Captain America Star Chris Evans Cast In Rian Johnson’s ‘Knives Out’

Captain America star Chris Evans will join James Bond star Daniel Craig in Knives Out, the next effort from Star Wars: The Last Jedi writer-director Rian Johnson, Deadline reports.

Johnson produces with partner Ram Bergman (Looper, The Last Jedi) and scripts the project, described as a “modern day murder mystery in the classic whodunit style.” The filmmaker will helm Knives Out before turning his attention towards directing the first installment of a mysterious new Star Wars trilogy planned at Lucasfilm.

Plot details are being kept under wraps, but the film is expected to shoot year. Craig will shoot Knives Out before putting in work on the still-untitled Bond 25.

Details on Evans’ role are not yet known. His casting comes after wrapping filming on Avengers 4 Thursday, fulfilling his original multi-year deal with Marvel Studios.

A sentimental tweet published by Evans Thursday morning suggests the longtime Captain America star will be exiting the role of the star-spangled superhero, who has long been pegged as an expected casualty in the chapter-ending Avengers 4.

“It was an emotional day to say the least,” Evans wrote. “Playing this role over the last 8 years has been an honor. To everyone in front of the camera, behind the camera, and in the audience, thank you for the memories! Eternally grateful.”

During his eight-year tenure as the character since first headlining 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger, Evans headlined Snowpiercer and Before We Go, which he directed, as well as romantic comedy Playing It Cool and drama Gifted.

The star next has thriller The Red Sea Diving Resort, where he stars alongside Ben Kingsley and Michael Kenneth Williams, and is set for Antonio Campos’ horror-thriller The Devil All the Time, where he’ll feature alongside Mia Wasikowska, Robert Pattinson, and Spider-Man star Tom Holland. Evans booked Greenland during Cannes, which will team him with District 9 and Chappie director Neill Blomkamp.

Johnson, meanwhile, has been been developing Knives Out since before The Last Jedi.

“I do have a couple of well-developed ideas, movies in my head that I had before [Star Wars] came around that I need to find time to do,” Johnson told CinemaBlend earlier this year. “And whether that means squeezing one in before the next trilogy starts or what have you. I think it’s gonna be really important to do that.”

Avengers 4 opens May 3, 2019.