Chris Evans shares a behind-the-scenes photo of himself on The Gray Man set after the first footage is released. The upcoming action-thriller reteams Evans with Joe and Anthony Russo, who directed him in four Marvel Studios films across the Captain America and Avengers franchises. The highly anticipated project is expected to release this year after being included in Netflix's 2022 original movie trailer yesterday.
The Gray Man is based on the 2009 novel of the same name by Mark Greaney and centers on Court Gentry, a longtime CIA operative played by Ryan Gosling, who is betrayed by his agency and forced to go on the run. Evans, meanwhile, plays Lloyd Hansen, his former colleague tasked with hunting him down. In addition to the two stars, the Russo brothers also amassed an impressive supporting cast, which includes recent-No Time To Die-standout Ana de Armas, Jessica Henwick, Billy-Bob Thornton, Alfre Woodard, Michael Gandolfini, and Bridgerton-breakout Regé-Jean Page.
Of course, the first-look footage centered primarily on the two leads, and Evans gives fans another glimpse at his mustachioed CIA agent by tweeting out an on-set selfie. While his costume doesn't provide much in the way of story hints, he looks a bit bloodied, including a tell-tale cut on the bridge of his nose suggesting a direct punch to the face. Considering Evans is shown in Netflix's mash-up trailer as calling Gosling's hero from a control room, this indicates there will be a direct, physical showdown between the two at some point in the narrative. Check out the original post below:
While not too much is known about The Gray Man yet, all indicators point to it being one of Netflix's biggest swings of the year. The Russos brought on frequent MCU screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely to assist in the adaptation and secured a $200 million budget from the streamer, making it the most expensive movie Netflix has ever made. Filming took place in multiple locations last year, including Long Beach, Prague, and France's Chateau de Chantilly, indicating this globetrotting spectacle wasn't at all hampered by pandemic-era restrictions.
The combination of actors also has audiences eager to see the final product, with Evans and de Armas even getting a Knives Out reunion in lieu of appearing in this year's sequel (which is also coming to Netflix). Fans have reason to temper their expectations, however, as the Russos' other post-Marvel directorial project, the Tom Holland-starring Cherry, wasn't particularly well-received. Prospective viewers are hoping their return to blockbuster-action filmmaking will help make The Gray Man a redeeming success.
Source: Chris Evans