters reportedly being introduced. But I do expect more of those particular breadcrumbs to be dished out.

• Barry Keoghan's Joker will hit Gotham City's streets as a sub-antagonist.

Within any Batman story, the Joker always looms as the largest and most potentially devious and deadly of everyone in Bats' rogues gallery. So in theory, what bigger swing might there be than introducing the Joker proper, but only having him take on a minor antagonist role, instead of being the big bad? That kind of storyline doesn't happen much in any DC media, so I wouldn't expect this movie to be the exception. But it could be a good way to build the villain's legacy up without turning him into a full-on monster from the jump.

• A multiverse is introduced that allows James Gunn to finally cast his own Batman.

Given that James Gunn wants to let Matt Reeves' Batman-fueled trilogy finish before introducing another Batman into the DCU proper, is it possible that Reeves' sequel could introduce its own multiverse concept that would allow Gunn to get his own Dark Knight cast without it being a confusing situation for fans? It seems less likely than other options, but maybe not as unlikely as "the DCU existing for 4+ years without a Batman reference.

Surely, The Batman Part II will astound audiences in ways I couldn't even hope to predict, so you know I'll be there with bat-bells on when it hits theaters on October 1, 2027.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is always expanding, thanks to exciting new projects hitting theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. Arguably the most anticipated upcoming Marvel movie is Avengers: Doomsday, which looks like an epic crossover event through the multiverse. There are countless theories and rumors about what will go down in that title, and the newest one claims Sebastian Stan's Bucky will get a brand new Wakandan weapon. And I so hope this is legit.

What we know about Avengers: Doomsday is limited, which is why folks online are filling in the blanks. Cinephiles who spent years watching the Marvel movies in order are hyped about seeing various teams of heroes collide: The Avengers, The X-Men, the Fantastic Four, and the New Avengers aka Thunderbols. Bucky is helping to lead the latter group, and per a rumor on Twitter, Stan's signature character will be wielding the claw shields that Steve Rogers used in Infinity War's Battle of Wakanda. The report claims:

This sounds pretty awesome, and a great way for Doomsday to connect to the previous Avengers movies. Bucky Barnes has a good relationship with the Wakandans, who gifted him with not only his metallic arm but the Vibanium wings that have been worn by Sam Wilson as Captain America. So it seems logical that the fictional country might hook him up with even more hardware for the impending battle against Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom.

This is just a rumor at this point, so we should probably take it with a grain of salt for the time being. But Sebastian Stan was confirmed to appear in the Doomsday cast announcement, making it even more believable. We'll just have to wait and see Bucky gets these new weapons when The Russo Brothers' blockbuster hits theaters this December.

When we catch up with Black Widow and Captain America in Avengers: Infinity War, they've been living on the lam. Steve dropped his signature shield after the final battle of Civil War, so he needed some new weapons ahead of fighting Thanos and his forces. T'Challa famously says "get this man a shield", in the midst of battle preparation and he was treated to two claw-like weapons from Wakanda.

The Captain America Doomsday trailer confirmed that Chris Evans would be back for the project, which is another reason why it might make narrative sense for Bucky to wield the same weapons that his best friend once did. Alas, we'll need to be patient to see if this rumor ends up being legit.

All will be revealed when Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on December 18th as part of the 2026 movie release list. Hopefully we get a full trailer for the project sooner rather than later.

The superhero genre continues to be wildly popular, with a number of shared universes in play. While DC co-CEO James Gunn is crafting a new franchise (with the first slate of projects titled Gods and Monsters), Matt Reeves' The Batman franchise is set outside of it. Fans are curious about how that property, which is streaming with a HBO Max subscription, will expand with the long-awaited sequel, and now there's another rumor about who Sebastian Stan is playing.

What we know about The Batman: Part II has been limited, especially since it's not expected to arrive until 2027. But fans are hyped about Sebastian Stan's role, especially since his stylist hinted he might be playing Two-Face. But fans are theorizing about him playing another iconic Batman villain: The Mad Hatter.

This rumor comes to us from ScreenRant, and it's pretty much entirely based on fan speculation. The idea is that given Reeves' reemerging of both The Riddler and The Penguin, that he might want to do the same with another creep Batman rogue. And while Two-Face would require extensive visual effects to bring to life, The Mad Hatter might be easier to pull off. And either way, Stan has the acting chops to pull off both roles.

In the Batman comics, cartoons, and video games, The Mad Hatter aka Jervis Tetch is a murderous villain who is obsessed with the Alice in Wonderland books. He specializes in mind control technology, which he uses to bring himself and his victims into Lewis Carroll's beloved world. Although his take on Wonderland is far more terrifying than the source material.

The Batman was a dark and gritty take on Gotham City, with Paul Dano's Riddler being perhaps the most terrifying take on that character yet. That's a big reason why fans think The Mad Hatter would be a great choice for the sequel; it could be a bold departure from the traditional take on the villain.

Of course, this is all just rumors and speculation at this point. And as previously mentioned, there is some evidence that Sebastian Stan might actually be playing Two-Face. But he hasn't been confirmed just yet, and fans are similarly curious about Scarlett Johansson's casting in The Batman: Part II. It should be interesting to see these two Marvel actors jump to DC, especially if they end up playing iconic characters from the comics.

Unfortunately, The Batman 2's delays might result in fans having to wait a while before information about what Matt Reeves has up his sleeve. Hopefully the filmmakers gives us more information sooner rather than later.

All will be revealed when The Batman: Part II hits theaters on October 1, 2027. Since it's not on the 2026 movie release list, smart money says fans will continue filling in the blanks until information is confirmed or denied.

While most fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe are focused on the upcoming Marvel movies, most notably Avengers: Doomsday, it’s worth also looking backward at some of the absolutely solid recent entries, specifically the MCU’s newest team, Thunderbolts*. It was one of the franchise’s best recent entries, with great action, surprising heart, and some solid comedic moments, not all of which, it turns out, were planned.

A post to Twitter from the official Marvel account includes an interesting piece of information that a hilarious Marvel moment from Thunderbolts* that’s in the final film wasn’t apparently planned. A scene went slightly wrong, but the cast just went with it sequence, and it turned out so well that it was kept in the final cut. Check it out.

The scene happens late in the film after the Avengers have had their first altercation with Sentry and been destroyed by him. The team leaves the former Avengers Tower in defeat, and Ghost is holding Bucky’s metal arm, which had been pulled off him in the battle. Apparently, Ghost was supposed to hand over the arm, but they missed that moment, leading Ghost to have to turn around and hand it back.

It’s a simple moment, but certainly a fun one, and a great shot to keep in the movie. To be fair, the group had just been through a lot, so the idea that Ghost wouldn’t really be thinking about the fact that she was carrying somebody else’s arm until it was brought to her attention makes perfect sense.

There are dozens, if not hundreds, of social media accounts that regularly post “Did You Know” style content, with interesting facts about movies, but as James Gunn recently showed us, not all of them actually contain accurate information. This one, since it came directly from Marvel, can at least be trusted that if the bit wasn’t scripted, then that’s the case.

We will see the Thunderbolts*, or as they have since been called, The New Avengers, again soon. The entire crew is confirmed to appear on the 2026 movie schedule as part of Avengers: Doomsday. While several teaser trailers have been released focusing on different characters, none of them are about the New Avengers, so we don’t really know how they will fit into the movie, although it’s likely that Thunderbolts* post-credits scene, which appears to show the Fantastic Four making the jump into our universe, is actually a scene from Doomsday.

I’m certainly looking forward to seeing more of this superhero team together. They clearly work smoothly together on screen, and we’re sure to get more great moments, whether they’re planned that way or not.

The superhero genre continues to have power in the entertainment industry, and while DC co-CEO James Gunn is crafting a new shared universe (with the first slate of projects titled Gods and Monsters), Matt Reeves' The Batman franchise is set outside of it. After Sebastian Stan was reported to have a mysterious role in that upcoming DC movie, fans think they figured out his role thanks to posts shared by the actor's stylist.

What we know about The Batman: Part II is super limited, especially since it isn't expected to hit theaters until 2027. But fans have been filling in the blanks with rumors and theories about what might go down, and they think a big tease came from Sebastian Stan's stylist, Michael Fisher. Namely because he started sharing photos of the actor as Harvey Dent/ Two-Face on Instagram Stories. One such post was pulled and posted on Twitter, check it out below:

Well, that certainly seems to send a message. While Stan's role hasn't been confirmed just yet, you can't blame fans for thinking that this was a hint that he'd be bringing Two-Face to life in Matt Reeves' Batman franchise (which is streaming with a HBO Max subscription). What's more, this isn't the only image of the iconic Batman villain that he's shared.

Fisher is super active on social media, often sharing photos and videos of his clients on his Instagram story. That includes Sebastian Stan, and yesterday he posted yet another image of what the Marvel alum might look like as Two-Face in The Batman: Part II. Check out the second image below:

Honestly, this is a pretty awesome image of what Stan might look like with Harvey Dent's signature facial scarring. The juxtaposition between his good looks on one side and Two-Face on the other shows that he could totally pull off playing the role. Now the question is: is Michael Fisher pulling our leg or teasing who his client will play in the highly anticipated DC flick? The news of both Scarlett Johansson and Sebastian Stan joining The Batman: Part II is thrilling, but there are a ton of questions about the details of their characters.

Only time will tell, but this image is getting fans excited and increasing the hype surrounding The Batman's sequel. While there will end up being five years between Matt Reeves' two movies, The Penguin was able to renew fan interest. Hopefully, we get official news about Stan's role sooner rather than later.

The Batman: Part II is currently expected to arrive in theaters on October 1st, 2027. Since it's not on the 2026 movie release list, we might have to try and be patient before any real information about the movie's contents are revealed to the general public.

Regardless of how many upcoming superhero movies are on the way, the biggest chunk of my focus is squarely drawn to any and all updates about Matt Reeves’ The Batman: Part II, which are now thankfully beginning to surface with something resembling frequency. Following the jaw-dropping news in December that Scarlett Johansson is being courted to Gotham City, a new report points to one of the actress’ former Marvel Cinematic Universe co-stars is also set to bounce from one comic book franchise to the next.

This is a big one, too, as Variety reports the Oscar-nominated Sebastian Stan is currently in talks to join Johansson and Robert Pattinson in the highly anticipated sequel that sadly won’t be among other 2026 movie releases. If this news is legit — this outlet certainly has a better track record than social media-based leakers — it’s another huge pull for Reeves & Co. on the casting front, and one can only imagine what role he’ll be playing in the upcoming DC movie.

Oh, let's go ahead and start up some of that imaginative guesswork right now! There's actually one role that seems more likely than any other at this point, though it's based on unconfirmed info. Reports surfaced in the past few days that Matt Reeves was casting for not just Harvey Dent, but also his villainous Two-Face persona. It's been expected that Dent would rise up in this sequel, though less clear whether or not he'd get to his signature coin flips already.

Obviously the timing of the reports plays a big part in connecting those dots, but how flipping awesome would it be to see Sebastian Stan in that iconic role? He's 100% smooth and domineering enough to pull off being a high-powered Gotham attorney, so he's got that look already down. Plus, he's also well-versed in donning a lot of specific prosthetics, as was the case for 2024's excellent dramedy thriller A Different Man. (That film co-starred Adam Pearson, the neurofibromatosis-diagnosed actor whose first role was in 2013's Under the Skin with Scarlett Johansson. It's all connected!)

If Reeves doesn't tap Stan to play Two-Face, I think it would be awesome if he was introduced as Tommy Elliot, better known to comic fans as the legend-status villain Hush. This is more of a reach, but I'd speculated about The Penguin easter-egging the Elliot family into this canon by way of the name of the bridge connecting the different parts of town. It's not like there's a lack of "brown-haired white guy" villains in Batman's rogues gallery, but I think Stan would be a perfect Tommy in particular.

Sebastian Stan has been a core part of the MCU for years now, first appearing in 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger and then ascending to the mainstage in the Winter Soldier sequel in 2014. He's appeared as Bucky in nine MCU films so far, with 2025 offering a double dose across Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts*. He's reprised the role twice on the small screen, in live-action forThe Falcon and the Winter Soldier and in animated form for Marvel's What If...?

Stan isn’t even done with the MCU at this point, as he’ll return to the role of Bucky Barnes for even more action in the star-studded Avengers: Doomsday from Anthony and Joe Russo. It’s unconfirmed whether or not he’ll also be back for Secret Wars, but moving to Gotham City could be an indication that Bucky won’t survive Doctor Doom’s arrival.

The Batman: Part II is gearing up for a spring production ahead of its release set for October 2027.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is known for consistently releasing new content, both in theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. Fans who spent years watching the Marvel movies in order have gotten a series of quality movies recently, including Jake Schreier's Thunderbolts*. The movie followed a scrappy group of antiheroes as they became the New Avengers, including Sebastian Stan's Bucky Barnes. He wants to do a sequel, and I'm so in on this idea.

Thunderbolts* won at the box office upon its release, and the cast of that titular team has already been confirmed with the Avengers: Doomsday cast announcement. During an appearance at Tokyo Comic-Con 2025 (via The Direct) Stan spoke about loving that crossover movie, offering:

Consider the gauntlet dropped. Stan would like to see Thunderbolts* become a full-blown franchise. But since a sequel isn't on the list of upcoming Marvel movies, fans might have to make their voices known and encourage the studio to give the scrappy team another movie. That is, if the group survives Doctor Doom's attacks in the next two Avengers flicks.

What we know about Avengers: Doomsday is limited, but fans are eager to see multiple groups of superheroes interact in the mysterious project. In addition to the Thunderbolts aka New Avengers, we'll also see the Avengers led by Sam Wilson, the Fantastic Four, and even the OG stars of the X-Men movies. There's no telling how these teams will interact, and if/how they'll get along to defeat a common enemy with Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom.

Sebastian Stan has been in the MCU since Phase One's Captain America: The First Avenger. So his passion for continuing the Thunderbolts* franchise speaks volumes; no one would blame him if he decided to retire as Bucky like so many of his co-stars. We've seen as Scarlett Johansson, Chris Evans, and Robert Downey Jr. concluded their runs as their signature characters... although the latter is set to return to the MCU as Doctor Doom.

Thunderbolts* was one of my favorite Marvel movies in years, thanks to its relatable story, ensemble cast, and contained narrative. That's why I'd also love to see a sequel come about, especially now that the team's interpersonal dynamics are established. Luckily we'll see them back on the big screen shortly.

Thunderbolts* is streaming on Disney+ and Avengers: Doomsday will arrive in theaters on December 18th of next year as part of the 2026 movie release list. Hopefully the New Avengers survive and get a second movie all about them.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is always expanding, thanks to new projects arriving in theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. Fans who spent years watching the Marvel movies in order have a ton of love for its characters, especially longtime ones that originated back in Phase One. That includes Sebastian Stan's Bucky Barnes, who has gone from her to villain and back again. Although his recent comments about the MCU have some fans worried he might be killed off soon.

What we know about Avengers: Doomsday is limited, but Stan is one of many actors who are confirmed to appear. The Russo Brothers are back in the director's chair, and fans are wondering what characters might be killed after how many fatalities were in Infinity War and Endgame. While appearing on the Stronger podcast, Stan spoke about this time in the MCU, sharing:

While Stan gushed about his years in the MCU, a few aspects of these comments gave fans reason to pause. To start, the fact that he's saying playing Bucky was only "step one" has some fan worried he's already looking forward to what's next, outside of upcoming Marvel movies.

Another reason why the above comments have some fans wondering about Sebastian Stan is because of how he's referring to the his MCU career in the past tense. He talks about what it "was" rather than what it "is". Is he subtly signaling the end of his time playing Bucky?

All of this is just a theory at this point, but there's been precedent for lots of MCU deaths in the Avengers movies. In the Russo Brothers' last two titles, they put the kibosh on a ton of characters including Heimdall, Loki, Gamora, Black Widow, and Iron Man. Plus they (temporarily) killed half of all living things. So it would be shocking if no big deaths happened in Doomsday and/or Secret Wars.

