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Sebastian Stan's 2023 Con Artist Film Sharper Returns to Global Streaming Charts

The Apple TV+ mystery thriller, which also stars Julianne Moore and John Lithgow, is now among the ten most-watched films worldwide on the platform.

Actor Sebastian Stan Photoshoot
Actor Sebastian Stan Photoshoot      Sebastian Stan    Gossip Gist / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
By Free News Press Editorial Team
Published August 8, 2026 at 1:18 PM PDT

Sebastian Stan has two major film roles on the horizon, and audiences appear to be catching up with one of his lesser-known earlier films as a result. Sharper, a 2023 mystery thriller he made with Julianne Moore and John Lithgow, is currently one of the ten most-streamed movies on Apple TV+ worldwide, according to Collider.

The film tells the story of a con artist through a series of non-linear vignettes. It received a modest reception at the time of its release but did not make a major cultural impression. More than three years later, it is drawing renewed attention as Stan prepares for high-profile appearances in two upcoming blockbusters.

The more immediate of those projects is Avengers: Doomsday, set for release on December 18. Stan returns as Bucky Barnes, one of many confirmed characters in the film. Doomsday is confirmed to run 165 minutes, making it the second-longest film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, behind only Avengers: Endgame. The film arrives alongside Dune: Part Three on the same release date, a pairing that has drawn attention from film fans.

Stan's path to Doomsday ran through Thunderbolts*, one of three MCU films released last year that were designed as lead-ins to the December blockbuster. Of those three, which also included The Fantastic Four: First Steps and Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts* was considered the standout. It introduced the New Avengers, a group that will play a central role in Doomsday.

Beyond the Marvel film, Stan is also set to portray Harvey Dent in The Batman: Part II, scheduled for 2028. He previously played Donald Trump in the 2024 biographical film The Apprentice and appeared in the 2025 film A Different Man, which received strong notices.

Whether the streaming resurgence for Sharper will last beyond the lead-up to Doomsday is unclear. But for a film that largely went unnoticed on its initial release, landing in the global top ten on a major platform three years later is a notable second moment.

Sebastian Stan and Aaron Schimberg at the "A Different Man" premiere at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. Please attribute to Casey Nedelka if used elsewhere.
Sebastian Stan and Aaron Schimberg at the "A Diff…      Sebastian Stan    ReverendPoppins / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)