Ana De Armas To Reteam With Chris Evans In Ghosted After Scarlett Johansson Exits

You know what they say: when one door closes, an even better one opens right up. After achieving blockbuster star power in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson were meant to reunite once more in Apple's "Ghosted," described at the time as "a high-concept romantic action adventure in the vein of 'Romancing the Stone.'" Today, however, brings the news that Johansson has had to step away from her role in the film due to scheduling conflicts. That's not a terribly surprising development for the actor, who recently touched on her very public lawsuit filed against Disney and will be busy with several upcoming projects ranging from Wes Anderson's "Asteroid City" to her rumored involvement in the "Little Shop of Horrors" remake, to her A24 and AppleTV+ film "Bride," which she is producing and starring in.

Stepping in for her on "Ghosted," however, will be another familiar face to Chris Evans. After working together on "Knives Out" and their to-be-released collaboration in the Russo brothers' "The Gray Man," Ana de Armas is now set to star opposite Evans once more.

Well, "Ghosted" may be losing its Asian representation, but at least it's gaining a new Latina lead. In all seriousness, Apple has announced that "Blade Runner 2049," "Knives Out," and "No Time to Die" scene-stealer Ana de Armas is joining the cast and will serve as executive producer while Evans is credited as a producer. Of course, de Armas previously starred as Marta Cabrera in Rian Johnson's murder mystery "Knives Out," which put her and Chris Evans' Ransom Thrombey alternately at odds and as uneasy allies throughout the film. Between that and their reunion in the Joe and Anthony Russo-directed "The Gray Man," set to release in 2022, clearly the industry is paying attention to the on-screen chemistry between the two stars.

This comes amid reports that Scarlett Johansson is exiting the production. The romantic action adventure film is apparently entering production in February of 2022, which ultimately posed a timing issue for Johansson. As a result, producer David Ellison apparently set his sights on the highly in-demand de Armas to replace the original star, who clearly has a full plate of her own.

"Ghosted" is set to be directed by filmmaker Dexter Fletcher, known for "Eddie the Eagle," stepping in to take over "Bohemian Rhapsody," and the excellent Elton John musical biopic "Rocketman." Writing team Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick ("Zombieland," "Deadpool") are credited screenwriters on the project and will also produce, along with Ellison, Dana Goldberg, and Don Granger for Skydance Media.