On the other hand, Bucky did recently get involved in a new superhero tame. Namely The New Avengers. The ending of Thunderbolts* saw the motley crew announced as the New Avengers, and the full team was confirmed in the Doomsday cast announcement. So it's also possible that Stan isn't going anywhere, and will remain as one of the leaders of that group. We'll just have to wait and see how it all shakes out.

Sebastian Stan's tenure in the MCU is streaming now on Disney+ and he'll appear in Avengers: Doomsday when it hits theaters next December 18th as part of the 2026 movie release list. Hopefully they don't kill off Bucky!

In her most recent appearances in the vast Marvel multiverse, Tessa Thompson's Valkyrie has been making some fun and/or unexpected connections. On the big screen, she last appeared in The Marvels, giving sanctuary to a collection of Skrulls following up a call from Carol Danvers, and on the animated Disney+ series Marvel Zombies, we recently got to see her hang out with Kamala Kahn, Blade, Shang-Chi and more. At this point, any character crossover with the ruling king of Asgard seems possible – but if it were up to Thompson, she would apparently dig a team-up with The Winter Soldier in an upcoming Marvel project.

The talented actress recently did an interview on Collider Ladies Night, and she was asked about her future in the Marvel Cinematic Universe – specifically in regard to what character she would like to see get paired up with Valkyrie in a story. She admitted that she wasn't quite sure how the dynamic would play out between the Asgardian warrior and Bucky Barnes, but she apparently would be quite excited to team up on screen with Sebastian Stan. Said Thompson,

Like Valkyrie, Winter Soldier has also been quite active as of late and meeting some very interesting new people. He's had two big screen appearances this yeah, and not only has it been revealed that he is an elected official (he is now representing Brooklyn in Congress) , but he is also part of a brand new super team: the New Avengers.

Like Tessa Thompson, I too would simply love to see how the talents of the actress match with those of Sebastian Stan on screen, but I can also imagine Valkyrie and Bucky making a badass pair. They have very different backgrounds as far as their personal origins are concerned, but not to be ignored is that they share a common bond through their experience as soldiers. They are both tough cookies who know how to get the job done when they are in a fight, and it would be pretty awesome to see them both bond and fight back-to-back.

Is it possible we'll see it happen? That answer is unclear. While it's been made official that Sebastian Stan will be a part of the monster ensemble of stars who will be in 2026's Avengers: Doomsday, Tessa Thompson's name wasn't one of the names featured when the blockbuster's cast was announced earlier this year. That being said, it's entirely possible that her appearance in the capstone film is being kept under wraps for now, and even if she doesn't end up being in that movie, the door is still wide open for her to play some kind of role in 2027's Avengers: Secret Wars.

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. A brilliant scientist with a big laboratory and access to corpses tries usurping God’s role as life provider. (Thanks for not actually stopping me.) The Frankenstein mythos has seemingly been adapted as many times as there are pages in Mary Shelley’s original novel, with Guillermo del Toro’s dark and emotional take set to stream via Netflix subscription. Now, it appears MCU vet Sebastian Stan is set for a newly crafted take that’ll be a unique entry amongst other upcoming horror movies.

This version of Frankenstein sounds like it could truly stand apart from both highly faithful versions and from the more radical interpretations, thanks in large part to it coming from Romanian writer/director Radu Jude. The filmmaker is currently on the promotional trail for his latest feature, a nearly three-hour version of Dracula, where sucking on other body parts — wink, wink — is just as prominent as the expected neck-centric bloodletting. It already sounds like a Top 5 contender for most bonkers Dracula movies, so I’m hopeful Frankie enjoys a similarly big swing. (Here's one review that addresses the zaniness.)

Jude, who is perhaps best known for directing other 2021’s Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn and 2023’s Do Not Expect Too Much From the End of the World, hails from Romania, the home country not just of Vlad Dracul, but also of Sebastian Stan. The duo apparently spoke previously about finding the right project to collaborate on, according to THR, and Jude revealed the project amidst his vampire film’s world premiere at the Lorcana Film Festival, saying:

Nothing too mysterious about that title as far as main characters and central locations go, and it doesn’t hint at anything too out of the ordinary. However, this dude doesn’t deliver by-the-books cinema, so expect some of the most darkly comedic and absurdist moments of any Frankenstein movie.

The storyline will reportedly mesh the traditional legend of the misunderstood behemoth with the true-to-life past existence of a hush-hush CIA prison that was located in Romania. Where is the story going to go from there? Will dead prisoners’ body parts be used to create the monster? Will Victor Frankenstein be a corrupt prison warden? How high up the black hat ladder does this operation go?

Stan, who’d relatively recently shaved his head for a new role, liked Jude’s pitch for the Frankenstein-centric story, and the director believes the actor will take on dual roles as both Victor Frankenstein and his makeshift monster. 2024’s A Different Man showed off Stan’s performance-shifting skills, as well as his ability to deliver a realistic performance beneath abundant prosthetics. So I’ve no doubt he’ll bring the goods no matter how many characters he plays.

It’s unclear if Frankenstein in Romania will be written and filmed in time for the 2026 movie schedule, as the director next aims to film a smaller-scale story about a Romanian woman who leaves her young daughter to work for a family in France.

But consider this: during the production of Dracula, Radu Jude and several of the horror film’s cast members simultaneously filmed Kontinental ‘25, a comedy-drama about his country’s housing crisis and middle-class struggles. That movie debuted earlier in 2025 at the Berlin Film Festival, where its screenplay won the Silver Bear.

With Maggie Gyllenhaal’s The Bride! also hitting theaters in 2026, I wonder how well that will work paired up with Frankenstein in Romania for an offbeat horror double-feature.

Warning: SPOILERS for Thunderbolts* are ahead!

Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes has been part of the MCU stretching back to Captain America: The First Avenger, and up until this year, we’d only seen the character either fight as one of the good guys or forced to kill as a brainwashed HYDRA assassin. Then the 2025 movies schedule delivered Thunderbolts*, which showed Bucky as a United States Congressman. For those who were surprised to see Mr. James Buchanan Barnes elected to public office, Joanna Calo, who co-wrote Thunderbolts*, made a solid point about him running for Congress that makes a lot of sense.

In a conversation with Marvel.com, Calo mentioned how she was drawn to the idea that “ Bucky is still genuinely trying to figure out how to make the world a better place, but he doesn’t fit in.” After all the decades of torment and cruelty he endured at HYDRA’s hands, she still “hasn’t really fit into life” and “always been out of time,” which is what pushed him to Congress. Calo continued:

Bucky is definitely out of his element for the brief time we see him actually carrying out his Congressional duties in Thunderbolts*. That said, I do agree with Joanna Calo’s point that people would vote for him. While The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (available to stream with a Disney+ subscription) showed Bucky still being able to maintain a relatively low profile, if his heroic efforts and ties to the Avengers were revealed to the public between then and his cameo in Captain America: Brave New World (when it was mentioned he was running for Congress), then of course people would want someone like him representing them.

I’d like to think that given enough time, Bucky Barnes would acclimate to being a politician; one who truly cares about helping the citizens of the United States. However, I’m not so sure we’ll be seeing him back in Congress again. The Thunderbolts* ending showed the team becoming the New Avengers, and they’re still together 14 months later during the Marvel movie’s end credits scene. I can’t see how Bucky could effectively split his time between his Congressional duties and making sure the New Avengers are running smoothly.

But hey, if there’s a way to make that balancing act work, I’m ready to see it! The earliest that can happen is when Avengers: Doomsday is released on December 17, 2026, as the New Avengers will be fighting alongside the original Avengers, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, the Wakandans and various other characters.

Critics praised Thunderbolts* (or The New Avengers), and I’m a fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe-set flick as well. As fun as this particular 2025 movie schedule entry is though, what I’ve really enjoyed is the press tour, during which the stellar cast has been sharing fun, BTS secrets. That habit of divulging tidbits was even exercised by Sebastian Stan at the film’s red carpet premiere, as he called out colleague David Harbour’s “nut” obsession. And, believe it or not, this isn’t the first time an MCU star has referenced a co-star’s love of nuts.

It’s not out of the ordinary for actors to field fun questions at a movie premiere, but I’m not sure who could’ve predicted that nuts would come up on the Thunderbolts* red carpet. Sebastian Stan – who plays Bucky Barnes in the movie – was asked about secret fun moments from the set. In the video, which was shared to Instagram by Marvel Studios, Stan recalled Alexei Shostakov actor David Harbour apparently stuffing cashews and almonds into his costume. Separately, Harbour humorously addressed his “addiction”:

Can we blame the actor for being so big on nuts, though? As he said, they provide protein, and I know that I occasionally enjoy some good salted peanuts. I can honestly relate to the Stranger Things actor in regard to having an “addition” of some sort to a certain kind of food. (I may or may not have an unhealthy obsession with Sour Patch Kids, but that’s a conversation for another day.)

As a whole, this discussion over nuts is just another keen example of the camaraderie that appears to exist amongst the Thunderbolts* cast. It’s been particularly enjoyable for me to watch David Harbour and the “cranky and handsome” Sebastian Stan mix it up over the past several weeks. Ironically, I actually wanted their newest MCU film to further explore the relationship between their characters. I’m not sure that’ll happen in upcoming Marvel movies but, at the very least, I’m glad the actors themselves have such a jokey relationship.

It’s really funny how things work out because, several years ago, Anthony Mackie (lightly) called out Sebastian Stan, in a way. The always-jovial Mackie provided a bit of advice for David Harbour in regard to working with Sebastian Stan. Mackie surmised that in order to get in good with a “nice” guy like Stan, you give him “some almond butter” and then chat with him a bit. The irony of a situation like this coming back around is certainly nutty. (I’m sorry, the pun was right there, and I had to go for it.)

All three of the aforementioned actors are all a part of the much-anticipated Avengers: Doomsday, which is set to open in theaters in 2026. Of course, at this point, it’s unclear just how much the trio will work together amid production on the massive blockbuster. However, there’s a firm chance they could share some very funny moments during the eventual press tour. Oh, the funny secrets that are sure to get spilled then.

I wouldn’t be surprised if David Harbour’s nut addiction or Sebastian Stan’s apparent fondness for almond butter come back into play at some point. And, even if that doesn’t happen, I still chuckle at the thought of the two actors chopping up about any humorous topic while promoting an upcoming movie together.

Check out Thunderbolts*, which is playing in theaters nationwide now. Also, grab a Disney+ subscription to stream various MCU movies and TV shows.

The Avengers always had each other's backs in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it seems that’s no less true off the screen. Scarlett Johansson just came to the aid of fellow Avenger Sebastian Stan, sharing the way she feels one of his films last year was treated unfairly by Hollywood.

2024 was a great year for Sebastian Stan with two awards caliber roles, one in the drama A Different Man and the other in The Apprentice about the rise of the current President of the United States. Johansson, who is no fan of the sitting President, pointed out in an interview with Vanity Fair that despite the fact that Stan some awards consideration for the film, it was otherwise “buried” by studios. Johasson said…

There’s certainly some evidence to back up Scarlett Johansson’s claims that Hollywood "buried" The Apprentice. The film famously found trouble finding distribution. It seemed none of the major studios wanted to be involved in the film. It was eventually picked up by small Briarcliff Entertainment.

The Apprentice reviews were solid and the movie would receive several award nominations, mostly on the strength of the performances of Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong as Donald Trump and Roy Cohn, who both saw Oscar nominations. However, it would fail to win any major awards and would gross less than $20 million worldwide.

While many, if not most, Oscar-worthy dramas are not box office smashes, they usually do better than The Apprentice. Best Picture winner Anora's global box office take is just short of $60 million, which certainly isn’t a lot of money in the grand scheme of Hollywood, but it’s three times what The Apprentice did, and The Apprentice at least had a major name in the lead.

The Apprentice certainly isn’t kind to Donald Trump, and thus Scarlett Johansson thinks the studios were afraid of the movie because if one of them picked it up, they might face repercussions. Nobody knew at the time of the film’s release if Donald Trump would become President again, but the possibility certainly existed.

If that happened, the possibility of some sort of punishment was certainly real. Trump has called out Saturday Night Live for its impression of him before. Even the film's stars tried to downplay the political elements of The Apprentice.

Johansson’s personal politics are certainly opposed to this specific instance of studios being afraid of a movie for political reasons. Still, even if the politics were reversed, the broader point is a valid one. Oftentimes it’s the job of a work of art to challenge authority. If that’s being actively avoided, it’s a problem.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe a big place, thanks to the constant release of new projects in theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. Fans who spent years watching the Marvel movies in order will recall that actor Sebastian Stan has been there since Phase One as Bucky Barnes, with his tenure as the character still ongoing. Although he did admit that filming Avengers: Endgame without a full script was challenging at the time.

Stan recently returned as Bucky in Thunderbolts*, which has been successful in theaters and with critics. While we got all the information he needed for that movie, Infinity War and Endgame were top-secret operations. When appearing on an episode of the Happy Sad Confused podcast, the Apprentice actor was asked if he ever has do act in the MCU without context of what's happening in-universe. He said:

That certainly sounds challenging. While Stan has limited screen time in Endgame thanks to Bucky being snapped out of existence during Infinity War. He was not one of the actors who got a full script, so he had to bring his scenes to life without understanding the context of the movie as a whole. Marvel security really is intense.

At that point, The Russo Brothers had already proven themselves as some of the best filmmakers in the MCU. Aside from Captain America: The Winter Soldier, they brought the ambitious story of Civil War to life and proved their ability to balance a large ensemble cast. So there was lots of good will when they were withholding scripts from the cast, even if that's not how Sebastian Stan likes to work.

I have to wonder which sequences Stan is particularly referencing. Tony Stark's funeral comes to mind as some of the cast confirmed this was a mystery scene ahead of cameras going up. So it's not like they had a long time to rfine their performances ahead of time.

Another memorable scene for Bucky in Endgame was Steve Rogers' ending. He said goodbye to his friend as he departed to return the Infinity Stones (and Mjolnir) to their places in the timeline. And then he was as surprised as fans were when Steve returns as an old man.

Stan can be seen in Thunderbolts* now as part of the 2025 movie release list. He's already confirmed to appear in Avengers: Endgame on May 1st, 2026. Hopefully they give the poor guy a full script this time around.

While you can absolutely see Sebastian Stan with Bucky Barnes’ more classic haircut in the latest of Marvel's new movies, Thunderbolts*, you may have noticed the actor has been flaunting no hair at all during the movie’s global press tour. As it turns out, there's a specific reason behind Stan going bald.

Why Has Sebastian Stan Been Bald For The Thunderbolts* Press Tour?

While I just assumed Sebastian Stan was tired of dealing with hair maintenance and decided to shave all his hair off for the warmer months, that’s not the case. Amid Thunderbolts* getting raves from critics, including one in own Thunderbolts* review, here’s why he’s currently rocking the look:

Stan was asked by Extra TV about his bald hairdo (or lack of hairdo… that is) when he was at the Los Angeles Thunderbolts* premiere this week. Per the actor, he jumped from working on the set of a movie called Fjord over in Norway to reuniting with his Thunderbolts* co-stars to promote the new release.

From what we know about Fjord (per Cineuropa), the upcoming movie comes from acclaimed Romanian filmmaker Cristian Mungiu, who’s making his first English-language feature with this drama. The movie is reportedly about two families living in a small, remote Norwegian village, who start to connect but end up forming a tumultuous relationship. Stan (who is Romanian himself) will play a Romanian expatriate living in Norway.

And while speaking to the outlet, the journalist complimented the actor before asking him if being bald has its perks. In his words:

Oh, and he was also asked what his girlfriend Annabelle Wallis thinks of it. He joked that “she’s seen a lot worse, don’t worry” before walking away and moving down the carpet. Knowing what’s up with Sebastian Stan’s hair definitely has me interested in what acting work is on the way for him… and one other thing.

