Chris Evans is replacing Josh Brolin in an '80s LA noir alongside Chris Pine and Jessica Chastain
My Darling California is Elijah Bynum's 1980s Los Angeles crime film, with Don Cheadle, Mikey Madison and Charles Melton also cast. Shooting starts this month.
It seems Chris Evans can’t stay away from big ensemble projects, even when he’s hung up the superhero cape (for now). After a patchy run of post-Marvel films — a genuine mix of gold and absolute dross — Evans is lining up his next non-superhero gig, and yes, there’s another famous Chris involved. Make of that what you will.
Evans Replaces Brolin, Meets Pine
According to Deadline, Evans has landed a spot in My Darling California, a crime thriller set in 1980s Los Angeles. He’s joined by Chris Pine (Star Trek), Jessica Chastain, Don Cheadle, Mikey Madison, and Charles Melton. Evans is actually stepping in for his Avengers: Endgame mate Josh Brolin, who had to bail thanks to a scheduling clash.
So, what’s the film actually about? At its core, My Darling California is a tangle of lives: a TV host, his bored wife, a country music legend, a couple of hopeless crooks, and an ex-con. One crime threads all these characters together, each desperate for a second chance or an escape — it’s practically textbook LA noir, with a bit of ‘80s gloss thrown in.
Behind the Camera and Production Details
This one’s helmed by Elijah Bynum, the same director behind Magazine Dreams (the Jonathan Majors boxing film that everyone’s heard about, mostly for the wrong reasons — delays, headlines, the works). My Darling California was first announced back in November 2025, and early buzz is painting Bynum’s script as sharp-edged and emotionally hefty. One of the film’s producers, Sebastien Raybaud, had this to say when the project was unveiled:
Elijah has written something electrifying, and we are proud to support his bold and uncompromising vision. He’s a filmmaker with the rare ability to marry emotional depth with cinematic scale — and My Darling California is a testament to that.
Filming for My Darling California is scheduled to start by the end of September 2026.
On the Evans timeline: Avengers: Doomsday will be out first, so this is his next move after that gargantuan Marvel reunion. No official word yet on whether he’ll even be back for Avengers: Secret Wars, and given these overlapping shoot schedules, it looks less and less likely he’ll have a starring role if he does pop up at all.
Release Shuffle for the Cast
Meanwhile, if you’re after more from the cast, there’s a fair bit heading to cinemas soon. Evans turns up in Avengers: Endgame Encore on September 25, which promises new clips to bridge into Avengers: Doomsday. Mikey Madison will headline The Social Reckoning (in cinemas 9 October 2026), and just to keep things even busier, Jessica Chastain stars in The Other Mommy, also bowing the same weekend.
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