Chris Evans’ upcoming film Ghosted is already hinting at a controversy commonly present and justified in rom-com. Directed by Dexter Fletcher, Ghosted marks the third collaboration between Chris Evans and Ana de Armas, after they first starred together in 2019’s Knives Out and reunited in 2022’s The Gray Man. Set for release in April 2023, the action rom-com initially underwent major casting changes, with Scarlett Johansson originally set to lead the film opposite her frequent co-star Evans. Unfortunately, due to scheduling conflicts, she had to exit the project, and Ana de Armas stepped in her place as the female love interest of Ghosted.
While Chris Evans’ portrayal of Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe gave him international popularity, he was no stranger to the world of rom-com. In the early 2000s and 2010s, he appeared in numerous romantic comedy films, such as What’s Your Number?, Not Another Teen Movie, and The Nanny Diaries. On the other hand, Ana de Armas’ filmography mostly revolves around action flicks, giving her the rising reputation of an in-demand action star. Granted, Evans and de Armas’ backgrounds would have made Ghosted quite an interesting product, but sadly, it already presents a potentially awkward storyline that, if left unaddressed, can be problematic.
Ghosted's Plot Repeats A Rom-Com History Of Creepy Romances
As seen in Ghosted’s trailer, Cole Riggan – played by Chris Evans – met Ana de Armas' movie character Sadie. They immediately hit it off, and Cole is evidently infatuated to the point of mentioning her to his family even only after their accidental meet-up-turned-first-date. All goes seemingly well until Sadie disappears and stops responding to his messages. Consequently, Cole continues to send numerous messages in hopes of eliciting a reaction from her. When that doesn't work, he decides to follow her and track her down in London. Ghosted tries to package this move as a “grand romantic gesture,” but the reality is it simply repeats a rom-com history of encouraging creepy romances.
During the height of romantic comedies' popularity in the '90s and 2000s to their revival in the present day, consent, especially from the leading ladies, is a concept not generally openly discussed and incorporated into the narratives. Through these films, society has romanticized the chase and pursuit even after the object of affection has already rejected previous efforts. Rom-coms solidify the dangerous idea that one’s persistence will eventually urge the other party to fold and enter into a relationship with them. Although romantic comedies are meant to stir viewers’ fantasies, they must still respect and encourage healthy real-life boundaries. By promoting Ghosted as yet another rom-com that blurs reality and ignores consent, it risks contributing to this twisted collective mindset and wasting the brilliance of its stars.
How Ghosted Can Still Break This Rom-Com Tradition
Fortunately, Ghosted can still avoid repeating this rom-com movie trope; after all, a number of clarifying details were likely left out of the film’s initial trailer. The movie also appears to repeatedly criticize Cole’s suspicious behavior, with the emphasis on the absurdity of him flying hundreds of miles to look for a woman he only met once. Hopefully, Ghosted’s self-aware nature carries on to the actual film, and it steers clear of the traditional rom-com character tropes. If Evans’ character actually realizes what his issues are and how his actions appear, then that could make the movie more generally agreeable.
Additionally, Ghosted’s first look shows a reversal of roles: Cole is seemingly more desperate, escalating events quickly, chasing after his love interest, getting himself roped into Sadie’s tumultuous business as the traditional damsel in distress, and needing to be rescued. Meanwhile, Sadie, whose fighting prowess is showcased by the John Wick spinoff Ballerina’s Ana de Armas, is the knight in shining armor as the muscle that is in control of the situation. As such, the rom-com aspect of the film shown in the Ghosted trailer might just be a hook before revealing a bigger, better, saving-the-world plot line.