Sebastian Stan’s 10 Best Movie Roles That Aren’t Bucky Barnes

Sebastian Stan is an actor who has been impressing us on both the big and small screens for around two decades at this point. He has an interesting career to look at because when he was getting started, he appeared in some major movies, albeit in very small roles. For example, he quickly pops up in the Oscar-nominated Rachel Getting Married from 2008 and has a minuscule role in the 2010 Academy Award-winning Black Swan.

Of course, since those parts were so small, it’s hard to consider them among his best works. Most people would agree that Stan has been fantastic in his most famous role, which is as Bucky Barnes, also known as the Winter Soldier, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He debuted as Bucky in Captain America: The First Avenger and has gone on to play him in six major films and a TV series, while also making cameos as him in others.

In fact, Stan played Bucky in 2025’s Thunderbolts* and will be in Avengers: Doomsday at the end of this year. He’s great beyond that character though, as evidenced by his roles away from the MCU. That’s especially true now, with some tremendous performances from 2025 under his belt as he continues to only get better as an actor.

10

Destroyer (2018) – Chris

Destroyer is a film that’s heavily driven by the performance of its lead, Nicole Kidman. She plays a former undercover police officer who seeks revenge against members of a gang after a case was blown. She indeed carries the film, earning a Golden Globe nomination.

Sebastian Stan doesn’t have the biggest role in Destroyer, yet he makes the best of his screen time. He plays an FBI agent named Chris, who was also a former lover of Kidman’s Erin in this gripping crime drama that’s something of a hidden gem.

9

Sharper (2023) – Max

Sharper arrived on Apple TV+ in 2023 and kind of came and went without making much of an impact. That’s surprising given the talent involved, as Sebastian Stan is part of a cast that also features Julianne Moore, Justice Smith, and John Lithgow.

The film tells the story of a wealthy family that gets torn apart as secrets continue to be revealed. The story is told in vignettes, allowing Stan to shine in his section as Max, the con artist son of the family who gets into trouble with the police. Stan plays well off Moore in their scenes together, which are a highlight of the movie.

8

Dumb Money (2023) – Vlad Tenev

You won’t find many movies based on a true story that are wilder than Dumb Money. The film depicts the actual tale of the GameStop short squeeze, which caused many rich people behind the company to lose tons of money while public traders made a lot of cash.

Sebastian Stan pops into this star-studded film as Vlad Tenev, a real person who was the co-chairman of Robinhood, a stock-trading website. Like in Destroyer, this isn’t a massive role for Stan but he’s great in his few sequences and is one of the best parts of the film.

7

The Martian (2015) – Dr. Chris Beck

Another relatively small role where Sebastian Stan manages to stand out is in Ridley Scott’s The Martian. This is another movie that’s loaded with stars, as Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Jeff Daniels, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Kristen Wiig, Michael Pena, Kate Mara, and more are just some of the names on the cast list.

The Martian is about an astronaut who gets left behind on Mars and must find a way to survive. Stan appears as Dr. Chris Beck, a member of the protagonist’s team who feels guilty about leaving him behind. He shows strong chemistry with Mara and manages to make you care about him in such a crowded film.

6

Logan Lucky (2017) – Dayton White

Steven Soderbergh knows how to create an intriguing caper and Logan Lucky is one of his best. The movie centers on the Logan siblings (Channing Tatum, Riley Keough, and Adam Driver) and their attempts to commit a heist at the Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Sebastian Stan only has a small part, but it’s one that allows him to steal the show. He plays Dayton White, a NASCAR driver who is obsessed with his physical fitness and his prep for a race. He’s also bitter and unlikable, yet he’s captivating to see on the screen.

5

The Devil All The Time (2020) – Lee Bodecker

The Devil All The Time is a Netflix original movie that was a pretty big hit for the streaming service when it arrived. The film focuses on several characters across two small towns around the end of World War II, and sees their stories intertwine.

In The Devil All The Time, Stan plays Deputy Lee Bodecker, a corrupt cop who is the brother of Riley Keough’s Sandy. He’s a complex character who, despite Stan’s charms, is a villain who kills to gain power. We don’t often get a bad Sebastian Stan but he plays those characters well.

4

Fresh (2022) – Steve

Speaking of movies where Sebastian Stan plays an antagonist, there isn’t a more vile villain he’s portrayed than Steve in Hulu’s Fresh. The movie starts out as a seemingly charming rom-com where Daisy Edgar-Jones’ Noa meets Steve and the two start a sweet romance.

However, things turn sinister when he drugs her drink and holds her captive, revealing himself to be a butcher of human meat. Stan is chilling as this character, managing to turn from a likable lover into a heinous villain. It’s also clear that Stan is having a blast with the role as he bites into getting to be so evil.

3

I, Tonya (2017) – Jeff Gillooly

I, Tonya is one of the most acclaimed biopics in recent memory, telling the story of Tonya Harding. She was one of the best figure skaters of her time, yet is mostly remembered for her part in a vicious attack on her rival ahead of the Olympics.

Margot Robbie received an Oscar nomination for her performance as Tonya, while Sebastian Stan does great work in a supporting part as Tonya’s boyfriend, Jeff Gillooly. Stan disappears into the role, feeling nothing like the popular characters he’s played in the past and he’s incredible alongside Robbie in every scene.

2

The Apprentice (2024) – Donald Trump

What Sebastian Stan managed to pull off in 2024 is nothing short of remarkable. His two best performances ever came that year and the one in The Apprentice, where he plays Donald Trump, is honestly shocking. Without things like prosthetics or over-the-top makeup, he completely becomes Donald Trump, despite the two not looking much alike.

Stan nails every little hand gesture, mannerism, and voice inflection that makes Trump who he is. Trump’s legal team tried to prevent the film’s release, but when it came out, Stan ended up nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe.

1

A Different Man (2024) – Edward Lemuel / Guy Moratz

Stan’s other movie from 2024 sees him like we never have before. In A Different Man, he plays Edward Lemuel, a socially awkward aspiring actor who struggles with neurofibromatosis, which manifests as a facial disfigurement, and he undergoes a dangerous procedure to cure it.

Once his disfigurement is gone, he changes his identity and embarks on a new life, only to learn that the neighbor he harbored feelings for has written a play about him. Watching Sebastian Stan transform into this character is fascinating, especially when he starts to realize that getting the face he wanted doesn’t actually make him all that much happier.