Chris Evans cast in mafia film The Iceman

Chris Evans has been cast in The Iceman , taking the role of Robert Pronge, a mentor to a notorious mob hitman.

The Captain America: The First Avenger actor takes over from James Franco who has left the project due to contract issues.

The movie is based on Anthony Bruno’s mafia novel The Iceman: The True Story of a Cold Blooded Killer.

He will star opposite Michael Shannon who plays Richard Kuklinski, a family man by day and notorious contract killer by night.

Richard Kukliniski, responsible for hundreds of murders, earned himself the name The Iceman by freezing his victims' bodies to confuse the police.

Chris Evans' character drives an ice-cream van to monitor his own victim’s movements, earning him the nickname ‘Mr Softee’.

The movie will be directed and co-written by Ariel Vromen, with filming kicking off in January 2012.

Chris Evans can bee seen reprising his role as Captain America in the The Avengers which opens on 27 April 2012.

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