Netflix viewers are excited for the upcoming Russo brothers’ release, The Gray Man, which will premiere on the streamer on July 22nd, a week after premiering in theatres on July 15th, 2022. Starring Chris Evans, Ryan Gosling, Ana De Armas and Rege-Jean Page, the film is among the most highly-anticipated releases of the year.
Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, the film also stars other brilliant actors, namely Wagner Moura, Billy Bon Thornton, Jessica Hanwick, Eme Ikwuakor, Julia Butters and Dhanush.
It will feature Gosling as the titular Gray Man and an ex-CIA agent pursued by the conniving Lloyd Hansen, played by Evans.
Sporting a distinguished moustache, Lloyd Hansen is Evans’ second role as an antagonist in a film. He is seen sparring with Gosling in a few snippets released by the production company and dons a distinct smirk on his face as he calls the latter “sunshine”.
Evans is known for his recurring role as the iconic and heroic superhero Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He has previously been a part of the MCU as Human Torch in the Fantastic Four franchise but gained acclaim as the shield-wielding epitome of American masculinity in Captain America and the subsequent Avengers films.
After being reunited with Marvel alum and Avengers filmmakers, the Russo brothers, Evans allegedly talked them into casting him in such a different and villainous role on The Gray Man.
According to Joe Russo, “We didn’t have to sell Chris on the role; Chris sold us, in a way.”
The filmmakers talked to Evans on the Infinity War and Endgame set when the actor expressed his desire to take up something new and challenging. Evans reportedly said, “You know what? I’m comfortable enough in my life and the work I’ve done that I’m just interested in taking risks moving forward, and I just want to play challenging characters.”
Joe Russo added, “So it seemed obvious to us that the right move here would be to offer Chris the sociopath and not the hero.”
The Russos have promised “complicated characters with competing agendas” who engage in a “fight to [the] death” in the film. They have also gushed over the electrifying camaraderie between the leads, namely Gosling and Evans, which is comparable to the one Al Pacino and Robert De Niro shared in Michael Mann’s 1995 crime thriller, Heat.
Evans has talked about how Hansen is a “trainwreck” who is “liberated, free and honest” and pretty different from his other roles.
Ahead of its release, the Russo Brothers have announced The Gray Man to be a trilogy where the first film will see Gosling and Evans sparring against each other, with the second and third films acting as a prequel and sequel, respectively. The prequel will focus on Hansen, while the sequel will follow Gosling’s Gray Man, thus indicating the possible outcome of the film.
