AceShowbiz - Scarlett Johansson is set to return to the science fiction genre in an exciting new Netflix animated film titled Ray Gunn, which reunites her with fellow Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) star Sam Rockwell. This marks a notable collaboration between two actors who previously worked together in the MCU’s Iron Man 2 and Taika Waititi’s Jojo Rabbit.

Ray Gunn is a science-fiction detective story set in a visually stunning futuristic city called Metropia. The film features Johansson voicing Venus Nova, a popular multimedia star who becomes involved in a mysterious murder case entangled with alien elements. Sam Rockwell voices the titular character, Ray Gunn, a detective tasked with solving the case. Tom Waits also joins the cast, lending his voice to a character named Eyera.

The movie is directed by Academy Award winner Brad Bird, known for his work on beloved Pixar films such as The Incredibles and Ratatouille. Bird has described Ray Gunn as a project that has been over 30 years in the making. It combines influences from classic 1940s detective movies with sci-fi elements reminiscent of Buck Rogers, creating a unique blend of genres designed to push the boundaries of animation as an art form.

Brad Bird shared, "Ray Gunn has been in my mind for over 30 years. The film is a blend of sci-fi and classic detective movies from the '40s... it's Maltese Falcon meets Buck Rogers." He emphasized his desire to attract audiences who typically do not watch animation by showcasing its artistic depth and narrative possibilities.

Scarlett Johansson expressed her enthusiasm about collaborating with Bird, calling it a "career milestone" and praising Ray Gunn as a full realization of Bird’s current artistic vision. She said, "I can't wait for audiences to see this extraordinary animation that looks like nothing else out there."

The screenplay for Ray Gunn was co-written by Brad Bird and Matthew Robbins. The film is produced by Bird alongside former Pixar veteran John Lasseter, Lisa Beroud, and David Ellison and Dana Goldberg from Skydance Animation. The official logline describes the setting as “Metropia, a gigantic city in an alternate future as seen from 1939,” which explains the film’s unique mash-up of classic detective noir and futuristic elements.

This movie will be another addition to Netflix’s growing slate of original animated features, following the success of titles such as KPop Demon Hunters—which became the streaming platform’s most-watched movie of all time and won two Academy Awards—along with acclaimed films like Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, The Sea Beast, Nimona, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, Klaus, and The Mitchells vs. The Machines.

Sam Rockwell, who voices the lead detective in Ray Gunn, is well known for his Academy Award-winning performance in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and his Emmy-nominated role in The White Lotus. Most recently, Rockwell starred as The Man from the Future in Gore Verbinski’s Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die. Rockwell’s previous MCU role was as villain Justin Hammer in Iron Man 2, where Johansson also made her MCU debut as Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow.

Beyond Ray Gunn, both Johansson and Bird have upcoming high-profile projects. Johansson is starring in Mike Flanagan’s reboot of The Exorcist and is reportedly involved with The Batman – Part II. Meanwhile, Bird is writing the screenplay for The Incredibles 3. However, the directing duties for that sequel will be handled by Peter Sohn, known for directing Pixar’s The Good Dinosaur and Elemental.

The release date for Ray Gunn on Netflix is scheduled for later in 2026, though an exact date is yet to be announced. The film promises to deliver a fresh and visually distinctive animation experience that blends noir and sci-fi in a way that has rarely been seen before.

With a talented voice cast and visionary direction from Brad Bird, Ray Gunn is poised to be a standout addition to Netflix’s animation lineup, appealing to fans of both classic detective stories and futuristic sci-fi adventures. The reunion of Scarlett Johansson and Sam Rockwell adds a compelling draw for audiences familiar with their prior work in the MCU and beyond.