Taking one step back from the bombastic superhero mayhem and hanging up the star-spangled suit that helped take to his career to the stratosphere, The Hollywood Reporter has learned that Chris Evans has signed on to lead Marc Webb’s (The Amazing Spider-Man) family drama, Gifted.
In the works at Fox Searchlight, the report states that Evans will assume the role of a surrogate father, who is forced to raise the daughter of his late sister, a daughter who is said to be remarkably talented. Directing from a script by Tom Flynn (Highboys and Lowboy), Gifted will mark the return of Marc Webb to Fox Searchlight, after directing the beloved rom-com 500 Days of Summer in 2009. No word yet on who will be cast in the role of the daughter, though it’s understood that FilmNation is handling the international rights for Webb’s latest project.
Due to begin filming in the fall, Gifted is another example of Chris Evans alternating his time spent as Captain America with more low-key dramas. After all, he toplined the acclaimed sci-fi drama Snowpiercer before stepping behind the camera for his directorial debut Before We Go, which made its bow during the Sundance Film Festival earlier in the year.
It’s refreshing to hear of Evans spreading his wing – wait, isn’t that the Falcon’s job – in order to ensure he isn’t typecast as the muscular action hero. Signing a multi-film contract under Marvel is undoubtedly a huge commitment, and it’s good to see that Evans has carved out projects during the downtime between the studio’s marquee releases in order to flex his acting muscles.
Gifted will step in front of the cameras later this year with a tentative release window pegged for 2016.