Now I'm Wondering If It Will Grow Back In Time For Avengers: Doomsday

Avengers: Doomsday production is currently underway, and Sebastian Stan is among the cast that was announced through a viral livestream of chairs. During the same interview, he spoke about when he might join the cast:

Well, that’s exciting! He must be anxious to join the star-studded cast, which recently took a field trip to watch Thunderbolts* as they start filming. But given how tight his schedule is, will he have time to grow out his hair, or will Bucky be wearing a wig for Doomsday? The actor usually does a wig anyway, but he has grown it out before for the part.

Given he’s completely bald and it’s currently May, I’m guessing the latter, but we’ll have to see once the Avengers: Doomsday release date rolls around next summer. For now, you can check out Thunderbolts* in theaters now.

While most MCU fans are already looking forward to upcoming Marvel movies like the Fantastic Four and the return of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in Avengers: Doomsday, there is another team waiting in the wings with Thunderbolts*. The new team of Marvel cast off anti-heroes looks to be a rougher around the edges team of heroes, but with everything I see, the movie is getting more and more interesting.

The cast of Thunderbolts* is already strong, with Florence Hugh and Sebastian Stan leading a team of Marvel’s anti-heroes. As with any superhero movie, we can expect lots of amazing digital effects to make the impossible come to life, but what’s exciting about this film is just how much of it was shot practically. Video footage shot on an iPhone by director Jake Schreier and posted to Instagram shows that a lot of the stunts and action were done in camera.

We already knew that Florence Pugh jumped off the second-tallest building in the world for Thunderbolts*, but the footage here reveals that a lot of the action, from cars flipping over to furniture flying around to vehicles being smashed by concrete, was also just as real.

As a lover of practical effects, this has me even more pumped up to watch Thunderbolts* this weekend. Anything we see in this clip could have been done digitally instead. It arguably would have been easier to do so, but it would not have looked this good.

Digital effects can be incredibly realistic, a lot of the time, and they’re useful and creating things that simply can’t be done any other way, but nothing looks more ”real” than the real thing. Practical stunts take time and effort to properly stage, but the end result is almost worth whatever time and money it costs. It makes the movie better.

The nature of superhero cinema is such that CGI is going to be necessary and pervasive. Within Thunderbolts* , you have Ghost, a character who can disappear and reappear at will, and showing that on screen is going to need a computer, but the rest of the team don’t have magic or crazy science fiction powers. It’s a team of mostly regular people, so it makes sense that the action is handled in as realistic a way as possible.

Since we already know that the cast of Thunderbolts* will have roles to play in Avengers: Doomsday, what happens in this movie will likely be quite important for those following the larger MCU story. That may help aid the movie’s box office performance, but whether or not the movie is a hit, it’s clearly going to look amazing.

Here at CinemaBlend, it feels like we’ve been covering just about every Marvel movie in order over the years. When we look back, there’s actually been so many hilarious moments that have happened during our exclusive interviews, especially ones that we file under the chaotic good category.

Before I get into some of our favorite moments more in depth, check out this amazing compilation our video team put together that sums up every time the Marvel’s Avengers were “absolutely unhinged.”

The MCU often delivers serious superhero movies, but this video proves how hilarious this massive cast can really be. Let’s delve into the context of some of these a bit more now…

Tom Holland Asking Jacob Batalon To Do The Iconic Spider-Man Kiss Scene Was Too Good

It should, of course, be noted that a lot of times when we conduct these interviews for Marvel movies, it’s one of the few instances where we don’t get to see the whole movie. So we have to be a lot more creative than usual, and so does the talent.

One hilarious moment at the Spider-Man: No Way Home junket was when Tom Holland, Jacob Batalon and Zendaya were asked about which scene from other great Spider-Man movies they would want to recreate and Holland said he wanted to do the upside down kiss scene with Batalan. This led Zendaya to quip this as the boys held hands and walked away:

This moment is especially funny because we all know its Holland and Zendaya who are the ones who are together between the three of them. We can’t wait for this trio to hopefully be back together for the upcoming Spider-Man 4 movie.

That Time James Gunn Called Out Chris Pratt For Eating Oatmeal

Another highlight from the video we can’t not talk about is Chris Pratt straight up eating oatmeal while talking to us about Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 with writer/director James Gunn. Thank goodness Gunn called out Pratt because we weren’t going to. Plus, it just shows how close the pair are. You can check out us playing trivia with them on YouTube!

We’ll Never Forget The Time We Gave The Avengers An Infinity Gauntlet

The clip also features a lot of moments from the time we brought an Infinity Gauntlet to the Avengers: Infinity War press junket back in 2018, and it was the best mistake ever. Anthony Mackie, in particular, could not stop playing around with it, whether it was raising up the bird or leaning his head on it. Cumberbatch also had too much fun with the whole thing.

Or When Ryan Reynolds Claimed His Career Was Ruined In A Single Interview

Our last memorable go-around on the Marvel movie front was for Deadpool & Wolverine when we had Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman I.D. their real-life variants via old photos of them from throughout the years. Seeing their reactions was just priceless!

Watching this back definitely has us excited for all the upcoming Marvel movies in the future we’ll see and do interviews for. Stick with us here on CinemaBlend for more Marvel news and interviews! We’re huge nerds for the cinematic universe, so we’re always talking about it.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is all about giving fans incredible superhero action. Some of the biggest action scenes in recent memory have come from Marvel movies. Hearing the cast of Thunderbolts* talk about one sequence in the upcoming Marvel movie, it sounds like it could have a contender for coolest action scene of the year, but apparently, actually filming it was far from cool.

If you’ve seen the Thunderbolts* trailers then you’ve certainly seen a sequence that has the main Thunderbolts* cast driving through the desert in a car, when Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes comes up behind them on a motorcycle. This is part of a major action sequence that David Harbour tells Fandango is an “incredible” one. But apparently it was quite silly to film. He explained…

When we see the action scene in the movie next month, it will surely look incredibly cool. The Winter Soldier, arguably one of the coolest characters in the entire MCU, will show us all just what a badass he is. The sequence certainly looks in the trailers to be incredibly exciting.

But now I just know that when I’m sitting and watching Thunderbolts*, I’m going to be sitting there watching Bucky the entire time. Or more specifically, I’m going to be watching his hair and trying to figure out which shots are of Stan and which are of the stunt rider. If I am actually successful, I’m going to likely ruin the scene for myself because I’ll notice the wig.

Tom Cruise may insist on doing all his own stunts, but there’s a limit when it comes to many other actors doing theirs. It sounds like this Thunderbolts* scene had some very specific motorcycle stunt work. That sort of thing would have likely meant a long period of teaching Stan in order to do it, and Marvel movies are very much a machine that probably don’t have time for that.

Thunderbolts* will have at least one other major stunt sequence, as we know Florence Pugh's Yelena will be jumping off the second-highest building in the world. Pugh did some of her own stunt work here as well, though she says she had to fight for it.

If I’m lucky, I won’t even notice the strange Bucky wig, which will be a testament to the digital effects masters and the cinematographer that the sequence was seamlessly put together. Even if I can see it, the scene will hopefully end up blowing me away so much that I won’t even care.

From all accounts, many of the various stars of the Marvel Cinematic Universe have become good friends in real life. A great deal of that may have taken place during the production of Captain America: Civil War as Robert Downey Jr apparently invited much of the cast to lunch, though Sebastian Stan didn’t get an early invite for… reasons.

A clip from the press conference back when Captain America: Civil War was released has recently gone viral on Instagram, which includes members of the cast discussing that Robert Downey Jr. would occasionally invite other members of the cast to lunch. Downey apparently had a very nice trailer set up, which Anthony Mackie says made the invite very coveted, and he was jealous when Daniel Brühl got the call. Mackie said…

Exactly what the other actors had to do to get invited isn’t clear, though it sounds like everybody got invited at least once. Daniel Bruhl says when he first met Robert Downey Jr. the Iron Man actor asked him what allergies he had, making the new member of the MCU very confused.

Sebastian Stan it seems did get invited to RDJ’s table at some point, but it took longer than it might have. Downey says Stan sent him a video of the Team Cap member working out that scared Downey a bit. He explained…

Maybe this is why everybody inside the MCU is so excited that Robert Downey Jr. is returning to play Doctor Doom. Since he’ll be back in Avengers: Doomsday, maybe that means the return of the RDJ Lunch Hour. It sounds like the actor ate quite well and was more than happy to share that with the rest of the cast.

There simply hasn't been a star on his level since he left the MCU. Perhaps that's part of the reason that the recent movies have been seen as struggles. Fans may not be as excited without that star power. Though I'm sure Brie Larson would be happy to buy everybody lunch, too.

Of course, we’re expecting the cast of Avengers: Doomsday to be quite large. Hopefully there will be enough shooting days with Downey on set that everybody will get at least one good lunch.

A team of anti-heroes and former or even current supervillains who must work together to complete a mission for the United States government. Sound familiar? That’s the core premise behind DC Comics’ Suicide Squad, which has been spotlighted in two theatrical movies, and it also lines up nicely with Thunderbolts*, the next of the upcoming Marvel movies. However, if you ask Sebastian Stan, who’s reprising Bucky Barnes in this 2025 movie release, we shouldn’t be comparing the MCU’s Thunderbolts to the Suicide Squad.

Instead, Stan mentioned two other movies that he feels are more fitting to compare to Thunderbolts* given what we can expect to see from him and the other main characters. As he told BAFTA:

This isn’t the first time Sebastian Stan has mentioned The Breakfast Club while talking about Thunderbolts*, as he felt the team chemistry between himself and co-stars like Florence Pugh, Wyatt Russell and Julia Louis-Dreyfus was “a little bit like” the 1985 John Hughes movie. Then There’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, one of Jack Nicholson’s best movies. That’s definitely a more intense cinematic experience compared to The Breakfast Club, but I see what Stan is getting at when highlighting how Thunderbolts* also has these conflicting personalities that get rather violent with each other before needing to put aside their differences.

I’m guessing we can also expect Thunderbolts* to have a more upbeat ending than One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest since this is still a (presumably) PG-13-rated superhero movie. That’s not to say there won’t be casualties along the way, as I already suspect that Taskmaster will be killed off. The important thing, though, is that while the Suicide Squad might be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about Thunderbolts*, you’d be better off thinking of the two movies Stan mentioned to get a better grasp on the MCU movie’s overall vibe.

Following his surprise appearance in Captain America: Brave New World, Bucky Barnes will return in Thunderbolts* to work with Yelena Belova, John Walker/U.S. Agent, Alexei Shostakove/Red Guardian, Ava Starr/Ghost andAntonia Dreykov/Taskmaster on a mission these characters are forced into by Julia Louis Dreyfus’ Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. Directed by Jake Schreier and written by Eric Pearson, Lee Sung Jin and Joanna Calo, the movie comes out on May 2.

Warning: Minor spoilers for Captain America: Brave New World are in play. If you haven’t caught Marvel Studios’ latest quite yet, you’ve been warned.

As far as the 2025 movie schedule goes, this past weekend was a pretty good sign that Marvel Studios is still capable of raking in cash. It couldn’t have come at a better time, as the President’s Day holiday gave Captain America: Brave New World’s cast and crew a lot to celebrate as far as box office receipts go. And, as we celebrate Anthony Mackie’s huge cinematic debut as Cap, it’s clearly a good time to commemorate his trademark brand of on-set humor, along with fellow jokester and 2025 Oscar nominee Sebastian Stan.

Marvel Studios’ social media team posted a reel of outtakes from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Disney+ subscription holders and casual viewers alike can enjoy what we’re about to show you, but be warned that we’ll be discussing some minor Brave New World developments pretty freely past this video:

I really love seeing that clip, and it makes me nostalgic for the funny dynamic between the two beloved characters. Although the MCU has put Sam Wilson and James Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes on separate life paths, the two did share a cinematic pep talk in this latest film. Brave New World saw the congressional candidate and friend to Steve Rogers making an important cameo. During that scene, Barnes reinforced why Sam Wilson was the right choice as the new Captain.

While that was more than likely a moment that’s priming the world for the upcoming Marvel movie Thunderbolts*, I really enjoyed this scene that reinforced the moral core this series of standalone movies has always represented. I only hold that belief more deeply after watching Sebastian Stan and Anthony Mackie fooling around on the Falcon and Winter Soldier set, as you can get a feel of their real-life friendship fueling such pivot points.

I have no knowledge of where Mackie or Stan’s Marvel characters will be heading in the post-Captain America 4 world. All I do know is that I need to see Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes reteam in another adventure of political intrigue, as it would only give me more of my preferred flavor of Marvel movies.

At the same time, I would also say that Danny Ramirez’ Joaquin Torres is by no means a consolation prize. Brave New World shows off the new Falcon’s chemistry with Cap rather well, and I wouldn’t dream of breaking up this team. If anything, this could be a call to turn the next standalone Cap movie into a three person operation (especially since the loose thread of Sharon Carter still needs to be dealt with). Also, such a production could result in some more hilarious outtakes like the ones in the clip above.

There’s enough time to make way for the stories of tomorrow, but, for now, you can see what Brave New World by checking it out in a theater near you. And, after you have, you too can ask some very important questions, like where does Captain America 4’s ending mean for the future of the franchise? Or will we get a sweet gag reel like the one shown above when the home release come around?

Dear readers, we’re off to those golden races at last. The 2025 Oscar nominations are finally here, signaling the finale of the upcoming Awards shows. We’ve got another mix of surprises, snubs, and cozy favorites to ponder over until March 2nd’s telecast, and one of them has me quite delighted. As Sebastian Stan now has a Best Actor nomination under his belt, I couldn’t be happier - especially because I think the performance he nabbed it for is the one that needed to be commemorated.

Now this isn’t to say that A Different Man isn’t worthy of praise. I especially can’t say that at this time, as I haven’t seen the picture myself. However, there’s something important I pointed out in The Apprentice review that I think puts this Stan role in rarified air. And it all comes down to the actor’s portrayal of Donald J. Trump, in his rise to power and infamy.

It’s a fine line to walk when portraying someone as polarizing as the current U.S. president, especially when your subject has already been in the limelight of pop culture for so long. Yet when director Ali Abbasi’s historical drama hit the market, critical reactions to The Apprentice consistently highlighted both Sebastian Stan and co-star Jeremy Strong as sterling performers.

In the case of both men, their dedication to portraying three dimensional versions of their respective political firebrands was key to what worked in the 2024 drama. Stan and Strong’s intent in their Apprentice roles highlighted that very subject in interviews promoting the film.

After seeing the results myself, I’m still amazed that both Donald Trump and Roy Cohn came off as complicated humans. The audience is still allowed to make its own decision about how to feel about either party, with historical events acting as the guide rails. But even those most critical of either man could find themselves feeling just a moment of empathy, which only makes their characters more complicated to behold.

Sebastian Stan’s physical transformation and cadence allowed him to slip into the role of President Trump, giving us more than a mere impression. Some may see that as essential to a movie like The Apprentice, and I would totally agree with that notion as he is the film’s functional protagonist.

That's still easier said than done in most cases, and with that in sight, Mr. Stan’s achievement is something worthy of awards buzz. It also deserves to be talked about whenever approaching a historical drama of similar intent, as it shows how to handle touchy subject matter with an even handed tone.

For Sebastian Stan to land his first Oscar nod for this project is kind of a vindication of sorts. After all, not only had The Apprentice infuriated some investors, but according to IndieWire Stan’s invite to Variety’s Actors on Actors series was rescinded due to talent being “too afraid” to talk about the subject matter. After this morning’s proceedings, it appears that conversation will now be unavoidable; and deservedly so.

The 97th Academy Awards are set to take place on March 2nd, hosted by Conan O’Brien. With the ceremony being livestreamed for Hulu subscription holders, as well as broadcast on ABC, there’s more chances to enjoy the festivities this time out. Meanwhile, we here at CinemaBlend would like to congratulate all of the nominees named today, as we wish them the best of luck in their journey to golden glory.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe looks a lot different these days as familiar faces are stepping into new roles, and newcomers joining the fray. Ahead of the highly anticipated Captain America: Brave New World, Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson became Cap, for instance. And, with that, Danny Ramirez’s Joaquin Torres is now the Falcon, though the actor wasn’t always sure that would be the case. Ramirez actually just recalled the wild way Mackie and Sebastian Stan set him up to learn that his character would officially don the wings.

