Keanu Reeves and Chris Evans once shared the screen in a dark crime thriller years before their biggest Hollywood franchise roles
Long before Keanu Reeves turned John Wick into one of the defining characters of his career, he starred in a crime thriller that looks considerably more interesting nearly two decades later — particularly because of its cast.
Released in 2008, ‘Street Kings’ paired Reeves with a rising Chris Evans, three years before the latter officially entered the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Captain America.
Directed by David Ayer, years before he would make ‘Suicide Squad’, the film follows Tom Ludlow, an LAPD detective played by Reeves whose violent methods regularly push the boundaries of the law. After his former partner is killed during a shootout, Ludlow becomes implicated in the case and begins uncovering a much larger story of police corruption.
Chris Evans before Captain America
Evans plays Paul Diskant, an investigator who eventually works alongside Ludlow to uncover what really happened. It is a supporting role, but one that feels particularly fascinating in hindsight considering just how dramatically Evans’ career would change only a few years later.
By this point, the actor was already familiar with superhero films. He had played Johnny Storm, aka the Human Torch, in ‘Fantastic Four’ and its sequel, but it was not until 2011’s ‘Captain America: The First Avenger’ that he became one of Hollywood’s biggest stars.
‘Street Kings’ also featured an impressive supporting cast including Forest Whitaker, Hugh Laurie, Terry Crews, Naomie Harris, Common and Cedric the Entertainer. Its story originated with James Ellroy, the author behind ‘L.A. Confidential’.
The film was not particularly well received by critics, and currently holds a 37% score on Rotten Tomatoes, although its audience rating stands higher at 58%.
Almost 20 years later, however, its cast gives ‘Street Kings’ another reason to revisit it. Before John Wick and Captain America became synonymous with their respective stars, Keanu Reeves and Chris Evans were already sharing the screen in this gritty Los Angeles crime thriller.
