Gemma Chan has built a versatile movie career that has taken her from early British productions to major Hollywood franchises and acclaimed independent films. After beginning her acting career with smaller screen roles, she made her feature-film debut in Exam in 2009 and steadily expanded her range across comedy, drama, thriller, science fiction and fantasy. Her international breakthrough came with Crazy Rich Asians in 2018, where her performance as Astrid Leong-Teo earned widespread attention. Chan subsequently became part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, playing Minn-Erva in Captain Marvel and leading Eternals as Sersi. She has also demonstrated her versatility through voice work in animated films such as Raya and the Last Dragon and The Boy and the Heron. This complete guide to Gemma Chan movies by year covers her officially released feature films chronologically, while also identifying notable short-film and other non-standard screen appearances.
2009 — Exam
Exam was released in 2009 as a British psychological thriller directed by Stuart Hazeldine. Gemma Chan plays Candidate 2, one of eight applicants competing for a mysterious corporate position in an increasingly tense examination room. The film uses a confined setting and a high-concept premise to explore pressure, deception and human behaviour. Although Chan’s part was relatively small, Exam marked an important early step in her feature-film career.
2010 — Pimp
Robert Cavanah directed Pimp, a British crime drama released in 2010, with Gemma Chan appearing as Bo. The film follows a group of characters involved in London’s criminal underworld and explores the dangerous relationships surrounding prostitution and organised crime. Chan’s role was part of her early run of British feature-film appearances before she began taking on more prominent international projects. Pimp remains one of the lesser-known entries in the early Gemma Chan movies by year timeline.
2010 — Shanghai
Gemma Chan also appeared in Shanghai, Mikael Håfström’s 2010 period mystery thriller. She plays Shin Shin in a story set in Shanghai during the Second World War, starring John Cusack, Gong Li, Chow Yun-fat and Ken Watanabe. The film combines political intrigue, romance and murder investigation against the backdrop of a city caught between competing powers. Chan’s supporting appearance came during a period when she was building experience across both British and international productions.
2010 — Submarine
Submarine, released in 2010 and directed by Richard Ayoade, is a coming-of-age comedy-drama based on Joe Dunthorne’s novel. Chan plays Kim-Lin in the film, which stars Craig Roberts, Yasmin Paige, Sally Hawkins and Paddy Considine. The story centres on an awkward teenager attempting to navigate first love while dealing with problems in his family life. The film became particularly well regarded for its distinctive visual style, dry humour and unconventional approach to adolescence.
2013 — The Double
Richard Ayoade’s The Double arrived in 2013 as a dark comedy and psychological drama inspired by Fyodor Dostoevsky’s novella. Chan plays the Glamorous Judge, in a story about a quiet office worker whose life is disrupted when a physically identical but socially confident double appears. Jesse Eisenberg leads the cast alongside Mia Wasikowska, with the film blending surreal humour, paranoia and bleak workplace satire. Chan’s appearance is brief, but the project reunited her with Ayoade following her role in Submarine.
2014 — Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit
Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit was released in 2014 and directed by Kenneth Branagh, who also appeared in the film alongside Chris Pine, Kevin Costner and Keira Knightley. Gemma Chan plays Amy Chang in this action-thriller, which reimagines Tom Clancy’s intelligence character as a younger analyst drawn into a dangerous international conspiracy. The film combines espionage, action and political intrigue as Jack Ryan attempts to prevent a financial attack against the United States. It was one of Chan’s first major Hollywood studio productions.
2015 — Families
Jean-Paul Rappeneau directed Families (Belles familles), a French comedy-drama released in 2015. Chan plays Chen-Lin in a story involving family relationships, inheritance and the return of a successful businessman to his childhood home. The film features Mathieu Amalric, Marine Vacth and Gilles Lellouche and mixes family comedy with romantic and dramatic elements. Chan’s appearance also reflected the increasingly international direction of her film career.
2015 — Love Is a Four Letter Word: Worth Seven Points — Short Film
Love Is a Four Letter Word: Worth Seven Points is a short comedy-drama rather than a feature film, and it was released in 2015/2016 depending on the distribution listing. Chan plays a Wife opposite Ed Stoppard in the five-minute story, which centres on a couple having an emotionally charged conversation through a game of Scrabble. Tim Beckmann and John Schwab directed the short from a script by Keith Storrier. It is included here as a non-feature screen credit and should not be counted among Chan’s feature films.
2016 — Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
David Yates directed Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the 2016 fantasy adventure that expanded the Wizarding World beyond the main Harry Potter storyline. Chan plays Madam Ya Zhou, a witch and international representative associated with MACUSA, appearing during an important meeting involving Newt Scamander. The film stars Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler and Alison Sudol, with Colin Farrell and Johnny Depp also appearing. Chan’s role is relatively brief, but the film placed her in one of the most commercially successful fantasy franchises in modern cinema.