Before taking to the skies in the upcoming Marvel movie, Danny Ramirez made his MCU debut as Joaquin in the 2021 limited series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Ramirez’s presence on the show was relatively limited compared to how big his role in the new film seems to be. With that, the Valley Girl alum was somewhat unsure about his standing alongside Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan and co.

However, as Ramirez explained, that eventually changed, and it started with a message from Stan:

The comments that Danny Ramirez shared with Fandango point to a switcheroo of sorts, which probably should’ve been expected by a pair of actors as the Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes actors. Ramirez went on to explain that that wasn’t the end of it either. Apparently, that reveal was followed up by what he describes as a truly wild night. While recalling that in the YouTube video, the On My Block alum also remembered what happened the next time he crossed paths with the A Different Man star:

Danny Ramirez is a talented actor, having broken the “glass ceiling” with Top Gun: Maverick and notched roles in No Exit, Look Both Ways, Stars at Noon and more. With the role of Joaquin Torres now his, Ramirez is part of a wave of young and diverse MCU heroes entering the fray. Brave New World will see Torres join Sam Wilson, as they attempt to uncover the root of a conspiracy that could have far-reaching implications. From a behind-the-scenes standpoint, Ramirez put in serious, even filming in 90-degree weather in Atlanta while in costume.

Hopefully, his efforts won’t be in vain, as Captain America 4 is circling a solid opening weekend at the box office. I, for one, am excited to see Joaquin Torres take flight on the big screen alongside Sam Wilson. As for right now, I’m loving Danny Ramirez’s story about his initiation of sorts. I look forward to the Brave New World press tour, during which he’ll hopefully divulge BTS antics that ensued amid production on the film

Captain America: Brave New World soars into theaters on February 14 as part of the 2025 movie schedule. To prepare, you can rewatch the other Cap films, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier as well as the other Marvel movies in order using a Disney+ subscription.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is always treating the public with new content, both in theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. Fans who spent years watching the Marvel movies in order have seen Sebastian Stan grow up before our eyes, as he originated as Bucky back in Phase One. He's showing no signs of slowing down, with Thunderbolts* being one the most highly anticipated upcoming Marvel movies. But the actor recently got real about trying to stay Winter Soldier fit for the MCU, even being quoted saying "I don't know if it's gonna work out."

What we know about Thunderbolts* is limited, but fans are eager to see the motley crew of villains and antiheroes unite. Like many other Marvel actors, Stan has spent years staying fit to portray Bucky/ The Winter Soldier on the small and silver screens. While appearing on Late Night with Seth Meyers, he was shown a shirtless photo from Captain America: The Winter Soldier, leading him to say:

Honestly, that's fair. It takes a ton of work and dieting to stay ripped enough to play a shirtless superhero, so who can blame Stan for not being able to sustain that for over a decade of time in the MCU? Although given these comments, I have to assume he'll be keeping his clothes on for his next appearances in the shared universe.

Stan is helping to lead the cast of Thunderbolts*, as is the one with the most experience in the MCU. In the same interview with Meyers about his role in The Apprentice, the 42 year-old actor reminisced abut his years playing Bucky, growing as both a person and a performer during that time. And while many of the universe's OGs have moved on from their roles, there's been no indication that Stan is planning to hang up his vibranium arm anytime soon.

We already know that the I, Tonya actor will return to the MCU shortly, with the Thunderbolts* trailer showing off some of the action Bucky will be getting into. Assuming he survives that blockbuster, fans are expecting him to once again reprise his signature role in the next two big crossover movies Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars. The Russo Brothers' plans for those two mysterious projects are largely a mystery, but the fact that they're one again directing should help them land longtime Avengers actors. Case in point: Robert Downey Jr.'s return to the MCU as Doctor Doom.

Sebastian Stan's physique will once again take center stage in Thunderbolts* on May 2nd, For now, check out the 2025 movie release dates.

In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes have a relationship that combines a deep friendship with endless antagonism. They’re one of the most entertaining odd couples in the MCU, and it seems that one of the reasons they work so well together on screen, is that the real-life friendship between Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan is quite similar.

Both Mackie and Stan will be leading their own upcoming Marvel movies this year, Mackie with Captain America: Brave New World in February and Stan with Thunderbolts* in May. Appearing on the Variety Awards Circuit podcast, Sebastian Stan threw some shade at his fellow headliner, all in good fun of course. Despite being in two major films that have received awards seasons praise, A Different Man and The Apprentice, Stan says his 2024 was a quiet year, because he didn’t spend it with Mackie. Stan said…

While Sebastian Stan is having some fun at his friend’s expense, it’s quite the statement to say his year was quiet since apparently hanging out with Anthony Mackie is wilder than the entire Thunderbolts* team. Stan has compared the Marvel movie to The Breakfast Club for the way it throws together a bunch of misfit characters. One has to assume it was quite the busty movie considering Thunderbolts* cast is so stacked.

Mackie and Stan co-starred in the second Marvel series for Disney+, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. The characters made for entertaining allies as the two best friends of Captain America tried to navigate a world without him. They had somewhat different methods for playing the hero, but they teamed up quite well together. Now, each character's story will continue as each takes center stage.

From previous Captain America movies to the Avengers films to Falcon and Winter Soldier, these two actors have rarely appeared in Marvel movies without each other. This isn't even the first time Sebastian Stan has joked about making a movie without Anthony Mackie. It must feel a little odd for both to make a Marvel movie without the other.

Stan’s comments indicate that we won’t see either his or Mackie’s characters cross over from their own movies into each other this year. Though just before commenting above, Stan was asked if he appeared in Captain America: Brave New World and he deftly avoided answering the question. Of course, it’s possible that Stan does appear in the new Captain America movie, and simply doesn’t share a scene with Mackie. We could very easily see a post-credits scene in Brave New World that sets up Thunderbolts*.

Of course, putting these two in the same movie and not having them share a scene would be near criminal. They work so well together and clearly adore each other as people. Even if we won't see them together in the Marvel movies this year, hopefully it won’t be too much longer before they cross paths again.

Sebastian Stan has been working in the entertainment industry for some time now, beginning as a supporting player in productions to becoming a full-fledged leading man. He proved just that with his exceptional performances in the 2024 films A Different Man and The Apprentice and, as a result, the veteran actor is now receiving awards buzz. Amid his rise in the industry though, what’s remained a constant for much of Stan’s career is his work within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and he shared a sweet take on how it’s impacted his career.

For well over a decade now, the Romania-born actor has played the role of Bucky Barnes a.k.a. the Winter Soldier a.k.a. the White Wolf. Those who’ve watched the Marvel movies in order likely know that Bucky has had an interesting journey, which began in 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger. The recent 2025 Golden Globe winner reflected on his stint as Barnes while appearing on Late Night with Seth Meyers. While looking back, the Logan Lucky star, explained the link between his MCU and non-MCU work:

Based on the comments that the Fresh alum makes in the YouTube clip, it seems like his work with the superhero-oriented entertainment company has motivated him to take bigger swings as an actor. That’s great for us, given that the 42-year-old star has put in such great work. After all these years, it’s wonderful that he continues to have a strong appreciation for the massive franchise that helped earn him true recognition. But it’s simultaneously been a joy to see him play different characters who don’t possess a metal arm.

Sebastian Stan’s come-up within the industry has been quite impressive. A number of fans may still remember his appearances on Gossip Girl years ago or even his stint on the show Once Upon a Time. He eventually parlayed that and his theatre work into a film career that currently includes entries like I, Tonya, I’m Not Here, The Bronze, Sharper, Dumb Money and more. He also made a splash on the small screen a few years ago with his Emmy-nominated role as Tommy Lee in the miniseries Pam & Tommy. Stan has certainly been able to run the gamut when it comes to the roles he’s played, but Bucky Barnes still holds a special place in his heart.

Fans who love Steve Rogers’ good buddy (and Sam Wilson’s frenemy) are in luck, because he’ll be back on the big screen in a matter of months. Sebastian Stan will reprise his role as Barnes in the upcoming film Thunderbolts*, which will see Bucky take on something of a de-facto leadership role. As he explained during his interview on Late Night, Stan is pumped for the film and, during a separate interview, he even compared it to the Brat Pack film The Breakfast Club. The actor is certainly getting me excited for what’s to come.

As time goes on and the Ricki and the Flash alum receives more gigs, I’m hopeful that he’ll be able to balance his superhero-related work with his other productions. The thought of him also receiving more award nods for his work is also cool. But, as a whole, It’s my hope that the man who once compared an MCU gig to a Christmas present maintains his enthusiasm for the work.

You can see Sebastian Stan alongside the Thunderbolts* cast when the upcoming Marvel movie opens in theaters on May 2. Be sure to also read up on other titles that are part of the 2025 movie schedule.

After only having one release in 2024, the 2025 movie schedule has three upcoming Marvel movies on it. While many may be looking forward to seeing Harrison Ford hulk out or excited to see Pedo Pascal join the MCU, Sebastian Stan just got me hyped for Thunderbolts* by, quite surprisingly, comparing the film to an ‘80s classic, The Breakfast Club.

Following his Golden Globe win, Sebastian Stan spoke to Deadline about his return to the role of Bucky Barnes in this summer’s MCU team-up movie Thunderbolts*. The team has been described as Marvel’s version of the Suicide Squad, as a collection of… the term “heroes” is something of a misnomer, are forced to work together. Stan is very high on the dynamic of the team and compares the different characters, and actors, being forced together, to the misfit teens of John Hughes’ classic comedy. Stan said…

I probably would have never considered comparing Thunderbolts* to The Breakfast Club but hearing the comparison, it makes some sense. In the same way that The Breakfast Club brought together five teens who would have never spoken to each other under normal circumstances, Thunderbolts* is the same way: a team of people who aren’t exactly team players.

And while all Marvel movies have a certain amount of humor. Sebastian Stan makes it sound like Thunderbolts* might be an even funnier entry in the franchise, which is another way it will be like The Breakfast Club. The Thunderbolts* trailer certainly shows that this will be a funny movie. It doesn't look like a straight comedy, but may get closer than any MCU movie before it.

Of course, one way it will be different is that The Breakfast Club didn’t have any exploding cars. Stan continued…

Honestly, now that I’m thinking about Thunderbolts* as The Breakfast Club with superheroes (and also exploding cars) I’m a lot more interested in it. It sounds like it could be a lot of fun. We’ll find out when the Thunderbolts* release date arrives in May.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is always adding new content, both in theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. One of the most highly anticipated upcoming Marvel movies is Thunderbolts*, which will bring together a motley crew of antiheroes and villains from the shared universe's history. Actor Sebastian Stan will once again play Bucky, and as someone who has been around since Phase One, he shared thoughts about Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans returning to the shared universe.

What we know about Thunderbolts* is limited, but fans are definitely excited to see how its group of characters interact with each other. Sebastian Stan is just one familiar face in the Thunderbolts* cast, although he's had the longest run in the MCU out of everyone involved. While speaking with Entertainment Tonight, the 42 year-old actor addressed fellow OGs like RDJ and Evans being brought back in new roles. In his words:

There you have it. It sounds like Stan is giving credit to the creatives of Marvel Studios for always making new creative choices. While Avengers: Endgame killed Tony Stark and gave Steve Rogers a happy ending, that doesn't meant they completely wrote out Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans. And indeed, fans are hyped about RDJ returning as Doctor Doom in the next two Avengers movies.

What we know about Avengers: Doomsday is limited, but fans are eager to see how Downey will portray a villainous variant of Tony Stark. The Oscar-winning actor was the face of the MCU for years, taking a huge risk with the first Iron Man movie. And while there have been some recent box office bombs, fans who spent years watching the Marvel movies in order are seemingly hyped to have the OG Marvel star back in the game.

It would have been easy for Marvel Studios to completely write off the OG Avengers whose contracts ended with Endgame. After all, in the movie The Russo Brothers brought endings to characters like Iron Man, Captain America, and Black Widow. But since we're in the multiverse anything is possible, and it's easy for the actors to return as variants without sullying the legacy of their original ending. Just look at Chris Evans, who got to be a foul-mouthed Johnny Storm in Deadpool & Wolverine.

The next Marvel movie hitting theaters is Captain America: Brave New World, which will arrive in theaters on February 14th. For now, check out the 2025 movie release dates to plan your trips to the movies this year.

Great actors don't need a lot of makeup or total body transformations to improve their performance, but when you get the combination of a great and those things, the effect can be amazing. Sometimes the effect is so good the actors become completely unrecognizable, like the examples in this list where actors like Jared Leto and Gary Oldman were completely transformed for roles.

Jared Leto - House Of Gucci

It's fair to say that House Of Gucci was, at best, an uneven movie. It was a daunting challenge for everyone involved and none more so than Jared Leto. Leto played the legendary Paolo Gucci, and while his accent was a little shaky, his look and his mannerisms were completely on point. It's one heck of a transformation.

Charlize Theron - Monster

There is no more intense transformation for a role than Charlize Theron's performance as real-life serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Monster. Theron completely embodies the monster that Wuoronos was, while also subtly allowing the audience to understand how the killer became the way she was. Theron rightfully won an Academy Award for her portrayal of the brutal murderer.

Christian Bale - Vice

Christian Bale is one of the best actors of his generation and he's never been afraid to alter his look for a performance. The Machinist is one excellent example, but even that transformation pales in comparison to the way he completely became Dick Cheney in Vice. Not only does he look just like the former vice president, but he nails his speech pattern and mannerisms as well. It's remarkable.

Lily James - Pam & Tommy

When Lily James was cast as Pamela Anderson in Pam & Tommy it raised a few eyebrows. The actress seemed like a complete opposite in every way, especially her looks, as the blonde bombshell. Yet, when the movie came out, people were amazed at how well James pulled it off. No, it's not the best movie, but James was the spitting image of Anderson.

Gary Oldman - True Romance

One actor who is truly a master of disguise is Gary Oldman. He seemingly looks completely different in almost every role he plays. One of the most astounding transformations was early in his career when he played a pimp in True Romance. He literally looks and sounds nothing like himself in the film, to the point where if you didn't know it was him, you'd never guess.

Jessica Chastain - The Eyes of Tammy Faye

You know when a film wins the Academy Award for Best Makeup and Best Actress, the role is going to be special. Such is the case for Jessica Chastain in The Eyes of Tammy Faye. Chastain is completely unrecognizable in the role of the wife of the infamous Jim Bakker and is simply incredible in the movie.

Margot Robbie - I, Tonya

Turning Margot Robbie into a street tough figure skater like Tonya Harding is no easy feet. Through a combination of incredible makeup work and even better acting, Robbie completely disappears into the notorious skater made famous for her part in attacking her rival Nancy Kerrigan before the 1994 Olympics.

Glenn Close - Hook

Steven Spielberg's 1991 Hook isn't generally remembered as the legendary director's best work, but it is chock full of fun cameos and one of the hardest to spot is Glenn Close. The actress plays one of the pirates on Captain Hook's ship and if you don't look closely, you'll never notice the multiple Oscar nominee under the beard and makeup turning her into a male pirate.

Tilda Swinton - Trainwreck

The most remarkable thing about Tilda Swinton's transformation in the rom-com Trainwreck is just how conventional she looks. Swinton has one of the most unique looks in Hollywood and most of the time that look is enhanced by the roles she plays, it's part of what makes her so great. Her "normal" look in Trainwreck is made remarkable by that,

Mike Myers - Bohemian Rhapsody

Mike Myers took a long hiatus from acting in the 2010s and when he returned in Bohemian Rhapsody, audiences had to do a triple-check to make sure it was him in the role of a record executive arguing with Queen about the song that the movie is named after. With sunglasses and a full blonde beard, Myers looked nothing like his normal sense and his performance was excellent.

