Chadwick Boseman plays an NYPD detective on a manhunt to find a pair of highly-trained criminals (and cop killers) in the trailer for 21 Bridges. While he’s best known for playing Black Panther in the Marvel Cinematic Universe these days, Boseman has led a long and decorated careeer as a character actor over the years. Among his better known non-superhero roles to date are his performances as Jackie Robinson, James Brown, and Thurgood Marshall in their recent memoirs, in addition to his work in genre fare like Draft Day and Message from the King.

In recent months, Boseman has signed on for Da 5 Bloods, a Vietnam War veteran drama that Spike Lee is directing for Netflix. He’s also expected to reunite with Ryan Coogler for Black Panther 2, after T’Challa is (presumably) un-dusted in this week’s Avengers: Endgame. Before then, however, Boseman will reunite with Endgame directors Anthony and Joe Russo on another project altogether.

The Russos are producing this summer’s 21 Bridges, which Boseman is headlining for STX. Directed by Brian Kirk (Luther, Game of Thrones) from a script by Matthew Michael Carnahan (Deepwater Horizon) and Adam Mervis (The Philly Kid), 21 Bridges stars Boseman as Andre Davis, an NYPD officer who was only a boy when his father - a cop himself - was gunned down in the line of duty. When two men kill several cops during a shootout on Manhattan Island, Davis quickly moves to shut the island down and catch them before it opens up again. For more, watch the trailer below.

Much like the 21 Bridges footage shown at CinemaCon, the trailer offers a quick look at the film’s many noteworthy actors, including Keith David, Sienna Miller, and J.K. Simmons. Taylor Kitsch and If Beale Street Could Talk’s Stephan James also show up here as the two gunmen in question, who come to realize that the job they were hired for is part of a much bigger and more dangerous conspiracy than they thought. Indeed, the trailer nods to the idea that Andre’s decision to close off Manhattan Island for a few hours (including, yes, the twenty-one bridges connecting it to the rest of New York) could have an enormous impact on the stock market, among other things.

By the look of things, 21 Bridges has the makings of a lean, mean, and well-acted piece of genre fare. The film doesn’t really seem to break the mold for this sort of crime-thriller and hits on a lot of the expected tropes, but its hard-boiled dialogue and action appear to be in safe hands here. It also doubles as a showcase for Boseman and should allow the actor to flex his acting chops once again, much like he has to great success in his previous leading roles (non-MCU and Marvel related alike). As a change of pace from the summer’s big, splashy blockbusters, 21 Bridges may yet do the trick.

Source: STX

  • 21 Bridges Release Date: 2019-11-22