His days as the star-spangled, patriotic leader of the Avengers may be over, but moviegoers are from satiated when it comes to Chris Evans. Following his effortless typecast-breaking role in Knives Out, the actor has several gigs lined up in 2022 and beyond, including Lightyear and titular topic of the day, The Gray Man.
Netflix’s upcoming action thriller, touted as the beleaguered streaming platform’s latest watch-from-home blockbuster to follow the likes of Red Notice and Don’t Look Up, stars Evans as Lloyd Hansen, a man on a mission to hunt down and capture his former CIA colleague, Court Gentry, aka Sierra Six. Get a taster of the domestic espionage adventure in today’s trailer.
Evans’ quarry is played by the equally handsome Ryan Gosling in what’s shaping up to be a riveting game of cat and mouse. It’s a familiar synopsis (didn’t Tom Hanks and Leonardo DiCaprio already do this years ago?), but derivative or not, it matters little. We’re all here for the leading stars, themselves accompanied by a stellar supporting cast consisting of Ana de Armas and Jessica Henwick, among others.
The Gray Man is currently slotted in for release this summer, July 15. Can it single-handedly turn Netflix’s ailing fortunes around when it lands? No single film wants (or can) to shoulder that burden, but based on star power alone, this one should be a surefire winner. Let’s hope so because, with a budget of $200 million, anything less than critical and commercial adoration could spell doom.
