The Russo Brothers’ new spy thriller The Gray Man is set for release on Netflix in a few days, and while fans have yet to see the film, the directors have already teased the possibility of it growing into a cinematic universe.

The Russo Brothers, Joe and Anthony Russo, are best known for directing Avengers: Endgame for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, so the idea of the two growing another cinematic universe would surely elicit excitement among fans of the directors and the spy genre.

In a recent press conference for The Gray Man, Anthony Russo shares that they’ve designed their new film with the possibility of producing sequels, prequels, or spinoffs in mind.

“Look, part of our motivation to assemble a cast like this, an amazing cast like this who can embody so many interesting characters, was the hope of creating sort of a universe that you wanted to follow all of them, either forward or backward from this moment in time that we caught in this first movie. So yes, hopefully, there will be more stories to tell in The Gray Man world,” Anthony Russo explained.

Based on the book of the same name by Mark Greaney, The Gray Man tells the story of CIA operative Court Gentry, aka Sierra Six, a highly-skilled Agency-sanctioned mercenary. But tables have turned and Gentry finds himself as the target of the psychopathic Lloyd Hansen, a former CIA cohort that is now hellbent on taking him down.

Ryan Gosling stars as Sierra Six while Chris Evans plays the villain Lloyd Hansen. Also part of the all-star ensemble are Ana de Armas as the badass agent Dani Miranda; Bridgerton‘s Rege-Jean Page as the ambitious agency Group Chief Denny Carmichael; Jessica Henwick as the cunning Deputy Group Chief Suzanne Brewer; Wagner Moura as the talented counterfeiter Lazlo Soza; Dhanush as the ruthless Avik San; Alfre Woodard as the former bureau chief Margaret Cahill; Julia Butters as the young Claire Fitzroy; and Billy Bob Thornton as the creator of the Sierra program, Donald Fitzroy.

The Gray Man will start streaming on Netflix this July 22, 2022.