Colin Farrell - The Batman/The Penguin

When the trailer first dropped for The Batman, people were astounded at how Colin Farrell looked as Penguin. When the movie came out and we all watched his performance, it was even more shocking (in a great way). When he took the role to HBO for the TV show named after the character, we were all completely lost in it, because he was just so great. Though he says the suit and makeup aren't worth it, we have a feeling he'll be back as the Gotham-based villain.

50 Cent - All Things Fall Apart

50 Cent has proven to be quite the actor. The rapper has branched out into producing, even. Perhaps his best performance was as the fallen football star in All Things Fall Apart. His body transformation to play a pro athlete in peak physical condition who falls victim to cancer is incredible

Sarah Paulson - Impeachment: American Crime Story

Sarah Paulson knows how to completely disappear into a role. She was as incredible as Marsha Clark in The People Vs. OJ Simpson and she was even more remarkable as Linda Tripp in Impeachment: American Crime Story. Seriously, if you didn't know it was her, you'd never guess. She looks more like Tripp than Paulson in every way.

Billy Bob Thornton In U-Turn

Billy Bob Thorton is one of the most fun actors to watch in everything he is in. Take, for example, his role in Sling Blade, in which he looks completely different from himself. Another fine example is as the mechanic in U-Turn with Sean Penn. If it wasn't for his distinctive voice, you'd never know it was him.

Eddie Murphy - Coming To America

For a while there, Eddie Murphy made it his job to look completely different in his movies like The Nutty Professor, but at no point in any of those movies did he transform quite like he did to play the Jewish guy who hung out in the barbershop in Coming To America. Even his role as the barber in the movie was more recognizable. We also have to give props to Arsenio Hall for his various roles in the movie as well.

Mia Goth - X

Mia Goth playing the elderly Pearl in X is fantastic. Though you can tell it's her as Maxine, if you just walked in on the movie as those scenes of her as the older Pearl was playing, you'd never know who it is.

Tom Hardy - Bronson

Tom Hardy has never been shy about taking on challenging roles that require him to transform completely. He changes so much, that you almost feel like you don't know what he actually looks like in real life. Bronson is one of his finest transformations as he looks way more like the notorious British prisoner than like himself in the movie. It's so much more than just a mustache, that's for sure.

Donnie Wahlberg - The Sixth Sense

Mark Wahlberg may be the more famous brother, but Donnie Wahlberg also has some incredible acting chops and his performance comes in his minor-ish role in The Sixth Sense. It's clear that the former (and current) New Kid On The Block lost a ton of weight for his haunting performance in the movie.

Steve Carell - Foxcatcher

Murderer John du Pont of the famous du Pont family was a unique-looking guy. In Foxcatcher, Steve Carell completely embodies that uniqueness, It's almost unsettling how much Carell looks like du Pont and not like himself in the disturbing movie about the murder the scion of the wealthy family committed in 1997.

Cate Blanchett — I’m Not There

The legendary Bob Dylan has been played on screen a few times and remarkably the actor that pulled off his look and mannerism best is the amazing Cate Blanchett in I’m Not There. Of all the actors who play a version of the folk singer, Blancett is the most convincing and she looks nothing like herself in the movie.

Zac Efron - The Iron Claw

Early in his career Zac Efron was kind of typecast as the goofy good-looking guy. In 2023's The Iron Claw he completely upends that as he embodied the late Kerry Von Erich in the fantastic biopic about wrestling's first family, the Von Erichs

Renée Zellweger - The Thing About Pam

After a little bit of a career lull that included a four-year break from acting, Renée Zellweger returned in a big way in the late 2010s, culminating in an Oscar-winning performance as Judy Garland in 2019's Judy, which completely revived her career. Her best was yet to come because despite not getting the same accolades in the press, her performance as murderer Pam Hupp in The Thing About Pam was a complete transformation

Jared Leto - Chapter 27

Turning someone as good-looking as Jared Leto into someone as despised as the man who killed John Lennon is no easy feat. Leto's performance as Mark David Chapman is incredible and even though the movie has flown under the radar for years, it's worth seeking out just to see how different Leto can look from himself.

Missi Pyle - Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story

How do you take a beautiful woman like Missi Pyle and make her look like a deranged Eastern European dodgeball player? Ask the makeup department for Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story. The work they did, along with Pyle's acting, was amazing. There's no way to know it was her in any way unless you double-check the credits.

Sebastian Stan - A Different Man

A Different Man tells the hilarious and heartwarming tale of a struggling actor with a condition known as neurofibromatosis. Sebastian Stan plays the actor under a whole ton of wonderful makeup and despite the obvious limitation that makeup puts on the actor, Stan puts in a career-defining performance.

Chris Hemsworth - Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

While it isn't the most extreme example on this list, Chris Hemsworth's look in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is amazing. The only reason you really know it's him is that he uses his natural Aussie accent in the movie, which he doesn't do all that much these days. He's even won awards for the performance!

Ryan Reynolds - Blade: Trinity

Okay, we'll admit this isn't the biggest transformation on this list, but you can't deny that Ryan Reynolds has a completely different, more sinister look in Blade: Trinity. It's way different from what you expect from a standard Reynolds performance.

Nicole Kidman - Birth

Nicole Kidman is an amazing actress, but she's not one of those actors you expect to completely change her look for a role. Her part in Birth shows that she certainly can do that, and do it in spectacular ways.

Robert De Niro - Raging Bull

Robert De Niro famously put on a ton of weight for his role as Al Capone in The Untouchables. He also got completely jacked for Cape Fear. He did both for his incredible performance in Raging Bull. As a young Jake LaMotta he was cut and fit and as an older version of the boxer, he was flabby and overweight. Either way, De Niro looks less like himself and more like the real-life boxer. He certainly deserved the Oscar he won for the role.

Margot Robbie - Mary, Queen of Scots

Mary, Queen of Scots had a unique look that was only enhanced by the odd style of 16th Century Scotland. Still, Margot Robbie nails the look of the queen in a way that leaves the audience squinted to see if it's really the Australian actress.

Gary Oldman - The Darkest Hour

No one transforms quite like Gary Oldman. He's completely different in every role he plays and in The Darkest Hour, he completely embodies his role as Winston Churchill. It's not just the makeup, though that is perfect, it's also the voice and mannerisms he brings to the role that makes you believe you're actually watching the legendary prime minister.

Charlize Theron - Bombshell

Bombshell is one of those movies where you might think you're watching the real-life characters that the cast of Bombshell are playing. Charlize Theron's portrayal of former Fox News reporter Megyn Kelly tops the performances. It's pitch-perfect in every way.

Although Sebastian Stan’s rise to fame began when he played Carter Baizen on Gossip Girl, it was being cast as Bucky Barnes, the future Winter Soldier, in Captain America: The First Avenger that gave him global recognition. Had history unfolded differently, however, there’s a world where we could have seen Stan play James T. Kirk in the Star Trek franchise. While I’m content with how things played out for the actor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I still would have liked to see how he’d do playing this iconic sci-fi character.

In addition to discussing losing out on playing Green Lantern and confirming that his upcoming Marvel movie Thunderbolts* went through some major rewrites, Sebastian Stan spent some time during his chat with Josh Horowitz on Happy Sad Confused opening up about how he came close to being cast as Kirk in 2009’s Star Trek, the reboot that took place in the alternate Kelvin timeline and was followed by 2013’s Star Trek Into Darkness and 2016’s Star Trek Beyond. On the subject major roles he lost out on over his career, Stan said the following:

Before I go any further, let me say that I have absolutely no problem with Chris Pine’s Kirk performance. He did a good job of channeling the same kind of energy that William Shatner emitted when he was playing the character in Star Trek: The Original Series and the later movies, but he never came off like he was just doing an impression of Shatner. If Star Trek 4 ever gets off the ground, I will gladly welcome Pine getting one more crack at the captain of the USS Enterprise.

Still, I think that Sebastian Stan could have played a great James T. Kirk as well. He also has the right physical look and performative flair that would have served him well playing the cocky rule breaker who becomes one of the most iconic figures in Starfleet history. The only concern I have in this alternate version of history is if Stan would have had time to play both Kirk and Bucky, especially considering how the latter has grow increasingly important in the MCU. If not, then I’m glad things shaken out the way they did.

As already indicated, there have been no recent updates on if Star Trek 4 will move forward. Instead, the Star Trek origins movie is next up on the franchise’s theatrical slate, and is expected to be released sometime on the 2025 movies schedule. However, if you’d like to see someone else playing a younger James T. Kirk, check out Paul Wesley’s performance in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, which can be streamed with a Paramount+ subscription. As for Sebastian Stan, you can see him back in action as Bucky Barnes when Thunderbolts* arrives on May 2, 2025.

Those who’ve watched the Marvel movies in order can probably pick out their favorite entries. I know I certainly can, and near the top of my list is 2014’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier. It turns out franchise alum Sebastian Stan enjoys the film as well, as it’s his favorite entry that features his character, Bucky Barnes. However, it doesn’t seem like it’s a totally perfect movie in the eyes of the fan-favorite actor. As much as he enjoys it, there seems to be one thing that he’d change about the beloved political thriller.

Winter Soldier, which turned 10 earlier this year, still stands as one of the most beloved entries in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Directors Joe and Anthony Russo helmed the flick with precision, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely’s script was sharp and the cast came to play. That certainly extends to Sebatian Stan, who formally made his debut as the eponymous assassin in the movie. Stan appeared on the Happy Sad Confused podcast to promote his 2024 movie releases and explained why he still has love for the MCU film today:

The A Different Man star’s work in the acclaimed sequel greatly differed from what was required of him in its 2011 predecessor, The First Avenger. In that movie, the actor played a more straightforward role as sarcastic and brave war hero buddy, who didn’t mind jabbing his friend, Steve Rogers, from time to time. For the 2014 follow-up, the Fresh star relied more on body language and minimal dialogue. It was ultimately effective in conveying the stoic and dangerous nature of the HYDRA-brainwashed Barnes.

Needless to say, the Winter Soldier proved to be one of the most intimidating antagonists in the MCU, up to that point. Still, the Dumb Money alum wishes the movie would’ve further illuminated more of Bucky’s mental space, in between him being the man Steve Rogers once knew and the cold-blooded killer conditioned by HYDRA:

Sebastian Stan does make a fair point in that audiences don’t get to see much of Bucky in that weird, in-between mental state. The same is also true of his capture following his fall in First Avenger and the immediate aftermath. While a quick flashback sequence shed some light on that, Stan would’ve liked more:

These cerebral thoughts really do speak to just how invested I, Tonya star is in his character and the journey he’s been on in the MCU. While the Russos may not have tackled more of that mental middle ground for Bucky, other productions set within the cinematic universe like Captain America Civil War and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier have added to Barnes’ history as an assassin.

At present, Sebastian Stan is pleased to still be in the superhero fold and even recently compared receiving a call for a new Marvel gig to being an excited kid on Christmas morning. Stan will next appear as Barnes in a 2025 movie release – forthcoming Thunderbolts*, in which the character will serve as something of a de facto leader of a group of antiheroes. Bucky has come a long way from being an assassin, and I’m excited for what lies ahead for him. Nevertheless, as Stan suggests, I still wouldn’t mind taking a look back at his history as well.

If you’d like to revisit the awesome Captain America: The Winter Soldier or check it out for the first time, stream the film using Disney+ subscription now. In addition, read up on Thunderbolts* which opens in theaters on May 2 along with other upcoming Marvel movies. Fans of Sebastian Stan can check out A Different Man and The Apprentice in theaters now.

Before Sebastian Stan became a fan favorite as Bucky Barnes, a.k.a. the Winter Soldier, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe–which he’ll next appear in 2025’s Thunderbolts*–he was vying for another superhero role that could have changed the course of his career. Would you believe it was Green Lantern? If you’re a fan of comic books and stay up-to-date with all upcoming superhero movies, you know the part ultimately went to Ryan Reynolds. However, in a recent interview, The Apprentice star revealed just how intense the audition process was and the level of competition he faced.

During a candid conversation on Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast, Stan recalled feeling out of his league when auditioning for the role of Hal Jordan, the alter ego behind one of DC Comics' most beloved superheroes. Despite having made a name for himself in television and indie films at the time, the actor admits he was up against some of Hollywood's biggest names for the part, including Justin Timberlake, Jared Leto, and, of course, Ryan Reynolds, who ultimately secured the gig. The Winter Soldier performer recalls:

Although the A Different Man actor felt like an underdog at the time, he didn’t let the rejection define his career. In fact, he now views losing the role as a blessing in disguise. Despite starring Reynolds, the 2011 Green Lantern was widely panned by critics and is often considered one of the worst movies, despite racing number one at the box office.

The film's failure didn’t halt Reynolds’ career; he even openly despises the flick, but it certainly didn’t really do him any favors either. Meanwhile, Stan's rejection paved the way for his later success in the MCU, where he found a home and garnered a massive fanbase.

In hindsight, Sebastian Stan has no regrets about missing out on the Green Lantern opportunity. Reflecting on his career trajectory, he admitted that perhaps landing the role at that point in time would have placed more pressure on him than he was ready to handle. He explained:

Indeed, the superhero spotlight can be a heavy burden, and Green Lantern might not have been the right vehicle for the Pam & Tommy performer’s breakout moment. Instead, fate had other plans for him, leading to his portrayal of Bucky Barnes in Captain America: The First Avenger, a role you will see him reprise multiple times if you watch the Marvel movies in order. In fact, the actor will again lace up his super soldier boots for Thunderbolts*, which is set to premiere on the 2025 movie schedule.

The Romania-born actor has become a fixture in Hollywood, beloved by fans for his complex portrayal of Bucky and his willingness to tackle diverse projects, from psychological thrillers like Fresh to biographical dramas like I, Tonya. His Marvel character's evolution from the tragic Winter Soldier to a reluctant hero with deep emotional scars has cemented Sebastian Stan as one of the franchise’s most nuanced and compelling performers.

Though their superhero journeys have taken different routes, both Stan and Reynolds have landed on solid ground. Fans can catch them in their MCU roles by streaming the Captain America movies and Deadpool with a Disney+ subscription.

Sebastian Stan has been appearing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe for nearly the entirety of its existence, having debuted as Bucky Barnes in Captain America: The First Avenger and racked up nine projects so far, including the Disney+ subscription-exclusive shows The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and What If… ?. Next up, he’ll be seen in 2025’s Thunderbolts*, the 36th of the Marvel movies in order. Earlier this year, it was reported that the upcoming Marvel movie went through major rewrites, and while Stan has confirmed this is indeed the case, he explained why this was a great thing in the end.

During Stan’s appearance on Happy Sad Confused to talk about his 2024 movies The Apprentice and A Different Man, host Josh Horowitz asked if it was “fair to say” that there’s “a much different version that we’ll never see of Thunderbolts*,” and the actor responded:

Originally Thunderbolts* (yes, that asterisk is intentional) was written by Thor: Ragnarok’s Eric Pearson, but in March 2023, Beef’s Lee Sung Jin shared that he was penning a new draft of the screenplay. Then this past February, following the writers strike and actors strikes delaying the movie’s production from the originally-intended June 2023 start date, it was revealed The Bear’s Joanna Calo was rewriting the Thunderbolts* script. According to THR, previous drafts focused on the titular team going on a mission where they were supposed to die.

Obviously Sebastian Stan can’t comment on any specific plot details beyond what’s been shown in the Thunderbolts* trailer, but he believes that the version of the movie that was ultimately shot from late February to mid-June was the best iteration to have move forward. While the strikes negatively impacted a lot of Hollywood projects, Stan believes the delay in getting cameras rolling on Thunderbolts* was actually beneficial since it allowed the team to arrive on the product that audiences will see on the big screen next year. Stan has also enjoyed his with director Jake Schreier, commending the filmmaker for hitting the right kind of balance for this Marvel movie.

