Sebastian Stan Gets a New Life While His Old One Plays Out on Stage in ‘A Different Man’ Trailer

In A24 ‘s A Different Man , Sebastian Stan plays Edward, an aspiring actor who believed that the state of his physical appearance meant he had nothing to lose, only to find out that undergoing treatment to change it would put everything he’s worked for on the line. The first trailer for the psychological comedy follows Edward as he gets a new face, a new life, and a new fixation on the one he gave up.

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Early in the clip, Edward visits a doctor who tells him about a new drug with “life-changing” implications, one that could heal his neurofibromatosis, the genetic condition causing tumors to grow on his skin. He undergoes the procedure and begins to experience what it’s like to have people drawn to him because of his conventional attractiveness rather than his physical idiosyncrasies. “Look at this guy,” his coworker boasts. “Look at this piece of man candy.”

But Edward soon learns that his former identity wasn’t a fair trade-off for his new life—not when someone whose experience more closely resembles his past one is reaping the rewards he always thought he would. He becomes fixated on Oswald (Adam Pearson), another actor with neurofibromatosis who has landed Edward’s dream role in a popular stage production essentially based on his life.

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From the sidelines, Edward watches as Oswald becomes the most popular man at every party, the guy who gets the girl a glimpse into what his life could have been. “I’m getting the feeling I’ve messed things up for you,” Oswald tells him. Soon enough, Edward’s obsession begins driving him towards a vengeful fit of rage and jealousy. “Take yours off,” he screams at Oswald in one scene, his hands gripping the actor’s face as he attempts to remove a mask that doesn’t exist.

A Different Man premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. Writer and director Aaron Schimberg was awarded the Director to Watch award at the Palm Springs International Film Festival, and Stan won the Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance at the Berlin International Film Festival. The film, which also stars Renate Reinsve, will be released on Sept. 20.

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