Few actors in Hollywood have reinvented themselves quite like Chris Evans. After years behind the shield of America’s Kindest Hero, he now plays the most sadistic character of his career in Hidden Agent.
In the film, which premieres on Netflix this Friday (February 22), he reunites with the directors of the last two ‘Captain America’ and ‘Avengers’, Joe and Anthony Russo, to bring a mercenary to life without a shred of regret awaken .
“Yeah, Lloyd is probably the most despicable thing (of my career),” the 41yearold American told g1.
“But then again, most villains don’t see themselves as villains. Although he’s a despicable guy on the outside, he doesn’t see himself that way.”
For someone who first caught the eye as the halfsilly, halffunny cutie of films like Not an American Bullshit Anymore (2001) and the first two Fantastic Four, changing profiles is nothing new.
2 of 6 Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans in a scene from Hidden Agent — Photo: Disclosure
Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans in a scene from Hidden Agent Photo: Disclosure
Even more so after eight years and seven productions as a starstudded super soldier flying the American flag. Despite this, he claims that the choice to star opposite good guy Steve Rogers as the other murderous villain of “Knives and Secrets” (2019) was not intentional.
“It’s not a conscious decision. You actually go where the good scripts are, where the good directors are, where the good actors are,” says Evans.
“Honestly, the truth is, if there was a great script coming out tomorrow from a great director, a great cast, and the character happened to be a kindhearted soldier, I would jump at that opportunity.”
Based on the book of the same name by Mark Greaney and with an estimated budget of 200 million US dollars, “Hidden Agent” is considered by the specialist press to be the most expensive film ever produced by the video platform.
In it, Ryan Gosling (“Blade Runner 2049”) plays a spy for a secret sector of the CIA who is being pursued by the agency. Lloyd Hansen, played by Evans, is the main antagonist, a mercenary who hires an almost infinite number of assassins to hunt down the hero.
With around nine action scenes full of gunfights, explosions and intricately choreographed combat, the directors consider it one of their most grueling productions even surpassing his four films at Marvel.
3 of 6 Ryan Gosling in a scene from Hidden Agent — Photo: Disclosure
Ryan Gosling in a scene from Hidden Agent Photo: Disclosure
“I think one of the reasons we trust the Russos so much is that they have a really good internal barometer of what’s working and what’s not. And if they really want to push the envelope, it’s for good reason,” says Evans.
In addition to Evans reuniting with the directors, Hidden Agent is full of reunions. The actor reprises his role alongside Ana de Armas, with whom he shared the scene on ‘Between Knives and Secrets.’
The Cuban actress is reunited with Gosling, who she partnered in ‘Blade Runner 2049’ (2017), and while they don’t share the stage, she’s also part of a different cast with ‘Sergio’ partner Wagner Moura ( 2019) and Wasp Network (2020).
4 of 6 Ana de Armas and Ryan Gosling in a scene from Hidden Agent — Photo: Disclosure
Ana de Armas and Ryan Gosling in a scene from Hidden Agent Photo: Disclosure
And if Evans cedes his second straight villain since leaving Marvel by only voicing the hero in ‘Lightyear’ (2022), Ana also embodies a similar character to another recent work.
In Hidden Agent she plays Dani Miranda, a CIA agent allied with the protagonist a description that could almost describe Paloma, the spy who gave her little girl in 007: No Time to Die (2021). stole screen time.
5 of 6 Wagner Moura and Ryan Gosling in a scene from Hidden Agent — Photo: Disclosure
Wagner Moura and Ryan Gosling in a scene from Hidden Agent — Photo: Disclosure
“With ‘Bond,’ it was a movie and a character that I really loved. And I had a lot of fun with her. But the nature of the character was also that she had no education. That was the first big thing about her. And that’s why I was in the movie for about 15 minutes,” jokes the 34yearold actress.
“There was a lot of fun. But I felt like when I spoke to the Russians and they offered me this role, this was my chance to really delve into it. Learn and enjoy the process. Learn the training and the shooting and the action. And the dangerous scenes. All.”
6 of 6 RegeJean Page and Ana de Armas in a scene from Hidden Agent — Photo: Disclosure
RegeJean Page and Ana de Armas in a scene from Hidden Agent — Photo: Disclosure