The cast of Munich: The Edge of War is appropriately sprawling for a film that covers the fate of an entire continent. Playing everything from infamous political leaders to diplomats and spies who operate in the shadows of history, the crew of performers is bursting with recognizable faces. Here’s a quick primer:

Jeremy Irons as Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain

Jeremy Irons is a familiar name and face for any modern cinephile; you may recognize him as the twin gynecologists in David Cronenberg’s Dead Ringers or as Ben Affleck’s weary butler Alfred in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. In Munich, he adds a subtle warmth to Prime Minister Chamberlain’s thick layer of bluster. Chamberlain is a controversial figure in British and world history, and Irons lends him all the empathy a great actor can provide. It’s a refreshing change of pace from the sinister (Reversal of Fortune) or sardonic (Watchmen) roles that have defined Irons’ career. 

Irons is known for his Shakespearean roots, which he channeled into an early career on the West End. (He also played Scar in The Lion King, arguably from similar source material). He’s one of the few recipients of the Triple Crown of Acting, having won an Oscar (for Reversal of Fortune), three Emmys (most notably for his performance in Elizabeth I), and a Tony (for The Real Thing). All that, and the villain in Die Hard with a Vengeance? Not bad for a former busker.

George MacKay as Hugh Legat

George MacKay (pronounced Mac-Kye) is no stranger to a good old-fashioned World War period piece; his star-making role came in 2019’s erstwhile Oscar front-runner1917. That stamina-testing performance came after years of sturdy supporting turns, dating all the way back to a small role as one of the Lost Boys in 2003’s underrated Peter Pan adaptation. MacKay also popped up as one of Viggo Mortensen’s children in Captain Fantastic and played Hamlet in Ophelia (reimagined from Shakespeare and starring Daisy Ridley). Most recently, he played a young man suffering from species dysphoria in 2021’s Wolf.

Jannis Niewöhner as Paul von Hartmann

German newcomer Jannis Niewöhner is perhaps the most exciting part of Munich. As defecting Nazi Paul von Hartmann, Niewöhner is fiery and direct, clashing with Legat’s British stiff upper lip in scenes that set off fireworks in an otherwise understated film. After a prologue in which he is a student and passionate Hitler supporter, the film flashes forward to a now-repentant von Hartmann desperate to depose Hitler at any cost. Since the character’s journey unfolds largely off-screen, it’s left to Niewöhner to communicate it, and he does it with aplomb. It’s enough to make you want to see much more of him. His most prominent role until now came in Munich director Christian Schwochow’s film Je Suis Karl, currently streaming on Netflix. He also popped up in Duncan Jones’ Netflix sci-fi thriller Mute. You can follow Niewöhner on Instagram and Twitter.

Jessica Brown Findlay as Pamela Legat

Dedicated period-piece viewers will recognize Jessica Brown Findlay as the ill-fated Lady Sybil of Downton Abbey fame, but she’s found success since then in the “Fifteen Million Merits” episode of Black Mirror and as a voice on Netflix’s Castlevania series. Findlay also co-starred with Lily James in 2018’s Netflix literary adaptation The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. In Munich, she plays Hugh Legat’s put-upon wife, Pamela.

Mark Lewis Jones as Sir Osmond Cleverly

British character actor Mark Lewis Jones plays the prime minister’s private secretary Sir Osmond Cleverly, a small but significant role. It’s a niche that Jones has slipped into quite effortlessly over the past few years; he’s played crucial parts in films as varied as Netflix’s Rebecca and Apostle, and he stole the scene as a spaceship captain in the opening scene of 2017’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi. A bonus for Witcher-heads: He’s the voice of the Kingslayer in The Witcher 2 and 3.  You can follow Jones on Instagram and Twitter.