Chris Evans is always going to be best known for his decade-long tenure as the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Captain America, which is understandable when he played a key role in several of the most successful movies ever made. Of course, there are many more strings to his bow, and we’ll be seeing a brand new side of the actor when The Gray Man comes to Netflix in a few weeks.
The streaming service’s most expensive production yet is a $200 million globetrotting espionage blockbuster, which finds Ryan Gosling’s Court Gentry on the run from his former government employers, with Evans’ mustachioed Lloyd Hansen sent in to track him down, and take him out.
The trailer promised plenty of wham-bang action to go along with the standard quips and one-liners, with directors Joe and Anthony Russo promising Total Film that Evans’ rare foray into outright villainy is destined to leave bite marks on every piece of scenery he comes into contact with.
“This is Chris going nuts, and having a blast. Lloyd is a character that was written to chew up scenes, and for the audience to revel in his insane villainy.”
Take one of the most handsome and beloved stars in Hollywood, have them grow some gloriously disconcerting facial furniture, cast them as the primary antagonist of a high concept action-packed spectacular, and presumably we’ll just sit back and watch the sparks fly.
The Gray Man comes bearing intense levels of hype, expectation, and scrutiny, but at the very least we’re expecting Evans to potentially steal the entire movie.