Sebastian Stan at TIFF on 'Fjord' Being Called a 'MAGA Movie' and Making 'The Batman 2'

Timezone listed by the organizer: America/Toronto (EDT, UTC-4).

Sebastian Stan spent time at TIFF in Toronto discussing Fjord, a film he has been pursuing since his teens.

Directed by Romanian auteur Cristian Mungiu, Fjord is Mungiu’s first English-language feature and Stan’s first Romanian-language role; Stan plays Mihai, a fundamentalist father whose children are seized by the state, in a story inspired by a real family and filmed in Mungiu’s characteristic long, unbroken takes and avoidance of close-ups.

Stan said that after his 2024 Oscar nomination for The Apprentice and a Golden Globe win for A Different Man, he wanted a different, challenging role. He described Fjord as a way to return to the country and language of his upbringing and as a film centered on the immigrant experience and the shame of feeling different.

The film has been labeled on social media by some as “a MAGA movie,” a tag Stan attributed to people who “never see it.” He said he hopes a divided country can still sit together in one theater to watch it.

Stan said he researched multiple families, examined his own relationship with his father and attended Romanian sermons to understand the religious mindset of the characters. He framed the movie’s core as exploring how parental voices and inherited behaviors affect the next generation.

Stan also discussed his crossover between Marvel and DC projects and his meetings with Matt Reeves. He said Reeves has spent three years shaping The Batman 2 and compared being on that set to making “The Godfather Part Two.” He declined to confirm rumors connecting him to the Harvey Dent role.

The interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.