After his sojourn to Pussy Island, Channing Tatum will be replacing Chris Evans in the upcoming Apple TV+ film Project Artemis, co-starring opposite Scarlett Johansson. As reported by Deadline, the Captain America actor is no longer available due to his commitments to Pain Hustlers and Red One.
It’s another tough break for fans who wanted to see Evans and Johansson together onscreen again after their characters’ exits from the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Avengers: Endgame. The two were already supposed to co-star in Ghosted, also for Apple TV+, before Johansson’s own schedule led to her being replaced by Ana de Armas. Evans previously starred in one of the streamer’s earliest projects, the legal drama Defending Jacob.
Tatum’s casting isn’t the only big change coming to Project Artemis. Jason Bateman previously stepped aside as director, citing creative differences. He has now been replaced by Greg Berlanti.
Berlanti is mainly known as a producer, particularly for CW shows like Riverdale and Arrow, though he’s also worked on projects such as The Flight Attendant and the forthcoming My Policeman. He doesn’t pick up the camera himself as often, but he most recently directed the 2018 teen rom-com Love, Simon.
Berlanti will also be directing the comic book flick Booster Gold after producing a variety of other DC adaptations on TV, such as Superman & Lois, Batwoman, and The Flash. Tatum recently wrapped filming on Magic Mike’s Last Dance and was seen in Dog, The Lost City, and The Afterparty earlier this year; Dog was also his directorial debut.
Little is known about the plot of Project Artemis, other than that it is a period piece about the space race in the ‘60s. One of Apple TV+’s current flagship series is For All Mankind, which follows an alternate history where the Soviet Union lands on the moon first.