What Ryan Gosling And Chris Evans Chemistry Could Look Like In The MCU

Imagine The Russo Brothers, Captain America, and (possibly?) Nova working together on a Netflix movie, making them a perfect pair for something in the MCU.

By Mabel Judith Andrady
August 22,2022
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Imagine The Russo Brothers, Captain America, and (possibly?) Nova working together on a Netflix movie, making them a perfect pair for something in the MCU. By the article’s title, you’ve probably already guessed where I’m heading with this. With the news of The Russo Bros. not directing the upcoming Avenger movies, Chris Evans’s questionable return, and Ryan Gosling being cast as Nova, fans may already have a preview of their chemistry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Just A Money-Making Vehicle?

You don’t have to watch Netflix’s The Gray Man to imagine their on-screen chemistry. To give you a quick brief on the movie, The Gray Man was inspired by Mark Greaney’s book of the same name. The story’s protagonist is Court Gentry (Ryan Gosling), a former CIA officer turned freelance assassin who goes by the moniker The Gray Man. Chris Evans plays the film’s antagonist, a part the Russo brothers have said has been in the works since they directed Captain America: The Winter Soldier in 2014.

Chris Evans and Ryan Gosling
Chris Evans and Ryan Gosling

After its release, many praised the film’s action scenes and the chemistry between Gosling and Evans as adversaries. For those who like “agent on the run” action movies like the ever-so-popular Mission: Impossible, some critics pointed out this movie’s predictability and lack of payoff.

Some people said The Gray Man’s plot was too simplistic, while others said it was just a money-making vehicle for the film’s A-list cast. Meanwhile, the action sequences were attacked and called bland, while others appreciated it as an artificial-intelligence simulation.

The Chemistry Says It All

Speaking of Chemistry between the two actors, I’ll be straight as a die. At first, it was hard for me to imagine Marvel Cinematic Universe’s glorious Captain America as a villain. As the film progressed, I could see why Chris Evans was offered this role.

Chris Evans The Gray Man
Chris Evans In The Gray Man

I mean, that ‘stache made him even more appealing as an antagonist. Second, Ryan Gosling has always been known for his on-screen romantic charms and to see him in such a serious role was eye-opening. It’s no surprise that Ryan Gosling was paid $20 million for the role. The creators knew he’d be worth every penny!

The film’s leads, and Ana de Armas, are a perfect complement, but I’d argue that the two leads have far more chemistry with one another than they do with the ‘Blonde’ actress. As seen in a brief moment in the movie’s trailer, when the two actors’ characters meet, Evans pins Gosling against the wall as the two engage in clever banter over Evans’s terrible mustache. No one can argue that there is undeniable chemistry between them. Watching a definite bromance develop on TV (for later prospects) between a good person and a villain is so satisfying.

Again, all I could think about were all the other times Chris Evans had bromances with his former Avengers clan. Moving on to the final fight scene. Sure, a few punches here and there did not seem very different from the cliché action movie sequence. What the duo display in the movie may make you imagine a scene in the MCU. But imagine it as Gosling and Evans against an MCU villain.

Is The Gray A Must Watch?

If you haven’t watched The Gray Man yet, I strongly urge you to. Don’t do it for the simplicity of the storyline, but rather to envision precisely what the intention of this article is. It’s been about a month since its release, and since then there have been several reviews, critics, feedback, criticism, and whatnot.

As a matter of fact, ratings on IMDb give the Russo Brothers’ movie a poor 6.5/10. Meanwhile, Rotten Tomatoes gave the Action/Mystery/thriller movie a 45% on their Tomatometer.  Considering the brother duo won’t be directing the upcoming Avengers movies, it also makes me wonder if the average is because of “lazy” direction. Who’s to say who’s to blame?

Nonetheless, The Gray Man is all we have to visualize Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans together in the MCU. Hopefully, their chemistry was strong enough for Marvel boss Kevin Feige to bring them on board somehow. We all know bringing Chris Evans back to the MCU could be tricky, but fans are aware that the Fantastic Four isn’t too far away from making their MCU debut. All we can do is wait.