Action films are expensive to make, so good investments are necessary. Having the film on a streaming giant like Netflix allows the film to reach a wider audience. When making an action film and factoring in the budget, the Russo Brothers explain that who you cast is the most important, as no one wants to lose money. Gosling shares striking similarities to his character’s personality in The Gray Man that the Russo brothers told us no other actor could’ve pulled off the role.

“The Gray Man in the movie is this character who likes to live in the gray, likes to be secretive, moves in the shadows,” Anthony said. “He doesn’t even really want to be doing what he’s doing as a spy. He only accepted an offer from the CIA because he was furloughed from prison. So this is a character who kind of wants to disappear and remain hidden. The movie is very much about an arc about how he has to come out of the shadows and reclaim his identity. But Ryan was so perfect for the role because he is a master of minimalism. He can convey an immense amount of interior life thoughts, emotions, charisma, vulnerability, strength, whatever it is. He can do that doing very little as an actor, and that is what was required of this character.”

Jessica Henwick