The Shark In The Tank: Kevin O’Leary’s Menace In 'Marty Supreme' Proves Mr. Wonderful Deserves An Oscar Nom

I don’t throw around Oscar talk lightly. 

After another year of sequels, reboots and Disney-led fatigue, Josh Safdie’s Marty Supreme hits like a vicious topspin forehand. It’s fast, chaotic and impossible to look away from, even at two-and-a-half hours.

Marty Supreme doesn’t want to lecture you like most movies do nowadays; it wants to sweat on you. 

Timothée Chalamet carries the film as Marty Mauser, a scrappy ping-pong prodigy clawing through a world that doesn’t give handouts. 

Penn Jillette, Kevin O'Leary, Timothée Chalamet, Odessa A'zion, Tyler, The Creator, Gwyneth Paltrow and Koto Kawaguchi at the "Marty Supreme" Los Angeles Premiere held at the Samuel Goldwyn Theatre on December 08, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Earl Gibson III/Deadline via Getty Images)

It’s a sports movie that moves like a heist thriller — frantic, loud, and alive — and it works because everyone commits.

But let’s cut through the noise.

Kevin O’Leary — yes, Shark Tank’s Mr. Wonderful — delivers a performance as ink-company titan Milton Rockwell that demands serious awards conversation. 

This isn’t a gimmick cameo or stunt casting. O’Leary is the powerhouse in Marty’s world.

He plays a man who has already conquered the game. 

Businessman and TV personality Kevin O'Leary attends the premiere of "Marty Supreme" in Los Angeles, California, on December 8, 2025. (Photo by Frederic J. BROWN / AFP via Getty Images)

Financially and otherwise, Rockwell carries a cold-blooded temperament. 

The character isn’t just rich; he’s cutthroat. 

O’Leary inhabits him with a ferocity that feels both familiar and revelatory, becoming the perfect foil to Marty’s reckless ambition.

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Chalamet’s Mauser believes he’s the biggest force in any room — until he collides with Rockwell. Marty can out-swing almost anyone, but he can’t fight O’Leary. 

The power dynamic is lopsided because O’Leary doesn’t just play the shark; he controls the water.

We’ve all seen O’Leary dismantle business pitches with a black-beaded stare. 

In Marty Supreme, he channels that instinct with precision, surgically dissecting weaknesses and asserting dominance without ever raising his voice. 

It feels authentic because it draws from his real-life wheelhouse — but it isn’t lazy self-imitation. 

O’Leary layers in subtle vulnerabilities, brief cracks in the armor that reveal the isolation of the man at the top. His delivery is completely menacing. 

When he’s on screen, the tension ratchets up. 

O’Leary moves like he’s been doing this for years, anchoring the film’s power dynamics. Marty’s journey is aspiration and desperation, holding on for dear life. Rockwell has already won, and he knows it.

Their interactions crackle because O’Leary makes you believe in the stakes. He isn’t chasing viral moments; he’s serving the story, even when the script veers surreal. 

The standout is the "vampire" monologue, where Rockwell claims to be a 400-year-old predator who has seen hundreds of Marty Mausers come and go. In a stacked supporting cast, O’Leary stands out as the outsider crashing the party. 

His Rockwell isn’t a cartoon villain; he’s the embodiment of unchecked ambition in a world where survival means taking what’s offered — or taking it anyway.

BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 08: Kevin O'Leary attends the Los Angeles premiere of A24's "Marty Supreme" at Samuel Goldwyn Theater on December 08, 2025 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Savion Washington/FilmMagic)

The performance carries weight and gravitas, grounding the film’s wildest swings.

In the end, Marty Supreme is a winner. It’s blood-pumping, darkly funny, and a fresh spin on the underdog story. 

Chalamet’s frenetic lead, the authentic sequences and the kickass anachronistic ’80s soundtrack all land.

But when awards season rolls around, don’t sleep on Kevin O’Leary. This isn’t a novelty nod or a participation trophy. O’Leary has the goods. 

And if he actually walks away with a statue? Well … take that, Mark Cuban.

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