In The Adam Project trailer, past meets future.

The new action film from director Shawn Levy focuses on Adam (Walker Scobell), a 13-year-old boy whose mother (Jennifer Garner) is struggling to raise him. One night, he comes across his time-traveling future self from 2050 (Ryan Reynolds), whose spaceship was damaged while searching for missing love, Laura (Zoe Saldaña). In the trailer, we find out that 2050 apparently sucks, and the Adams must team up with their late father (Mark Ruffalo) to stop time travel — aka “The Adam Project” — from ever being invented.

The film is personal to Reynolds. “My father passed away years ago,” he told Netflix, “and for a long time I told myself these stories about him that helped me make sense of my own deficiencies or shortcomings.” In The Adam Project, his character Adam gets the opportunity to confront these stories head-on — not just about his father but about his younger self as well.

And for that to happen, Levy needed to find the perfect younger Reynolds. He and his team weren’t just looking for physical similarities, and that’s when newcomer Walker Scobell, a Reynolds superfan, came in. 

“When I auditioned and cast Walker, I had no idea that he was a Ryan fan or could channel a young Ryan,” Levy says. “What was immediately evident though, from his very first homemade audition tape, was that he had a comedic instinct and rhythm that was pitch perfect... and somehow reminiscent of Ryan in ways that I couldn’t put my finger on, but knew I would love.” Well, in all ways, except one, jokes Reynolds: “All we needed to do was slap a couple of colored contact lenses in his eyes and off we went.” 

Luckily, Scobell effortlessly slid into a cast who has a deep web of past relationships. 

Levy and Reynolds previously collaborated on Free Guy, in which Reynolds plays a video game character who becomes self-aware. Reynolds, Saldaña and Ruffalo are all members of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, playing Deadpool, Gamora and the Hulk, respectively. And, of course, Garner and Ruffalo starred as love interests in the iconic 2004 tween film 13 Going on 30 (ironically, another movie that involves time travel) — which everyone, including Levy himself, is excited to see. 

“Mark and Jen have an effortlessly warm chemistry,” Levy says. “They only have one scene in the movie together, but it’s a juicy one, and it’s supremely memorable because it carries the weight and intimacy of their history and sincere love for each other.”

The Adam Project drops March 11, but travel through time and watch the full trailer down below for a sneak peak. 

Main Trailer | The Adam Project