2016 — Everyday Performance Artists — Short Film
Everyday Performance Artists is a 14-minute British drama short directed by Polly Stenham and released in 2016. Chan plays Melody alongside Shia LaBeouf, James Norton and Nathan Stewart-Jarrett. The film explores the feeling of being trapped inside circumstances that seem beyond one’s control, using a deliberately unusual narrative style. Because it is a short film, it is not counted as one of Chan’s feature-length movies, but it is a relevant part of her screen filmography.
2017 — Transformers: The Last Knight
Michael Bay’s Transformers: The Last Knight was released in 2017 as the fifth live-action instalment in the Transformers film series. Chan provides the voice and motion-capture performance for Quintessa, a mysterious and powerful Cybertronian figure connected to the Transformers’ mythology. Mark Wahlberg, Anthony Hopkins, Josh Duhamel and Isabela Moner lead the live-action cast. The blockbuster gave Chan a much more prominent genre presence and demonstrated her ability to contribute to a large-scale effects-driven production.
2017 — Stratton
Stratton is a 2017 British action thriller directed by Simon West and based on Duncan Falconer’s series of novels. Chan plays Aggy in the film, which stars Dominic Cooper as Special Boat Service operative John Stratton. The story follows Stratton and his team as they attempt to stop a terrorist threat involving chemical weapons. Although the film received less attention than Chan’s later Hollywood work, it added another action-oriented title to her developing filmography.
2018 — Crazy Rich Asians
Jon M. Chu’s Crazy Rich Asians became the defining breakthrough of Chan’s early Hollywood career when it was released in 2018. She plays Astrid Leong-Teo, the elegant and wealthy cousin of Henry Golding’s Nick Young, alongside Constance Wu, Michelle Yeoh and Henry Golding. The romantic comedy-drama follows an American woman who discovers that her boyfriend comes from one of Singapore’s wealthiest families. Chan’s portrayal of Astrid was widely praised for combining glamour, emotional depth and quiet strength, making the film one of the most important titles in the Gemma Chan movies by year list.
2018 — London Fields
London Fields, directed by Mathew Cullen, is a 2018 mystery thriller adapted from Martin Amis’s novel. Chan plays Petronella, one of the characters surrounding Amber Heard’s enigmatic clairvoyant novelist Nicola Six. The film also stars Billy Bob Thornton, Jim Sturgess, Theo James and Johnny Depp and revolves around a woman who believes she knows the circumstances of her future murder. Chan’s supporting role added another darker and more stylised project to her 2018 film slate.
2018 — Mary Queen of Scots
Directed by Josie Rourke, Mary Queen of Scots is a 2018 historical drama about the rivalry between Mary Stuart and Elizabeth I. Chan plays Elizabeth Hardwick, a member of Queen Elizabeth’s court, alongside Saoirse Ronan, Margot Robbie, Jack Lowden and David Tennant. The film explores political power, religion, succession and the complicated relationship between two powerful women in 16th-century Britain. Chan’s role is supporting, but the film gave her an opportunity to work within a prestige historical ensemble.
2018 — Intrigo: Dear Agnes
Intrigo: Dear Agnes was released in 2019 in many markets but is associated with the Intrigo series and is sometimes listed alongside Chan’s 2018 film work because of its production history. Directed by Daniel Alfredson, the mystery crime drama stars Carla Juri, Chan and Jamie Sives. Chan plays Henny, a woman who asks Agnes to kill her husband, creating a dark chain of manipulation, revenge and unresolved personal history. The film is the sequel to Intrigo: Death of an Author and gives Chan a substantially darker dramatic role than her work in mainstream romantic comedies.
2019 — Captain Marvel
Captain Marvel arrived in 2019 as a major Marvel Studios superhero film directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck. Chan plays Minn-Erva, a Kree warrior and member of the Starforce, appearing opposite Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Jude Law and Ben Mendelsohn. The story follows Carol Danvers as she discovers the truth about her identity and becomes one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s most powerful heroes. Chan’s involvement in the MCU became particularly notable because she later returned to the franchise in a completely different leading role in Eternals.
2019 — Mr. Malcolm’s List — Short Film
The original Mr. Malcolm’s List was an 11-minute romantic short released online in 2019 and should not be confused with the feature film adaptation that followed in 2022. Chan plays Miss Thistlewaite alongside Oliver Jackson-Cohen and Freida Pinto in this Regency-era story about a wealthy bachelor and his demanding list of requirements for a prospective wife. Emma Holly Jones directed the short, which served as an introduction to the concept before the feature version was developed. Chan did not reprise the role in the 2022 feature, making this a distinct short-film credit rather than a feature appearance.
2020 — Let Them All Talk
Steven Soderbergh directed Let Them All Talk, a 2020 comedy-drama starring Meryl Streep, Dianne Wiest, Candice Bergen, Lucas Hedges and Gemma Chan. Chan plays Karen, the literary agent of Streep’s celebrated novelist character Alice Hughes, who travels aboard the Queen Mary 2 with old friends while working on her next book. The film was notable for Soderbergh’s unusually loose production approach, with much of the dialogue improvised by the actors. Released through HBO Max in December 2020, it gave Chan an opportunity to work in an intimate ensemble drama rather than a conventional blockbuster.