Sebastian Stan is joined in the Thunderbolts* cast by Florence Pugh, David Harbour, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Wyatt Russell, Hannah John-Kamen, Olga Kurylenko, Lewis Pullman and Geraldine Viswanathan, among others. The superhero blockbuster hits the silver screen on May 2, 2025.

There’s probably no easy way to make a film about Donald Trump, as no matter your opinion on the man, balance is key in attempting to speak to a wider audience. Viewers and critics alike should keep that in mind when watching director Ali Abbasi’s The Apprentice, as the drama depicting the New York real estate mogul’s rise to power in the 1980s manages to actually stick that particular landing. While it doesn’t go as hard as some would like, it also doesn’t shy away from portraying events that have been entered into historical record. Though this results in powerful performances, it's in the service of a storyline that comes off as slightly unfocused.

Throughout the events of The Apprentice, we see Donald Trump (Sebastian Stan) go from a rich upstart in late 1970s New York City to a man about to co-write The Art of the Deal in the mid-’80s. That ascension is paired with the descent of infamous lawyer Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong), as the hot button political figure lends his assistance towards making sure his client learns the lessons he needs to rise to the top.

By way of that description, you could technically consider this picture another version of A Star is Born. Of course, what separates The Apprentice from its more fiction-based counterpart is that it depicts actual people and events – and it’s through that exercise that this film manages to be a potentially compelling watch for supporters and detractors alike.

The Apprentice isn’t a hit piece on Donald Trump but an origin story of how he became the man he is today.

Part of the difficulty in making a movie depicting the Trump mythos is that there’s quite a bit of history one could go over, with some of the more modern source material being the most tempting to employ. As The Apprentice chooses to hone in on the origins of the former president's role as a power broker in Manhattan, there's a more rigid window at work, which mostly solidifies the plot. The decision to limit the main thread of The Apprentice’s story to Cohn’s fall and Trump's rise is effectively implemented in serving the story, and it helps director Ali Abbasi and writer Gabriel Sherman’s combined abilities, as neither contributor goes out of their way to either demonize or lionize either of these men.

It’s a decision that’ll surely disappoint those hoping for either an incendiary political statement or a puff piece that soft pedals events. Though in the long run, it's the safest path that this project could have travelled, so as not to court too much controversy from either side of the political aisle.

Employing period appropriate film stocks and the acting skills of both Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong, a great transition is depicted in The Apprentice – one that’s still felt in New York City to this day. As we move forward from a visual palette that invokes feelings of a docudrama in the making into one that represents the TV-ready VHS sheen the story ends with, this dark passing of the torch is reinforced in an artistically understated manner.

Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong’s powerful, but poignant, performances anchor the slightly unfocused drama.

With the current sociopolitical climate being what it is, some may think that The Apprentice would employ an approach that reflects a straightforward history lesson, with just enough style to make it watchable. This is where separating the picture from the current era of Donald Trump’s legacy makes further sense, as there’s license to infuse the work with elements of humorous foreshadowing and foreboding horror.

Images of debauchery with bleeding red tones are shown alongside pristinely staged interviews, helping design a complex tone. The central performances from the movie’s leading talent also go a long way in that respect, as Sebastian Stan’s weight gain and vocal coaching serve to not just offer a mere caricature of Donald Trump. Observing his progression through the eras shown in this tale, the MCU veteran’s acting chops continue to make a lasting impression of Stan as a stoic and transformative professional who opts for subtlety over flash.

That approach leaves Jeremy Strong with plenty of room to start his portrayal of Roy Cohn in a more flashy manner befitting of where the man happened to be in his life at the beginning of the story. Starting the prosecutorial boogeyman at the height of his powers, The Apprentice eventually sees Strong dialing down the energy as Cohn’s deterioration progresses. With the simultaneous rise and fall of these two men, balance once more makes itself known in the storytelling equation.

For a saga that’s mostly interested in the mentor/mentee relationship that holds court in its execution, The Apprentice seems to stumble just a little bit in its earlier acts. The inclusion of Ivana Trump (Maria Bakalova) leaves a feeling of shaggy and tangential storytelling, despite the actor offering a turn as effective as her male counterparts. While Bakalova shines in key moments, such as a third act exchange with Jeremy Strong at Mar-a-Lago, the inclusion of this thread mostly seems to serve the inclusion of a scene of sexual assault.

That moment isn’t a gratuitous addition, as it’s intended to show how Donald Trump has changed since The Apprentice’s introduction. That being said, the courtship and eventual souring of Donald and Ivana’s relationship doesn’t feel as strong a thread as that of Roy Cohn supplanting Trump’s own family as a moral compass.

The Apprentice isn’t going to change anyone’s minds on Donald Trump, but it does make for compelling viewing.

By the time composer Martin Dirkov’s synth laden score helps bring The Apprentice to a close, you know that the film isn’t going to change anyone’s minds on Donald Trump. That’s not the overall purpose of Ali Abassi’s picture, as it ultimately uses historical record as its inspiration. As far as intent goes, all that’s meant to be seen is the Trumpian rise to power, and Roy Cohn’s role in making it happen.

When this story sticks to that lane, it’s at its strongest, as it depicts two of the most controversial figures in history in moments of notable vulnerability. Those snapshots aren’t fashioned to garner sympathy, as they fit the plot line involving Trump and Cohn in transition. In its own way, The Apprentice is a compelling tragedy that also mashes up the ‘80s style ambition of Scarface with the creation myth of Frankenstein. Albeit, as anyone who's lived through the past eight years will tell you, it has a very different ending.

The Apprentice isn’t a merely reactionary tale meant to be a “sign of our times.” It acts as a firm handed indictment of the man who wanted the world, and the mentor who fueled his ambitions. You can call it a warning or a celebration if you look at it the right way, but that call is left for the viewer to decide, with history as the evidence.

While Marvel Cinematic Universe actors have come and gone, Sebastian Stan has been a constant presence within the massive franchise. Stan made his debut as Bucky Barnes in 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger, and the character has continued to evolve since then. Like Barnes himself, Stan remains a fan-favorite and doesn’t seem tired out by the MCU yet. He actually just described what it feels like to get a call about a new superhero gig and, as a fan, I can’t help but smile.

At this point, the A Different Man star has held starring or supporting roles in five MCU movies, cameod in two more films, co-headlined a TV show and guest-starred on an animated series. Not only that, but Sebastian Stan is also set to reprise the role in a 2025 movie release – Marvel’s Thunderbolts* – and a couple of other event films beyond that. Stan spoke about his experience with Disney’s superhero-centric company while at the Zurich Film Festival. When describing his continued enthusiasm (via Variety), he name-dropped a certain holiday:

Many of us surely know the joy that can accompany Christmas morning, especially when you’re a kid. There’s immense excitement about making your way to the tree to see what goodies lie beneath it. It’s hard not to smile when considering the fact that the Fresh star likens a call from Kevin Feige and co. to that euphoric, holiday rush. My heart is certainly warmed by the fact that the actor still feels fortunate to be working within the expansive, fictional universe.

I also appreciate Sebastian Stan’s comments on Bucky, who’s become a very multi-faceted and relatable character. The best friend of Steve Rogers, Barnes has gone from World War II soldier to brainwashed assassin the Winter Soldier to pardoned soldier seeking to make amends. As Stan mentioned, his character’s desire to do what’s right and reckon with his past actions is a quality that makes him relatable. He’s an endearing character, which is why I’m eager to see him return in upcoming Marvel movies.

As a member of the Thunderbolts* cast, the Romanian actor will get to play with Barnes even more, as he takes on something of a de-facto leadership role. Based on what’s been seen from the film thus far, it seems Barnes will initially have an uneasy alliance with the likes of Yelena Belova, John Walker, Ava Starr and more. How Bucky grows in that film remains to be seen, but what is known is that the actor will return for Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars in 2026 and 2027, respectively.

What the future holds for Bucky Barnes beyond those last two superhero movies is unclear. However, what I do know is that as long as Sebastian Stan remains invested in his character and keeps receiving interesting material, I’ll be eager to see him. At present, though, it seems Stan – who’s defended the films from critiques – still has enough work to keep him busy in the cinematic universe. So he probably shouldn’t be surprised if sometime soon, he receives one of those wonderful phone calls from his collaborators at Marvel Studios.

Check out Sebastian Stan’s MCU outings by streaming them with a Disney+ subscription. Also, be sure to see the actor’s 2024 movie releases – A Different Man and The Apprentice – as they’re now playing in theaters nationwide.

Work began on Ali Abbasi’s The Apprentice back in 2018, when Donald Trump was president, but it’s just now hitting the 2024 movie calendar, mere weeks before Trump will find out if it will be him or Kamala Harris moving into the White House come January. The movie stars Sebastian Stan as Trump in the 1970s and ‘80s, examining his career as a businessman and his relationship with lawyer Roy Cohn, who is portrayed by Jeremy Strong. The movie is not political, the actors say, but is it good? The critics are here to share their thoughts.

Political or not, The Apprentice is already ruffling feathers. Donald Trump himself threatened legal action over its release, and one big investor is reportedly furious over how the ex-president is portrayed in the film’s final cut. Critical response, meanwhile, has been mostly positive, with Katie Walsh of the L.A. Times calling this Sebastian Stan’s best performance to date, while Jeremy Strong delivers a Roy Cohn that’s akin to Dr. Frankenstein realizing he’s created a monster. Walsh continues:

Many critics, in fact, see parallels between the relationship in The Apprentice and Frankenstien, including Maureen Lee Lenker of EW, who gives it a B+. The movie doesn’t tell us anything we don’t already know about these men, but it’s still “riveting” to watch. Sebastian Stan brings a nuance to his performance that avoids dipping into late-night parody territory, while Jeremy Strong inspires a strong F-bomb from the critic, who writes:

Stephanie Zacharek of Time echoes that sentiment, saying Jeremy Strong's ability to make Roy Cohn believably sympathetic is “the most chilling effect” of the movie. Ali Abbasi’s detached approach makes it almost too real, the critic says, writing:

Owen Gleiberman of Variety calls The Apprentice sharp and scathing, saying it fully nails the first half and avoids cheap shots in its look at Donald Trump’s early business days. However, the movie never fully penetrates the mystery of who he becomes. Sebastian Stan is a “wonder,” according to Gleiberman, who says:

Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com has the same issue, and while the critic admits watching the seeds of the Donald Trump we know being planted and fertilized makes for an interesting watch, the second half devolves to pot shots and parody. Tallerico rates it 2 out of 4 stars and writes:

The film has drawn praise from the majority of critics, earning a Certified Fresh 79% on Rotten Tomatoes — and it sounds like that’s in large part thanks to the work from Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong. The Apprentice is in theaters now if this biographical drama sounds like something you want to check out.

When you think of Sebastian Stan, what comes to mind? Likely, if you are someone who keeps up-to-date with all things upcoming superhero movies, then you picture him as the chiseled sidekick turned villain turned hero Bucky Barnes, aka The Winter Soldier. The actor is set to return as Cap's main pal in the upcoming Thunderbolts*. Though he is back in MCU fighting shape now, you won’t believe the insane story behind how he had to gain a ton of weight to play Donald Trump in the supposedly “unpolitical” movie The Apprentice. It’s enough to make anyone want to throw in the towel… or at least eat their feelings by pounding a few peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

In a recent interview with GQ, Stan opened up about the taxing physical demands that have come with his dual roles, both of which required wildly different physiques. His journey to transform into the 45th president of the United States for The Apprentice—a project tracing Trump's early rise—was no small feat. To embody the Billionaire’s larger frame, the Once Upon a Time alum went on a weight-gain regimen that included regularly downing Coca-Colas and pounding peanut butter and jelly sandwiches like they were protein shakes. But here's the kicker: the production for The Apprentice has been notoriously stop-start, forcing the Pam & Tommy star into a frustrating cycle of weight gains and… pauses.

The I, Tonya actor detailed how he would begin his immersion into the American businessman’s persona—bulking up, tweaking his look—only to be told that production had once again been delayed. Hollywood’s unpredictable nature can be tough, but this back-and-forth became an especially big headache for the actor when it began to collide with another major commitment: specifically the slate of upcoming Marvel movies, like the Thunderbolts*, which is slated for release on the 2025 movie schedule.

For his big screen return as Bucky Barnes, Stan needed to be in peak superhero shape—lean, muscular, and shredded. Imagine the frustration: after months of PB&J-induced weight gain to embody the controversial presidential candidate, the Fresh star had to pivot to a calorie-deficit, protein-packed regimen, preparing to suit up again. But another twist—Thunderbolts* got postponed due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Cue the next hurdle: Stan had to switch gears back to his Trump transformation quickly.

Understandably, The Falcon and Winter Solder star shared his exasperation with his constant yo-yo dieting to GQ, saying it was no small task to get back into shape. As he tells it:

The Martian performer wasn’t just balancing roles—he was juggling diets, workouts, and the intense pressure of two completely different projects. One moment, he’s scarfing down high-calorie snacks to embody Donald Trump and the next, he’s cutting carbs and shredding for Marvel—only to drop it all and bulk back up again. At 41, that’s enough to drive anyone up the wall.

Still, through all the chaos, the Avengers veteran has managed to keep his sense of humor, even if you can tell the constant flip-flopping has worn him down. And honestly, who wouldn’t feel exhausted?

You can catch Sebastian Stan’s jaw-dropping transformation in The Apprentice when it hits the 2024 movie schedule and theaters on October 11, 2024. And for his next round as the Winter Soldier, Thunderbolts* is set to release on May 2, 2025. Until then, MCU fans can always revisit his epic moments in the franchise, streaming now with a Disney+ subscription.

As the 2024 movie schedule continues, one particularly controversial film is set to hit theaters is The Apprentice. Just weeks before Americans decide between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris in the U.S. presidential election, Sebastian Stan is portraying a young Trump. However, Stan and his co-star Jeremy Strong insist the movie itself is not political.

The Apprentice has been in the works since 2018, while Donald Trump was president, however, it wasn’t until last fall that the movie was filmed. Jeremy Strong (who is best known for his role in the Succession cast) plays American lawyer Roy Cohn alongside Stan's Trump in the movie, and he shared these thoughts about it with Entertainment Weekly:

The Apprentice takes place during Donald Trump’s early years in business. It reportedly focuses on the relationship he had with Cohn, who was a New York City prosecutor known for working with Senator Joseph McCarthy during the Second Red Scare.

Sebastian Stan, who gained 20 pounds to transform into Trump, also added his thoughts about the film in the interview:

The Apprentice has been wrought with controversy lately. For one, Trump has said he will be taking legal action against the film, calling its contents “pure malicious defamation”. The film's director Ali Abbasi responded by saying he doesn’t think Trump “would dislike” the movie and has offered to meet the former president, screen it for him and have a post-movie chat.

On the controversy front as well, one of the movie’s big investors, Dan Synder, who is also friends with Trump, donated $1.1 million dollars to the production, thinking it would paint him in a positive light, and was apparently furious with the final cut. He allegedly asked for specific scenes in the movie to be changed without luck.

The film reportedly depicts Trump raping his first wife Ivana (played by Maria Bakalova), which she initially alleged happened in 1989. Trump has denied these allegations. Ivana later took a step back and disavowed that it was rape in 2015, clarifying that on one occasion she and Trump had “marital relations in which he behaved very differently toward me than he had during our marriage” where she “felt violated”. Ivana died in 2022.

The Apprentice premiered at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year to an 11-minute standing ovation and positive reviews from critics. During the EW interview, Strong also said he believes the movie is more focused on the relationship between Cohn and Trump and is “not a political movie.” He said:

So, while it's hard to separate Trump from politics, according to the actors in this film, it does not take a political stand. To see the story they're telling, you can catch The Apprentice in theaters on October 11.

Chris Evans is famous for many things: being one of People’s Sexiest Men Alive, a top contender among Hollywood's best Chrises, and, of course, if you’ve watched the Marvel movies in order, you know him for playing Captain America across 11 Marvel films. But did you know he’s also known for something a bit more unexpected—grabbing people's left boob? During a Comic-Con panel, Anthony Mackie was asked about this quirky Evans habit and was completely clueless. Fortunately, Sebastian Stan was there to step in and hilariously explain. Let’s dive into this funny moment!

