Where to Watch James Marsden's Best Movies and TV Shows
James Marsden is one of those actors that has been around for long enough that it feels like we’ve watched him in everything, and he has done a little bit of, well… every genre imaginable. And that applies to both movies and TV. He can make you laugh! He can make you cry! He can make you contemplate the need for both!
He can be a superhero, if you need one. Or a Disney-coded prince. But that’s not where his range ends. In fact, James Marsden can also play, get this, the President of the United States, an animated character in The Boss Baby, and even do a pretty good job of serenading you like he did in Hairspray. Talk about a man who can do it all.
So, if you’re looking for the best of James Marsden’s filmography, we’ve got that right here for you, alongside where to watch the best James Marsden movies and TV shows on streaming services.
Marsden’s newest show is Paradise, a political thriller from Dan Fogelman, the same guy who made us laugh with Crazy, Stupid, Love and cry every week with This Is Us. In the series, which is The X-Files apocalyptic meets The West Wing politics, Marsden plays the President of the United States. If you love to be surprised and want to see Marsden get to play a more serious role, this is likely your next obsession.
Also appearing in the first two Sonic movies, Marsden returns in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, to once again play Tom Wachowski, the adoptive father of Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles, and the sheriff of Green Hills, Montana. If you’re looking for the kid-friendly version of Marsden, this is the perfect movie, as the actor is not just having fun, but doing so in a way that kids, in particular, will get a kick out of.
Imagine being in two very popular dystopian shows and being able to say that those two very popular dystopian shows are nothing alike. That holds true for Marsden, who starred in HBO’s Westworld, a dystopian science fiction Western drama originally set in a fictional, technologically advanced Wild West-themed amusement park populated by android hosts. Marsden plays one of the ‘hosts’ in the amusement park, which caters to high paying guests.
Voice acting is often an underappreciated skill, but Marsden puts all his skills on display in The Boss Baby: Family Business, the second installment in the Boss Baby franchise. The 2021 sequel is another kid-friendly entry on the list, but one that Marsden excels at in a very different way, because this time, he’s got to convey all the emotion without us ever getting to see his face.
Ironically, by this point in career, Marsden was certainly starting to feel like always the bridesmaid, never the bride, as he’d done quite a few rom-coms where he wasn’t the main romantic love interest. Enter 27 Dresses, the movie that allows him to be the guy and finally get the girl. It helps that this is a particularly adorable movie, and that the chemistry between him and Katherine Heigl is top-notch, too.
James Marsden as a Disney prince, or as close to a Disney prince as you can get outside of an actual Disney movie, complete with his own song, animated montage, and the clothes to match. And although he doesn’t get the Princess, Marsden does get a Princess here while stealing plenty of hearts along the way. Let’s just say this movie left us pretty Enchanted all around.
If you’re a fan of musicals, Hairspray is a must. The film follows a teenager, Tracy Turnblad as she tries to become a star as a dancer on a local television dance show. But that’s not all the musical is about, as it also sends a message against racial segregation. It’s both a showcase of Marsden's singing chops, his more serious side, and his impeccable comedic timing.
Not only does James Marsden get to be a superhero, he’s one of the most iconic in 2000's X-Men , where he plays none other than Cyclops—a role he would go on to reprise in X2: X-Men United, X-Men: The Last Stand and X-Men: Days of Future Past. Oh, and he’s also returning for Avengers: Doomsday. So, basically, he’s now going to be every generation’s Cyclops.
The role that cemented Marsden as the romantic lead, even if it was as the romantic lead that didn’t always get the girl, The Notebook is one of those must-watch romantic movies. And hey, we all know in real life, he probably would have and perhaps should have gotten the girl.
