When you hear the name Robert Redford, your mind probably goes straight to the classic image: golden-haired, impossibly cool, the leading man of the New Hollywood era. You think of The Way We Were, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, or maybe his Oscar-winning directorial turn with Ordinary People. Basically: prestige, gravitas, and charisma in spades.

But here’s the thing Hollywood history books often skip over: Robert Redford has some deeply nerdy films in his back catalog. We’re talking hacker thrillers, eco-activist cowboy flicks, and yes — his unexpected turn in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Redford wasn’t just the golden boy of ’70s cinema; he was also, at times, a geek’s geek. The kind of actor who could anchor a spy thriller that still gets cited by conspiracy nerds on Reddit, or make hikers reconsider their stamina on the Appalachian Trail.

Sadly, it was announced that the actor passed away at the age of 89 years old. We want to honor his cinematic legacy by celebrating the Redford films that let our nerd flags fly. Here are six of the nerdiest Robert Redford movies to rewatch, reappraise, and totally geek out over.

1. Sneakers (1992)

If there’s a single film that earns Redford lifetime geek cred, it’s Sneakers. Think about it: a hacker heist movie before hacking was cool, starring a nerd dream team of Sidney Poitier, River Phoenix, Dan Aykroyd, David Strathairn, and Redford himself as Martin Bishop, the reluctant leader of this codebreaking crew.

The movie is equal parts comedy, caper, and cyber-thriller, where the group stumbles onto a piece of tech capable of cracking any encryption in the world. That’s right—before you were protecting your Netflix password with two-factor authentication, Redford was out here fighting off government agencies, mobsters, and mystery men over a magical black box. Tech nerds still cite this film for its prescient look at digital surveillance, and fandom nerds love it for its pure ensemble energy. Sneakers is basically the Dungeons & Dragons party setup of ’90s cinema, and Redford is your wise but weary dungeon master.

2. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Now, let’s be honest: none of us had “Robert Redford joins the MCU” on our bingo card. And yet, there he was in The Winter Soldier, suited up as Alexander Pierce, a high-ranking S.H.I.E.L.D. official with sinister ties.

Marvel fans lost it. Because this wasn’t just stunt casting—it was a direct nod to Redford’s legacy in ’70s political thrillers like Three Days of the Condor. By pulling him into a modern comic book conspiracy, Marvel created a cinematic Easter egg that rewarded film buffs and superhero nerds alike. Redford plays the role with his signature gravitas, elevating a storyline about Hydra infiltration into something that felt ripped from a paranoid Cold War classic.

For nerds, this was like seeing your favorite comic artist show up to ink a superhero crossover event. It’s iconic, it’s meta, and it made Robert Redford a part of Marvel fandom history forever.

(Whispers: it also holds up as one of the best Marvel movies to date)

3. The Hot Rock (1972)

Sometimes the nerdiest thing you can do is fail — spectacularly. Enter The Hot Rock, a criminally underrated heist comedy where Redford plays Dortmunder, a thief who cannot catch a break. Every attempt to steal a valuable diamond goes hilariously wrong, and the caper keeps resetting like a comic book side quest.

Based on Donald E. Westlake’s novel, the film has cult appeal for fans of quirky crime stories and absurdist humor. If Sneakers was Redford’s hacker cred, The Hot Rock is his misfit gamer cred, the movie equivalent of playing a campaign where your dice rolls keep landing on ones. Nerd comedy gold.

4. The Electric Horseman (1979)

Redford plus a glowing, LED-lit rodeo outfit? That’s nerdy enough. But The Electric Horseman isn’t just about the flashy costume; it’s about eco-activism, anti-corporate rebellion, and one man liberating a horse from the clutches of capitalism. Yes, really.

The film stars Redford as a washed-up rodeo cowboy who steals a corporate mascot horse to save it from exploitation, sparking a road trip adventure with Jane Fonda as the reporter covering his stunt. Eco-nerds, sustainability geeks, and anyone who’s ever side-eyed a corporate sponsorship will find plenty to root for here. Think of it as cowboy cosplay meets environmental manifesto, with Redford riding off into the night to prove that even a neon cowboy has morals.

5. Three Days of the Condor (1975)

For conspiracy nerds, this film is the holy grail. Redford stars as Joe Turner, a CIA researcher whose entire office is assassinated while he’s out grabbing lunch. Suddenly, the bookish analyst has to outwit hitmen, uncover government secrets, and figure out who he can trust. Spoiler: almost no one.

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This film is a cornerstone of paranoid thrillers, cited everywhere from think pieces about Watergate to pop culture references in shows like Mr. Robot. It’s the Redford film that still gets name-checked on internet forums whenever a new government scandal breaks. Basically: if you’re the type of nerd who can’t resist connecting dots on a corkboard with red string, Condor is your cinematic bible.

6. A Walk in the Woods (2015)

Late in his career, Redford took a detour into outdoorsy nerd territory with A Walk in the Woods. Based on Bill Bryson’s beloved travel memoir, the film follows two old friends, Redford and Nick Nolte, attempting to hike the Appalachian Trail.

Now, is it glamorous? No. Do they struggle? Constantly. But that’s exactly what makes it resonate with hiking nerds, literature nerds, and anyone who’s ever thought, “Sure, I could totally thru-hike the AT.” Spoiler: it’s a lot harder than Instagram influencers make it look. Redford leans into the humor and heart of the story, giving us one last reminder that even Hollywood icons can still geek out over the beauty (and chaos) of nature.

Robert Redford may forever be remembered as the cool guy of American cinema, but his nerdiest roles prove he was never afraid to geek out right alongside us. Whether he’s cracking codes in Sneakers, plotting paranoia in Three Days of the Condor, or joining forces with Cap in The Winter Soldier, Redford showed us that even the smoothest legends can be honorary nerds at heart.

And honestly? That’s the kind of crossover event we’ll always show up for.

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