A video–posted on Upsocl Icons’s Instagram account–captured a moment During a Wizard World Comic Con panel where a fan asked the pair, “Chris Evans has a habit of grabbing people's left boobs… so my question to both of you is, have you ever had your left boob grabbed by Chris Evans?” Mackie, clearly perplexed, immediately responded with confusion, asking, “Where did you hear that?”

The question, although hilarious, seemed to fly right over Mackie’s head. On the other hand, Sebastian knew exactly what the fan was talking about and wasn’t shy about offering some context. Without skipping a beat, The Apprentice actor chimed in with an all-knowing nod, punctuating the moment with:

Then, taking things up a notch, the A Different Man star decided to go full method actor with a reenactment of the supposed habit from the Scott Pilgrim vs. the World veteran, which sent the crowd roaring with laughter.

Stan explained the phenomenon with a straight face, saying:

To demonstrate further, he reached over to his Falcon and Winter Soldier cast mate, giving him a playful chest grab to show how the Lightyear actor might go in for the unintentional boob grab. Mackie, who was clearly not expecting the impromptu demonstration, could only laugh along with the audience as his Avengers teammate continued to describe how Chris, in moments of excitement, might throw his hands around, occasionally landing on a teammate’s chest. As the Fresh star delivered the exaggerated “boob grab,” he leaned back in his seat and tilted his head, completing the scene with a perfect impersonation of the Captain America star.

Sebastian’s comedic timing was spot on, turning the fan’s bizarre yet hilarious question into one of the panel’s standout moments. Thanks to the quick assist by the I, Tonya veteran actor, we now know even superheroes aren’t safe from a playful chest grab by the former Human Torch and Captain America.

Both Stan and Mackie remain busy with their superhero commitments with a couple of upcoming Marvel movies. Sebastian will reprise his role as Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier in next year’s MCU blockbuster Thunderbolts*. At the same time, Anthony is set to suit up as the new Cap in the upcoming Captain America: Brave New World.

As for Chris Evans, he's starring in the holiday action film Red One, set for the 2024 movie schedule alongside Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. You have to wonder how many times Evans might’ve reached for The Rock’s left boob on set! Someone doing press, ask him, because I gotta know!

Sebastian Stan is a busy guy these days, as he’s set to reprise the role of Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier in next year’s MCU blockbuster Thunderbolts*, and he’s portraying Donald Trump in The Apprentice. Before that hits the 2024 movie calendar, however, Stan will play Edward, a man with neurofibromatosis, in A24’s A Different Man. Critics have seen the movie ahead of its wide release to theaters, and while the trailer gave us a peek at the actor’s transformation, it really is what’s underneath that has them calling both Stan and Adam Pearson’s performances “endlessly complex.”

Written and directed by Aaron Schimberg, this dark comedy sees Edward undergo surgery to become more conventionally attractive, changing his name and starting a new life. He then becomes fixated on Oswald (Adam Pearson), who also has neurofibromatosis, after he’s cast to play Edward in a stage production. In CinemaBlend’s review of A Different Man, Nick Venable rates the movie 4.5 out of 5 stars, calling the film “unwaveringly magnificent” and praising the performances of Stan and the scene-stealing Pearson. He writes:

Jacob Hall of SlashFilm says he’s never seen anything quite like A Different Man, which he calls a “pitch black oddity.” Adam Pearson’s performance is “revolutionary,” Hall says, while Sebastian Stan is astounding. The critic gives the film a 9 out of 10 and says:

Katarina Docalovich of Paste also has high praise for the movie, rating it an 8.8 out of 10. The critic describes A Different Man as “an exhilarating blend of body horror, dark comedy, sci-fi and romance,” and credits Aaron Schimberg with continuously making the audience ask questions of themselves. Docalovich continues:

Stephanie Zacharek of Time calls Sebastian Stan “terrific” in his portrayal of two different sides of Edward, while an off-the-charts Adam Pearson “swaggers through the movie like its dazzling, unofficial mayor.” The performances are absolutely worth the ticket price, even as the plot gets a bit muddled. The critic says:

Germain Lussier of Gizmodo says the upcoming A24 movie delivers a strong message, with its star giving a masterclass on acting. Lussier continues:

The movie is out in limited release and has been declared Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes at 85%. A Different Man will see a wide release starting on Friday, October 4, and if these critics’ reactions are any indication, Sebastian Stan and Adam Pearson are worth checking out.

The desire to change one’s less-than-perfect attributes has long been a staple for fictional plotting, and is at the heart of several 2024 features – such as Demi Moore’s body horror tour de force The Substance and Netflix’s YA novel adaptation Uglies. But no film, TV series or workplace instructional video has taken the concept to its most gloriously absurd lengths quite like Aaron Schimberg’s unwaveringly magnificent A Different Man.

“Beauty is only skin-deep” may not be the extent of the source material examined in A Different Man, but that idea is heavily explored through the character of Sebastian Stan’s Edward. An actor-in-training whose life and emotional state hinge entirely on his neurofibromatosis and the benign tumors covering his face, Edward appears to be a genuinely good person whose gifts and talents are largely ignored by those who can’t look beyond the surface.

That is, until two major catalysts collide and forever change Edward’s journey: he meets Renate Reinsve’s endlessly optimistic Ingrid, and he agrees to a new kind of surgical technique that somehow “cures” his neurofibromatosis in the gnarliest of ways. But in becoming more traditionally attractive, Edward essentially flips his mental state inside-out while adjusting to his new and successful life.

But it’s not until the movie introduces Oswald, as portrayed by real-life neurofibromatosis sufferer Adam Pearson, that Edward realizes just how far-removed he is from his former existence, even as he’s literally acting in a stage play that dramatizes the early days of his and Ingrid’s friendship. Oy, the road to success is pockmarked with questionable intentions.

A Different Man is far from the melodramatic tragedy that one might expect.

Without knowing very much about A Different Man’s approach, one could easily look at pictures and a logline and think that writer/director Aaron Schimberg had concocted a dramatic, Oscar-baiting story about someone overcoming a personal setback, on par with mishandled, treacly fluff such as I Am Sam. But that couldn’t be further from the self-reflective truth.

Even though this is a film that very much points out the rudely awkward and callous ways humans treat others who look different, often evoking innate guilt, A Different Man is not overtly intent on keeping audiences' emotions sided with Edward. Rather, we witness just how quickly Edward is able to fall into the same traps and pitfalls as the people who’d judged his appearance previously, while still grasping to maintain the founding facets of his prior identity.

This isn’t to say Schimberg tackles the subject distastefully in a way that the "dark comedy" label can suggest. He very clearly paints Stan’s Edward as a bumbling protagonist we can laugh with, not at, and it’s only after the character’s physical transformation that he becomes more genuinely victimized and targeted, albeit for good reasons. The film taps into genuine emotional turmoil at times, but thankfully keeps its drama floating far above melodramatic waters.

The warm moods and tones are also helped along by cinematographer Wyatt Garfield and Schimberg's choice to shoot the film in grainy 16mm, which speaks to the whole idea that something doesn't need to look pristine to be a treasure all the same.

Like Curb Your Enthusiasm’s Larry David, Sebastian Stan’s Edward becomes an anti-protagonist you love to hate.

Beyond subversive humor similarities, many other parallels can be formed between A Different Man and certain iconic projects from David Lynch's dreamlike oeuvre, from the duality themes of Lost Highway and Twin Peaks to the outsider vibes of Eraserhead and The Elephant Man and beyond. I have no clue if that was intentional or not, but as a huge Lynch fan, I found it only added to my enjoyment and anticipation for each absurd moment in Edward's story.

Perhaps more so than any of David Lynch's characters, however, Sebastian Stan's Edward is a funhouse-mirror version of Larry David's hyperbolized reality in HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm. It's not an exact 1:1, since A Different Man's main character doesn't have an appalling and repellant personality from the jump, but morphs into something far closer as time goes by.

In focusing on a character who ensures their own downward spiral, Aaron Schimberg's script also delivers the same kind of full-circle storytelling that I will always appreciate in any genre. And having post-surgery Edward take on a play that tells his own story, but without others realizing who he really is, brilliantly utilizes meta-textual comedy similar to Curb Your Enthusiasm's callbacks to Seinfeld jokes, including the reunion season and the series finale.

Adam Pearson 100% steals the whole movie.

To be expected, Sebastian Stan is aces in all forms of the role of Edward, maintaining an authenticity throughout, and Renate Reinsve is also a joy to watch as Ingrid volleys between typical character choices and completely unexpected ones. The cast, which employs a variety of actors with physical deformities, shinse brightly throughout.

Appropriately enough, however, A Different Man hits its highest highs when Adam Pearson's Oswald is on the screen. The actor, whose career began in earnest with 2013's Under the Skin, went on to appear in specials that explored his diagnosis, as well as Schimberg's 2019 drama Chained for Life. His career will hopefully be as long and fruitful as possible, because this dude has all the charisma and then a little to spread around.

Upon entering Edward and Ingrid's lives out of the blue, Oswald could have easily come across as a more nefarious or malicious entity with literally another actor in the role. But not for a single second does Pearson let on that he's anything other than an aspiring performer, supportive friend, and lovely person. Whether he is or not is perhaps up to the audiences to weigh on, and for Edward to fret over.

A film that feels at times like a Denis Villeneuve psycho-thriller and at other times like the majestic apex of Mr. Show sketches, this is a must-watch movie that truly defies any and all of my comparisons with its singular nature. (What other awards-bound 2024 movie features a moment straight out of a Looney Tunes short?) There's no one else quite like Adam Pearson, and there's nothing else quite like the twisted hilarity of A Different Man.

Who owns Avengers Tower? It has been a lingering question that has plagued a subset of the Marvel Studios fandom. And in a recent interview during the Deadpool and Wolverine press day, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige confirmed that the answer as to who (or what) bought Avengers Tower was going to be revealed soon. If you asked me to guess, though, I didn’t expect the answer to come in next summer’s upcoming Marvel movie, Thunderbolts*. Following the release of the first full trailer for Thunderbolts*, Marvel fans took to the internet with their theories that Valentina (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) meets with the team in the open-air bar/lounge area that once was part of Avengers Tower.

Which, to me, means that this is going to become a Dark Avengers movie. And that’s PROBABLY what the asterisk refers to in the title.

Let’s dig into the theory.

That’s Avengers Tower, Right?

Above is the photo that most fans are pointing out as appearing to take place in a renovated Avengers Tower. The view of Manhattan in the background. The large expanse of floor-to-ceiling windows. The bar that is off to the left of the photo. If you go back and watch scenes from The Avengers, or even the infamous hammer scene from Avengers: Age of Ultron, you likely will come to the same conclusion that Valentina set up her base of operations in what started off as Stark Tower, then became the official headquarters of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes before they moved out in Spider-Man: Homecoming.

Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau) sold the tower when the Avengers moved to a larger campus in upstate New York. That location was decimated in the final battle against Thanos. At the same time, the concept of the Avengers has been defunct since Tony Stark sacrificed himself at the conclusion of Avengers: Endgame. It’s my belief that the Avengers are going to be coming back, in some important format. For starters, we got a glimpse of Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) recruiting Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) for a possible Young Avengers team up. And we have two Avengers movies in Doomsday and Secret Wars to look forward to.

But that’s not what I think is happening here.

I Think The Asterisk In The Thunderbolts Title Will Change This To ‘Dark Avengers’

And above, I think, is your first look at the official Dark Avengers roster. In the comics, the Dark Avengers are formed by Norman Osborn. They are a team of super-powered villains (Bullseye, Venom, etc) who all have natural Avengers counterparts. That gets a little confusing here, as Yelena is a natural Black Widow, but John Walker, Bucky, and Red Guardian all seem like the “Evil” Captain America. Then there’s Taskmaster, who basically can mimic the fighting styles of any hero. So, you know, this isn’t a simple A to B translation.

Still, seeing the Thunderbolts recruited by Valentina makes it seem like Marvel is setting up either a Dark Avengers or possibly a Secret Avengers roster. This happens at the same time that Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross (Harrison Ford) was seen asking Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) if he’ll help him reassemble the Avengers in Captain America: Brave New World. Global politics are on the agenda in the MCU in 2025.

There Are Other Avengers Connections In The Trailer

Did you guys see this moment? I don’t think this is Avengers Tower. It more looks like a Washington, DC fundraiser attended by Valentina (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan). But there are banners commemorating “The Battle of New York,” the first official time that the Avengers needed to assemble. And there’s paraphernalia from that event, including Loki’s scepter. Someone wants the audience to be thinking about The Avengers, and the sacrifices they made to keep us safe.

And then Val is going to put together a different roster, for an alternate mission.

The cast for Thunderbolts has me most intrigued for this movie, and I was thrilled to see the trailer launch with character moments between Florence Pugh and David Harbour. The action looks good, but when you bring these personalities together, I want them to have moments to shine. Particularly Lewis Pullman, because his character – Sentinel – has the chance to be a real wild card.

Thunderbolts will be the second Marvel movie arriving in theaters in 2025, behind Captain America: Brave New World, but ahead of The Fantastic Four: First Steps. We’ll have more information on the movie as it gets closer to release.

Criticism of upcoming MCU movies has become increasingly popular. As the franchise expands across film and TV, industry heavyweights like Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino have voiced concerns about the impact of superhero films. Scorsese famously compared Marvel movies to "theme parks" and argued they shouldn't "invade" cinemas. At the same time, Tarantino claimed he’d never direct an MCU flick and that the pictures have shifted focus from movie stars to characters. Now Sebastian Stan, known for his role as Bucky Barnes/The Winter Soldier, is speaking out against the rising criticism of upcoming superhero movies, admitting, “It’s just f–ing hard.”

In a candid interview with Variety, the Avengers veteran shared his thoughts on these critiques, taking a firm but reflective stance. He acknowledged that while everyone is entitled to their opinion, the iconic comic book studio franchise plays a significant role in the overall health of the film industry. He told the publication:

Stan emphasized the economic importance of the shared universe of flicks, noting that superhero movies have been a massive success, helping fund projects outside the genre. These blockbusters fuel Hollywood’s machinery, ensuring that indie films and lower-budget movies continue to be made.

He continued his defense by describing the "House of Ideas" and their contributions to Hollywood as an "artery" running through the entire system, essential for the industry's functioning. Stan continued:

It’s understandable that Sebastian feels protective. His comments come during a challenging period for the superhero powerhouse, as the studio faces several box office disappointments and declining viewership for its shows that are available with Disney+ subscription. Marvel Studios' Co-President, Louis D’Esposito, has acknowledged it’s been a “rough time” for the company, which is working to recover from high-profile setbacks like Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, The Marvels, and Secret Invasion.

The Captain America: The Winter Soldier actor's protectiveness of the long-running superhero saga hasn’t stopped him from exploring new ventures. In fact, he’s become more focused on pursuing diverse and challenging projects in recent years. He explained:

Sebastian Stan’s next project The Apprentice certainly fits that description, especially considering all its pre-release buzz. Set for the 2024 movie schedule, releasing on October 11, 2024, the film sees Stan, who was in peak Avengers shape, take on the bold role of controversial politician and former president Donald Trump. Still, don’t worry. He will also return to the MCU, appearing as Bucky again when the upcoming Thunderbolts* hits theaters in 2025.

Acting can be a transformative process, both literally and figuratively. Actor Sebstian Stan can speak to that reality on two different fronts, as the 2024 movie schedule sees the MCU vet becoming a practical chameleon in both A Different Man and The Apprentice. When it comes to the Donald Trump historical drama, that transformation was pretty extensive, as the man who will reprise the role of Bucky Barnes in the upcoming MCU movie Thunderbolts* rapidly gained weight in order to play The Donald.

