Why Chris Evans thinks playing a villain opposite Ryan Gosling on 'The Gray Man' is 'always a little more fun'
Can you imagine Chris Evans, a.k.a Captain America, as a villain? After playing a superhero for the longest time, the actor is playing a heel opposite Ryan Gosling in Netflix's The Gray Man.
In the movie's virtual press conference attended by PhilSTAR L!fe on Thursday, July 14, Evans said that playing a villain is more fun.
"Playing a villain is always a little more fun, you have a little bit more freedom, you get a lot more jokes, but working with the Russos is what gives that sense of trust and freedom," he said.
The actor has previously worked with the upcoming film's directors Anthony and Joseph Russo in Marvel movies Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Avenger: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame.
"When you trust the filmmakers, you're more willing to take risks, and certainly a character like this demands risks. So, without the Russos and the relationship and rapport we have, I don't know if I would have had such a rewarding experience," Evans added.
Bridgerton's Regé-Jean Page also stars in The Gray Man and plays a villain as well.
"It's hugely freeing," he said about portraying a villain. "My favorite villain, like, in literature is, like, Iago in Othello. People enjoy watching him enjoy himself be bad. And I feel that Denny (Page's character) and Lloyd (Evans' character) are kind of cut from a similar cloth in that way. They enjoy themselves, just in different ways. And so I just tried to bring some relish to the deviousness," the actor said.
Fresh take on the female action star
Meanwhile, Ana de Armas joins the film as Dani Miranda and got to learn from a CIA agent for the role. The actress brings a different flavor to women in action movies—instead of being typically clad in heels while beating guys up, she's representing a more everyday woman type.
"I've done that. I was a woman in high heels kicking ass in a Bond movie looking beautiful and, you know, the way I was supposed to for that movie. But it is something really refreshing about this one where the focus is not on that. I'm not Ryan's love interest. We've done that, too. We've been there," De Armas said.
"It's really about her power in a different way, you know? And it's really cool and important to put women in action films in that light, have that vision of it and accentuate that part of badass women."
The Gray Man stars Ryan Gossling, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Regé-Jean Page, Jessica Henwick, Dhanush, Billy Bob Thornton, Julia Butters, and Alfre Woodard. The action film streams on Netflix on July 22.