Warning: This post contains spoilers for The Gray Man
The Gray Man is based on the novel by Mark Greaney and there are plenty of changes made to the source material in its move to the big screen. Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, who co-wrote the script with Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, The Gray Man is getting a limited theatrical release before it lands on Netflix.
The Gray Man takes its inspiration from The Bourne Identity, Jack Ryan, and James Patterson's work, among others. The film follows Sierra Six (Ryan Gosling), a black ops mercenary for the CIA, who is so shadowy he's called the Gray Man. While on a mission in Bangkok, Sierra Six discovers his target was once an operative who learned of CIA officer Denny Carmichael's (Regé-Jean Page) shady, off-the-book dealings. Before long, Carmichael puts out a hit on Sierra Six to ensure that info is never leaked.
When it comes to adapting any book into a movie, especially one such as The Gray Man, there are bound to be alterations made to the original source material. Film is an entirely different medium and, not only does The Gray Man not include every plot point from the 2009 novel, but it pulls from other books in the series as well. Here are the biggest changes made from the book.
Sierra Six Didn’t Kill His Father In The Books
In The Gray Man, Sierra Six reveals to Dani that he killed his father, who was abusive, to protect his brother. This act condemned him to decades in prison until Fitzroy (Billy Bob Thornton) commuted his sentence and he began working with the CIA. This change in the film is quite different from Six’s backstory in the books. As it turns out, Sierra Six didn’t kill his dad at all. He isn’t dead at all, but they are estranged. In the film, the Gray Man’s father, James, is physically and verbally abusive. In the novels, his dad had a SWAT school where Sierra Six trained in tactical and battle techniques growing up. Sierra Six was still imprisoned, but it was because he killed three people in Florida rather than his father. The film changing a bit of the Gray Man’s backstory is interesting because it paints the movie character in a better light morally.
Lloyd Hansen Puts Out The Hit On The Gray Man
Lloyd Hansen is one of Sierra Six’s major antagonists in The Gray Man. He’s called upon by Carmichael to find, capture, and kill Sierra Six, and he’s ruthless about the hunt. This is a man who knows he works outside of any law — international and domestic — and makes the most out of it, leaning into torture tactics and theatrical battles to finish the job. In the book, Lloyd was, as in the film, a former CIA officer. However, the novel’s version is not a freelance contractor who operates on his own, but a lawyer with an international corporation that wants Sierra Six dead for personal interests. Lloyd and his office put out the hit on Sierra Six, wanting retribution for the assassin murdering someone who cost them a billion-dollar contract. What’s more, Lloyd didn’t graduate from Harvard like he did in the film, but from King’s College in the UK, which followed his time at Princeton.
The Reason For Sierra Six’s Mission Is Different
In The Gray Man, the Russo Brothers wanted to tackle the mystery behind Sierra Six's exile from the CIA from the start rather than putting him in the middle of another mission that is less personal.
Carmichael & Suzanne Are Not In The First Book
Denny Carmichael is the main antagonist of the movie, putting the hit out on Sierra Six and wanting to take him out because of the intel he has on him. Suzanne works alongside Carmichael as a top CIA officer, but such is not the case in The Gray Man novel. While Denny and Suzanne show up in a later novel, they are not present in the first book at all. When they do show up in the book sequels, Denny and Suzanne are not friends or even associates, nor do they have an alliance with Chris Evans' character. Carmichael is ultimately the one behind Sierra Six being on the run from the agency, but he doesn't factor in until later.
Ana De Armas’ Dani Miranda Is An Original Character
Ana de Armas plays Dani Miranda, a CIA agent who initially works with Sierra Six on the mission in Bangkok to assassinate a target who turns out to be Sierra Four. But while the rest of the characters can be found in Greaney's The Gray Man book series - even if it's out of order - Dani is an original character created specifically for the film. Interestingly, her involvement in the film helps the audience understand Sierra Six more. Dani also becomes his ally, which aids him in his fight immensely without taking away his lone wolf status. In the books, the mercenary typically operates alone and merely takes jobs from his employers. De Armas' role as Dani in The Gray Man also showcases there is more than just Sierra Six and the old guard of agency employees who know of the corruption going on.
Sierra Six Does Jobs For Fitzroy’s Security Firm
In the film, Sierra Six and Donald Fitzroy have a father-son dynamic because Fitzroy took care of him and bailed him out of prison. In The Gray Man novel, however, Sierra Six didn’t work for Fitzroy within the CIA and only ed the man after he was pushed out of the agency and a hit put on him thereafter. Sierra Six begins doing black ops jobs for Fitzroy’s security firm. The pair had only known each other for four years versus the almost two decades of time in the movie. What’s more, by the start of The Gray Man, Fitzroy — who is English and not American — didn't work for the CIA in the books. Rather, he was previously employed with MI5 before moving to corporate security. The length of time they know each other in the film increases their bond versus the book, where they are more or less colleagues.