2021 — Raya and the Last Dragon
Raya and the Last Dragon was released in 2021 as a Disney animated fantasy adventure, with Chan providing the voice of Namaari. Directed by Don Hall and Carlos López Estrada, the film follows Raya, voiced by Kelly Marie Tran, as she attempts to reunite a divided land and restore humanity’s trust. Chan’s Namaari is initially presented as a rival to Raya before the character becomes central to the film’s themes of trust and reconciliation. The role marked Chan’s first major animated feature voice performance and demonstrated another side of her range.
2021 — Eternals
Chloé Zhao directed Marvel’s Eternals, released in 2021, with Chan taking the leading role of Sersi. The superhero epic follows an immortal group of cosmic beings who have secretly lived among humanity for thousands of years, and the cast includes Angelina Jolie, Richard Madden, Salma Hayek, Kumail Nanjiani, Brian Tyree Henry and Kit Harington. Sersi is an Eternal with a deep connection to humanity and the ability to manipulate matter, making her central to the film’s emotional and narrative arc. Eternals was particularly significant in Chan’s career because she became the first actor to play two different prominent characters in the MCU, following Minn-Erva in Captain Marvel.
2022 — Don’t Worry Darling
Olivia Wilde directed Don’t Worry Darling, a 2022 psychological thriller starring Florence Pugh, Harry Styles, Chris Pine and Gemma Chan. Chan plays Shelley, the wife of Chris Pine’s influential community leader Frank, in the seemingly perfect but increasingly disturbing world of Victory. As the story develops, the apparent 1950s-style paradise begins to reveal a darker reality involving control, identity and manipulation. Chan’s performance is particularly important to the film’s final act, where Shelley becomes involved in one of its major turning points.
2023 — The Creator
Gareth Edwards directed The Creator, a 2023 science-fiction action thriller starring John David Washington, Madeleine Yuna Voyles and Gemma Chan. Chan plays Maya Fey, the wife of Washington’s former special forces operative Joshua, while also becoming connected to the mysterious figure known as Nirmata. Set during a future conflict between humanity and advanced artificial intelligence, the film combines large-scale action with questions about consciousness, technology and family. Chan’s performance gives the story an emotional foundation while the film places her in another major science-fiction setting after her earlier work in Humans and Eternals.
2023 — The Boy and the Heron — English-Dub Voice Role
Chan also appeared in the English-language version of Hayao Miyazaki’s animated film The Boy and the Heron in 2023. She provides the English voice of Natsuko, the pregnant stepmother of the young protagonist Mahito, in the acclaimed Studio Ghibli fantasy. The original Japanese production was voiced by a different cast, so Chan’s contribution is specifically an English-dub voice performance rather than a live-action appearance. The film became one of Miyazaki’s most acclaimed late-career works and won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.
2025 — The Actor
The Actor was released in 2025 and directed by Duke Johnson, based on Donald E. Westlake’s novel Memory. Chan plays Edna, a local costume designer who becomes romantically involved with Paul Cole, played by André Holland, after he becomes stranded in a mysterious town with no memory of his past. The film blends drama, mystery, thriller and darkly comic elements while exploring identity, memory and the uncertainty of perception. Chan’s role is central to the film’s unusual emotional relationship and represents one of her more distinctive independent-film performances.
2026 — Josephine
Josephine is the latest released film in Gemma Chan’s movie career as of August 2026. Written and directed by Beth de Araújo, the crime drama premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, where it won both the U.S. Dramatic Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award, and Chan stars as Claire alongside Channing Tatum and Mason Reeves. The story follows eight-year-old Josephine after she witnesses a violent crime in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, with Chan portraying her mother as the family struggles with the psychological consequences. Chan also serves as a producer on the film, making Josephine notable not only as a new acting credit but also as an expansion of her work behind the camera.
Gemma Chan’s Movie Career at a Glance
Across her film career, Gemma Chan has moved comfortably between independent dramas, British productions, Hollywood blockbusters, period pieces, science-fiction stories and animated features. Her early work in films such as Exam, Pimp, Shanghai and Submarine established her screen presence before Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them brought her into larger studio productions. Crazy Rich Asians became a major career milestone, while her Marvel roles as Minn-Erva and Sersi established her as a recognisable figure in global franchise cinema. Her later projects, including Let Them All Talk, The Creator, The Actor and Josephine, have continued to show that her career is not limited to one genre or type of performance.
Conclusion
Gemma Chan’s filmography shows a steady progression from supporting parts in British and international productions to major roles in some of the biggest franchises in contemporary cinema. Her performances in Crazy Rich Asians, Captain Marvel, Eternals, Raya and the Last Dragon and The Creator demonstrate her ability to work across very different genres, while films such as Let Them All Talk, The Actor and Josephine highlight her dramatic versatility. With her latest released feature, Josephine, Chan has also expanded her involvement into film production. For anyone searching for Gemma Chan movies by year, her career offers a diverse selection spanning psychological thrillers, romance, comedy, historical drama, superhero cinema, animation and science fiction.
