4. Ben Affleck

“The Sum of All Fears” (2002) veers sharply from Clancy’s 1991 novel, presenting a younger, not-yet-field-tested character rather than the deputy director of the CIA.

Affleck, then 29, and Pine have the misfortune of starring in weaker films. But the higher stakes in “Sum” — potential nuclear war between the U.S. and Russia — and Ryan’s naivete and awkwardness in Affleck’s film, edge out Pine.