Gosling, MBJ, Timmy, and the Biggest Movie Stars Under 50 Power Ranking

Summary of Gosling, MBJ, Timmy, and the Biggest Movie Stars Under 50 Power Ranking

by The Ringer

34m•March 23, 2026
Listen to Episode

Overview of Gosling, MBJ, Timmy, and the Biggest Movie Stars Under 50 Power Ranking

This episode of The Town (The Ringer) hosts a roundtable with Matt Bellany, Lucas Shaw (Bloomberg), and Craig to reassess “movie-star” power among actors under 50 in 2026. Prompted by Project Hail Mary’s strong opening and recent non‑franchise hits (Sinners, The Housemaid, etc.), the panel debates who today reliably puts butts in theater seats versus who is more of a franchise/value add or a rising, niche, or streaming-era star.

Key takeaways

  • The working definition: “movie star” = who drives theatrical attendance (not streaming-only popularity or pay scale), limited to actors under 50.
  • Michael B. Jordan emerges as the most consistent consensus pick (range of roles, franchises, and originals).
  • Timothée Chalamet is widely regarded as one of the top draws due to franchise attachments (Dune) and consistent box-office relevance.
  • Ryan Gosling’s Project Hail Mary opening (big above‑title role) has pushed him back into top‑tier conversation, but panelists debate whether one hit fully cements elite movie‑star status.
  • Sidney Sweeney proved she can open mid‑budget films in her lane (Housemaid) and is now considered a serious star-maker.
  • Producers polled emphasized Zendaya, MBJ, and Chalamet as top three; debate remains around Margot Robbie, Scarlett Johansson, Ryan Reynolds, and others whose profiles mix franchise value with uneven original performance.
  • Streaming-only or frequent streaming releases complicate star assessments (e.g., Ryan Reynolds, some Netflix hits).

Criteria used in the discussion

  • Primary: theatrical draw (who makes audiences go to cinemas)
  • Secondary/contextual factors: recent box office openings, franchise attachments, consistency, social/media profile, and typecasting/“lane” (what kind of movie the actor reliably opens)

Producers’ poll vs. hosts’ views

Producers polled (10 producers, Matt referenced)

  • Top 3 most frequently nominated: Michael B. Jordan, Zendaya, Timothée Chalamet
  • Producers favored actors who create theatrical “events” rather than streaming-only engagement

Hosts’ positions and debate highlights

  • Michael B. Jordan: Strong consensus pick for #1. Reasons: consistent project selection, franchise + originals (Creed, Black Panther), strong lead presence, recently winning Best Actor and blockbuster cred (Sinners).
  • Timothée Chalamet: Argued as a top contender due to franchise exposure (Dune), box-office consistency, and ability to make smaller films perform; some worry about overexposure.
  • Ryan Gosling: Project Hail Mary has revived his theatrical cachet. Supporters praise his wide appeal and above-title performance; skeptics note past inconsistent openings (Fall Guy, mixed results) and fewer recent theatrical hits.
  • Sydney Sweeney: Breakout theatrical contender after Housemaid’s unexpected box-office success—panelists highlight her ability to own a specific lane and promote heavily.
  • Margot Robbie vs. Scarlett Johansson: Margot is respected for producing and long-term career building; Scarlett is described as a franchise “defibrillator” (value-add to big IP). Panelists are split on who is the bigger pure theatrical draw.
  • Ryan Reynolds: Clearly a big star, but frequent streaming projects complicate measuring his theatrical pull outside of Deadpool.
  • Zendaya: A polarizing pick—producers rank her high (event potential), but hosts argue she’s mostly been part of large ensembles/franchises and hasn’t yet proven singular theatrical luster outside those vehicles.
  • Others mentioned: Emma Stone (arthouse → mainstream crossover power), Jennifer Lawrence (talent but recent misfires), Paul Mescal, Austin Butler, Glenn Powell (not yet sustained).

Tentative “consensus” lists coming out of the episode

(Note: the panel did not agree on a single definitive list; below are the distinct outcomes described)

  • Producers’ top‑3 (from the poll): 1) Michael B. Jordan, 2) Zendaya, 3) Timothée Chalamet
  • Hosts’ combined conversation (most frequently named contenders): Michael B. Jordan, Timothée Chalamet, Ryan Gosling, Sydney Sweeney, Margot Robbie, Ryan Reynolds — with Scarlett Johansson and Zendaya often in the immediate next tier.
  • Craig’s summary “top six” (as he framed it): Ryan Gosling, Michael B. Jordan, Timothée Chalamet, Sydney Sweeney, Margot Robbie, Ryan Reynolds (Scarlett Johansson around 7)

Notable quotes & insights

  • On Scarlet Johansson: “She is the quintessential value add — you put her in a franchise to shock it back to life.”
  • On Timothée Chalamet: “Timmy has done the most with the least.”
  • On Ryan Gosling: Debate centers on whether one big contemporary opening (Project Hail Mary) fully flips his status into the top echelon.
  • On Sidney Sweeney: Her Housemaid run shows she can open a film in a specific lane and galvanize a young audience.

Box-office and industry context discussed

  • Project Hail Mary opened to about $140M worldwide; panel debated whether it could scale further (one prediction was it could approach $500M).
  • Other recent hits referenced: Sinners (~$370M), The Housemaid (Sidney Sweeney’s breakout worldwide gross), Barbie, Dune (franchise numbers and lower budgets matter).
  • Streaming complicates star measurement: box-office-only metrics fail to capture reach for actors who lead Netflix/Apple/Amazon films.
  • Amazon’s emergence as a major studio player (thanks in part to theatrical successes like Project Hail Mary) was noted.

Other topics covered briefly

  • TV/streaming: Yellowstone spinoff Dutton Ranch preview — panel predicted strong premiere viewership and debated linear vs. streaming strategies (set a 12M same‑day viewership line and took the over).
  • Sponsors and promos referenced throughout: Hotels.com Save Your Way; The Madison on Paramount+; AMC+ Dark Winds.

Actionable takeaways (for studios, producers, and curious readers)

  • If you want a safe theatrical bet: prioritize actors with franchise track records plus recent theatrical openings (MBJ, Chalamet).
  • If you want “lane” hits and young-audience pull: actors like Sidney Sweeney can carry mid-budget films and drive profitable returns.
  • Be cautious interpreting streaming success as theatrical bankability—frequent streaming releases obscure a star’s ability to draw in cinemas.
  • For marketing: social presence and willingness to promote (Zendaya, Sweeney) still matter, though mystery/disappearance can be a differentiator (Gosling).

Bottom line

There’s no unanimous single answer, but Michael B. Jordan and Timothée Chalamet are the clearest top-tier theatrical draws under 50 in this conversation. Ryan Gosling’s Project Hail Mary surge and Sidney Sweeney’s breakout prove the landscape is fluid: one hit or the right lane can rapidly elevate a performer’s perceived bankability. Studios still favor franchises and proven filmmakers, but emergent non-franchise wins mean star rankings will keep shifting.