The actor spoke to this in conversation with Variety on behalf of both pictures preparing to be released to the public over the course of the next month. When the discussion surrounding The Apprentice’s pre-release buzz came around, Stan mentioned that when director Ali Abbasi was getting ready to finally shoot the long developing project, he asked the Captain America actor about the scope of weight gain he could realistically take on.

Responding to that question in the interview, Sebastian Stan had this answer to offer:

When running down the figures of this brief bulk up, The Apprentice lead clocked his final result as coming in at 15 lbs within those two months. Though that may not be terribly surprising when compared to Mark Wahlberg’s Father Stu weight gain, it’s still pretty shocking when going from the physique of a superhero to that of a controversial real estate developer/former president.

So what exactly does the finished result look like? Well, if you watch The Apprentice’s current trailer, you’ll get plenty of looks at Sebastian Stan’s portrayal of Donald Trump. But for the purpose of this report, I’m going to include an image from one of those moments below:

I hope for Mr. Stan’s sake, he didn’t have to endure as disgusting of an experience as Mark Wahlberg’s “miserable” Father Stu diet. While that was the key to The Union actor’s safe weight gain process, I’d like to think that in the years since that production, there’s been further development of a careful, yet not tasteless diet that Sebastian Stan could have used.

Though you can probably bet that the press rounds for The Apprentice will include questions about that very subject. I’d especially anticipate that line of questioning when looking at how production on this awards contender wrapped roughly a month before Thunderbolts* went into action.

We’ll see what happens in the lead-up to The Apprentice’s October 11th launch in domestic theaters. Before that, Sebastian Stan fans will be able to see him in A Different Man, which opens at the box office this weekend in limited release. And, of course, those who want to reunite with James Buchanan Barnes before Thunderbolts* storms into the multiplex, a Disney+ subscription will give you the keys to that metaphorical motorcycle of merriment.

As with many years prior, several upcoming films will bring us tales of joy and woe with animated adventures, heartfelt family films, people overcoming horrific circumstances, fun comedies and more. But, something that many people love to see is a story that focuses either on people who do intriguing work or who have some true magic in their lives. As such, let’s take a look at 32 famous actors who’ve given us that by playing a wizard, witch or magician in some popular movies. 

Nicole Kidman (Practical Magic, Bewitched)

An Oscar winner who’s notably portrayed a witch twice in her big screen efforts is Nicole Kidman. Seeing as how Practical Magic 2 is now being worked on in earnest, you probably remember her 1998 hit with Sandra Bullock easily. But, do you recall her turn as a real witch hired to play a fictional one in the 2005 comedy, Bewitched?

Hugh Jackman (The Prestige)

We actually don’t get as many magicians on screen as one might think, but Hugh Jackman did us all a solid when he starred as one in the 2006 Christopher Nolan movie, The Prestige. If you somehow still haven’t seen this Edwardian London-set thriller, do yourself a favor and track it down. You won’t regret it.

Ian McKellen (The Lord Of The Rings And The Hobbit Trilogies)

This list would be nothing without mentioning maybe the most famous wizard in all of literary history, who made his major motion picture appearances courtesy of Sir Ian McKellen in The Lord of the Rings movies, as well as The Hobbit trilogy. Gandalf the Grey cannot be ignored, and not just because he’s so much taller than most of his traveling companions!

Neve Campbell (The Craft)

Fledgling teen witches count just as much as those who’ve been witchin’ for decades, which is why Neve Campbell’s eventual power-hungry sorceress, Bonnie, is on this list. The Craft is a teen horror classic that’s worth a watch.

Bette Midler (Hocus Pocus)

Here’s another classic movie witch who’s hard to forget. Bette Midler really dialed it up for her performance as Winifred Sanderson in 1993’s Hocus Pocus (along with fellow witchy Sanderson sisters Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker), and the results were so memorable that a Disney+ sequel was made nearly 30 years later.

Jesse Eisenberg (Now You See Me)

We’ve come to another magician, but Jesse Eisenberg’s modern-day character, Atlas, is an illusionist who works in Las Vegas in a popular group…who are really teamed up to steal lots and lots of money. It was so popular that a sequel followed.

Alexandra Daddario (Mayfair Witches)

If anything, we could trust late horror author Anne Rice to pen an intriguing tale that keeps us glued to the pages of a book. It also turns out that White Lotus star Alexandra Daddario can help turn that story into a can’t-miss TV show, as she’s done by playing witchy lead Rowan on Mayfair Witches.

Cher (The Witches Of Eastwick)

Cher has excelled in pretty much every role she’s ever had, and that includes widowed mother/witch Alex in The Witches of Eastwick. This one gets wild but you’ll never regret watching her (or her co-stars Susan Sarandon, Michelle Pfeiffer and Jack Nicholson) as things go from weird to worse.

Nicolas Cage (The Sorcerer’s Apprentice)

We all know that Nicolas Cage has played a multitude of roles during his decades-long career, so it should be little surprise that he’s portrayed as a user of magic. Before you get too deep into wondering whether or not there’s a real difference between a wizard and a sorcerer, just know that Cage played the latter in this 2010 film that takes some inspiration from a segment in Disney’s animated classic, Fantasia.

Tia And Tamera Mowry (Twitches)

Sure, there have already been people on this list who played witches along with other really famous people, and those co-stars weren’t listed as the main star, but guess what: none of those other people starred with their twin, which is the case with Tia and Tamera Mowry in the beloved Disney Channel original film, Twitches. Did this one get a sequel? You bet it did!

Meryl Streep (Into The Woods)

No one can deny the prowess or ability of 21-time Oscar nominee (and three-time winner) Meryl Streep to deliver an amazing performance. The same can be true for when she played the character known simply as The Witch in the film adaptation of the Broadway musical Into the Woods (and, yes, got an Academy Award nomination for her work).

Steve Carell (The Incredible Burt Wonderstone)

And here we have another Las Vegas magician in Steve Carell’s Burt Wonderstone. Instead of watching him steal money, we follow along in this comedy as Burt attempts to reunite with his former partner (Steve Buschemi) so they can gain more traction than a competing magician (Jim Carrey) whose “tricks” mostly involve odd feats of endurance and real pain.

Edward Norton (The Illusionist)

You’d be forgiven for confusing this film with the above-mentioned The Prestige, as they’re both about old-timey magicians and released in 2006. However, this film stars Edward Norton as our…illusionist, and is more of a romantic mystery than Nolan’s thriller.

Lucy Lawless (Salem)

So many evil witches, so little time. The WGN TV series, Salem, was loosely inspired by the Salem witch trials, and focused on a lead who was trying to bring the Devil to earth. But, that wasn’t even the character played by Xena actress Lucy Lawless, as her Countess Palatine Ingrid von Marburg was simply a different and far more evil witch. Can’t anyone use magic to just like, keep everyone’s house clean so we can all have more free time?

Guy Pearce (Death Defying Acts)

It’s actually rather surprising that we’ve gotten this far into the list without coming to someone who portrayed a famous real-life magician, so we can thank Guy Pearce for that. His 2007 supernatural romance, Death Defying Acts, saw him play Harry Houdini.

Angela Bassett (American Horror Story: Coven)

Even for those who don’t follow along with the amazing antics on every season of the anthology series, American Horror Story, it would probably be a little shock to find out that the show has cast several witches during its long run. The subtitle of this 2013 season tells you that it was dedicated to witchy goings-on, and double Oscar nominee Angela Bassett had a notable guest role as real historical figure/Voodoo practitioner Marie Laveau.

Sebastian Stan (The Covenant)

The actor who would come to be known as Bucky “Winter Soldier” Barnes, Sebastian Stan, played a very different type of super-powered character in 2006, when he played teen warlock Chase Collins in the fantasy film The Covenant. It also features stars like Taylor Kitsch and Chase Crawford, who also get their magic on in the film.

Michelle Pfeiffer (Stardust)

As we’ve seen from the entry on Cher, Michelle Pfeiffer had already played a witchy woman by the time she appeared in the 2007 movie Stardust, as an evil (of course) witch looking to retrieve a fallen star to have ever-lasting beauty and youth.

Debbie Reynolds (Halloweentown)

Here’s another Disney Channel classic, which follows a young witch who realizes she has powers on her 13th Halloween, only to be transported to the titular town where supernatural creatures can live without human interference. The late Debbie Reynolds plays her grandmother (also a witch), and returned for all three sequels.

Benedict Cumberbatch (Doctor Strange)

This 2016 MCU entry stars Benedict Cumberbatch as an injured doctor who involves himself in the business of fighting evil with sorcery after losing the use of his hands and heading to a mysterious enclave to look for healing. Cumberbatch has appeared as the character in a number of Marvel franchise films now, including a 2022 sequel to his original solo film.

Mila Kunis (Oz The Great And Powerful)

Here’s a movie filled with magical beings that’s often forgotten. Oz the Great and Powerful saw Mila Kunis, along with Michelle Williams and Rachel Weisz, play witches of, yes, that Oz who have to determine if the Kansas magician who’s turned up in their realm is really the “great” wizard they’ve been waiting for.

Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone)

This is another actor and portrayal that this list would basically be pointless without. Though Daniel Radcliffe has gone on to portray a wide variety of good and bad guys in the past decade or so of his career, for many he will always be known as the boy wizard, Harry Potter.

Selena Gomez (Wizards Of Waverly Place)

What? Did you forget that Selena Gomez, the Grammy-nominated singer and star of the Hulu hit show Only Murders in the Building, got her first taste of fame on a Disney Channel series? Well, shame on you for not being able to remember that Gomez led Wizards of Waverly Place through a magical four-season run as the supernaturally gifted teen, Alex Russo.

Elizabeth Olsen (WandaVision)

Do we have yet another MCU stalwart for you? You bet we do! Elizabeth Olsen first took on the role of Scarlet Witch during the post-credits scene of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, later starring in several more of the franchise films and the critically lauded Disney+ series, WandaVision, for which she received an Emmy nomination.

Sam Neill (Merlin)

While there have certainly been a number of movies and shows that have given us versions of the mythical wizard known as Merlin, NBC’s two-part, 1998 miniseries saw Sam Neill use his recent Jurassic Park stardom to show us an adventurous tale of Merlin’s life before the birth of King Arthur.

Rosamund Pike (The Wheel Of Time)

Many of the portrayals we’ve discussed (and will continue to discuss below) have dealt with book-to-screen adaptations that are based on already incredibly popular novels, and The Wheel of Time is certainly one of those. The Amazon series, which takes its story from the 14-book franchise by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson, stars Rosamund Pike as powerful magic user Moiraine Damodred, who takes a group of young adults on a journey to save the world.

Julia Ormond (Witches Of East End)

This Lifetime series, which ran for two seasons from 2013 to 2014, followed the women of the Beauchamp family, witches in a small, fictional seaside town who are led by their mother, Julia Ormond’s Joanna, and have to fight to save themselves and the people of their town from dark magical forces.

Emma Thompson (Beautiful Creatures)

This 2013 Gothic fantasy romance focuses on a teen who will learn on her 16th birthday whether or not her witch tendencies will be for good or ill. Two-time Academy Award-winning actress and screenwriter Emma Thompson plays her mother, Sarafine, who didn’t raise the girl but wants her on that dark side really, really badly.

Tilda Swinton (The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe, Suspiria)

Considering that Tilda Swinton has played everything from a gender-switching hero in Orlando to the MCU’s version of the Ancient One in the aforementioned Doctor Strange and the archangel Gabriel in Constantine, is anyone surprised to know that she’s played some witches? In both The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe and Suspiria she was very good at playing magical ladies who wanted (or already had and wanted to continue) to do some very bad things, but the latter film has WAY more serious and bloody fun for those who watch.

Jack Black (The House With A Clock In Its Walls)

Frequent funny man Jack Black as a warlock? That’s what the 2018 fantasy The House With A Clock In Its Walls delivers, as the Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle star portrays a boy’s magic uncle who lives in the house of a dead evil wizard and is trying to discover the location and purpose of a clock the previous dastardly owner hid in the walls.

Jude Law (Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald)

While much of the Harry Potter franchise featured either actors Richard Harris or Michael Gambon as the beloved Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, when the prequels were made, a younger Albus Dumbledore was needed and they called in Jude Law to fill the wizard’s very important and legendary shoes.

Julianne Moore (Seventh Son)

Last but certainly not least on our list of famed actors who’ve brought wizards, witches and magicians to life is lauded talent Julianne Moore. The Academy Award winner starred in 2015’s Seventh Son as the evil witch Mother Malkin, who escapes after many years imprisoned and looks to restore her full power by any means necessary.

As you can see, many of our most beloved stars have portrayed wizards, witches and magicians!

The 2024 movie schedule could be a huge victory for actor Sebastian Stan. Currently in a gap year before his return to the MCU in the upcoming Marvel movie Thunderbolts*, the man has two high-profile films on the docket: the Donald Trump biopic The Apprentice and the A24 drama A Different Man. The latter film has now dropped its first trailer, and the results are so incredible and unrecognizable that Stan is already being hyped pretty heavily for awards consideration.

What People Are Already Saying About A Different Man

Both critical and public praise has been showered upon Sebastian Stan, who plays the role of Edward. Playing a man with neurofibromatosis, Stan's disfigured face is the result of the incredible makeup work you see above in the trailer. It only seems to have enhanced his portrayal of A Different Man’s protagonist, as further comments on A24's first trailer for the picture have added the following notes to the pile. See what a number of sentiments that fans left under the YouTube posting:

• “This is the performance we want from Sebastian Stan.” - @GGG08
• “Sebastian Stan better be getting some Oscar buzz for leading performance” - @pamelac81
• “I saw this movie at Sydney film Festival, It's absolutely incredible. Sebastian Stan proves his acting chops with this one.” - @Mamba_4_life8
• “Give my man Sebastian his Oscar already.” – @filmobsessednerd
• “Really glad for Sebastian that he's getting ACTUAL good, deep acting roles. He deserves it, and I just know he'll be amazing.” - @AnthsV

What’s perhaps more exciting is the recognition that co-star Adam Pearson has been getting upon the trailer’s release. Notable for his role in Scarlett Johansson’s Under the Skin, Pearson actually has neurofibromatosis and has been working to combat the stigmas and bullying people with the condition have encountered. And looking at his performance in A Different Man’s trailer, he represents where the true mind fuckery comes into play. 

A Different Man Is Already Looking To Be "A Brilliant Mindfuck"

The upcoming A24 movie, written and directed by Aaron Schimberg, is also being praised by IndieWire as a “brilliant mind fuck of a movie;” and I can kind of see why. As if watching the trailer unfold for yourself wasn’t enough proof, here’s the official synopsis for A Different Man:

As you can see, while Sebastian Stan’s post-transformation Edward seems to be on the rise as a conventionally handsome actor, Pearson’s character, Oswald, is primed to become a star in his own right. And, as we see in the synopsis, the “role he was born to play” is all it takes to send Edward spiraling into the bits of the film that we haven’t seen just yet. 

That sounds like an amazing page from the Charlie Kaufman handbook of dark identity comedy. And that's even with the trailer coming off as a bit more dour in the execution. But that's probably part of why the groundswell of praise for A Different Man is so impressive, as it's inspired one of the earliest grassroots awards campaigns I've seen in a while. 

In a year where the Fresh alum has both a dark comedy like this, and an investor displeasing picture like The Apprentice, the man was bound to be the talk of the town. Now that we've got a deeper look into just what's going on here, that buzz is definitely warranted; and has brought cast members like Adam Pearson and Renate Reinsve into the limelight as well.  

I, for one, cannot wait to see what the finished film looks like. Needless to say, the early buzz from fans not only suggests that Sebastian Stan could be in for some serious awards love but that the film as a whole could be as well.

A Different Man will be unveiled to the public at large in a rollout you’d expect for an A24 awards contender. The picture’s limited release will begin on September 20th, before it goes nationwide on October 4th. More than likely this film will hit streaming at some point in 2025, landing presumptively for those with a Max subscription. In the meantime, there's also plenty to watch if love Sebastian Stan.