Marvel Star Snags Kevin Spacey’s Comeback Role
Ray Stevenson has replaced Kevin Spacey in 1242: Gateway to the West
Thor and Punisher: War Zone star Ray Stevenson has replaced Kevin Spacey as the lead in the upcoming historical drama 1242: Gateway to the West as the former House Of Cards actor faces sexual assault charges in the UK. Carlos Alperin of Galloping Entertainment, the company in charge of the global rights to 1242, confirmed Stevenson’s casting in an interview with the Hollywood Reporter.
“The film is looking simply EPIC and will be very well positioned due to Ray Stevenson’s amazing role in RRR,” said Alperin. Péter Soós is directing the film with a cast that includes Eric Roberts, Christopher Lambert, Neil Stuke, and Genevieve Florence.
Spacey was hoping to use 1242: Gateway To The West as a comeback vehicle after being blackballed by most of Hollywood after several #MeToo allegations of sexual misconduct were directed towards the Usual Suspects star. Multiple sexual assault cases alleging Kevin as the perpetrator have surfaced in the UK, derailing any hopes Spacey had of rekindling his film career.
Luckily, Stevenson was available to lend his considerable talents to the project. The RRR star has several high-profile credits to his name, on both the big and small screen, including the series Vikings and Black Sails.
1242: Gateway to the West tells the story of the Mongolian army attempting to invade Europe in the year 1242. Gateway is currently filming in Hungary and, according to Carlos Alperin, won’t be finished until December due to the large number of special effects that have to be added in post-production.
Stevenson is no stranger to movies with a big focus on special effects, as evidenced by his role as Volstagg in several MCU films. Stevenson has the distinction of being one of the few actors in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to have acted in a Marvel film outside of the MCU. Stevenson starred in Punisher: Warzone, a dark R-rated gorefest aimed at mature comic-book fans before joining the more well-known Thor franchise.
Not content to be a part of only one multi-billion dollar franchise, Ray Stevenson also has ties to the Star Wars universe. Stevenson voiced Gar Saxon on both Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars: Rebels and is possibly reprising the role in the upcoming Ashoka series for Disney+.
As for Kevin Spacey, it’s beginning to look more and more like the Superman Returns star will remain an outcast as far as Hollywood is concerned. Spacey has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in all of the claims against him, but as the accusations continue to pile up, it’s becoming nearly impossible to give the actor the benefit of the doubt.
Still, never-say-never. Hollywood loves nothing more than a redemption story. Ray Stevenson’s MCU co-star Robert Downey Jr. was once considered such a risk no production would hire him. Now he’s Iron Man and one of the most bankable stars in the entertainment industry, possibly on his way to joining another legendary franchise.
In the meantime, Ray Stevenson is more than happy to pick up Spacey’s slack.
