The Russo brothers discovered Regé-Jean Page because one of their wives is a huge 'Bridgerton' fan

• "Avengers: Endgame" directors Anthony and Joe Russo discovered Regé-Jean Page on "Bridgerton."
• His "SNL" performance inspired them to seek Page out as a villain in their next film, "The Gray Man."

Regé-Jean Page returns to our living rooms and heads to the big screen this month.

In his first role since Netflix's hit series "Bridgerton," Page stars in the streamer's "The Gray Man," an adaptation of Mark Greaney's best-selling series, alongside Chris Evans and Ryan Gosling as the film's antagonist.

How did Page go from stealing fans' hearts to a big action-adventure baddie? It turns out the former Duke of Hastings has some fans in Anthony and Joe Russo, the directing duo behind "Avengers: Endgame" and the upcoming Netflix film.

"My wife is a huge 'Bridgerton' fan. That's how we discovered him," Joe Russo told Insider alongside sibling Anthony Russo while discussing "The Gray Man" at their AGBO production offices in Los Angeles, California.

"I had watched all of 'Bridgerton' with my wife," Joe added. The show's first season became a sensation in December 2020.

By April 2021, Netflix announced Page would not appear on the show's anticipated second season. In February 2021, Variety reported Page's casting in next year's "Dungeons & Dragons" adaptation. A month later, Deadline reported Page's casting in "The Gray Man."

The Russos insist they didn't steal Page away from season two of the hit Netflix series for their own project at the streamer. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Page was never supposed to be a part of the second season anyway.

"We did not pull him away from 'Bridgerton.' I don't want anyone coming after us," Joe said.

Anthony added: "It timed up actually right after he left."

Unlike his "Bridgerton" character, don't expect Page to take off his shirt or give any swoon-worthy stares in the upcoming Netflix film.

His February 2021 appearance on "Saturday Night Live" served as inspiration to cast Page in the film as the main antagonist, Denny Carmichael, a shady CIA director who sends Evans' Lloyd Hansen after Gosling's character to retrieve some agency secrets that could get Carmichael ousted from his cushy government job.

"I saw him on 'Saturday Night Live' and I thought he was charismatic and really, really compelling and fun to watch and so we thought he'd be perfect as a villain," Joe said.

Joe Russo teased that if they do make another film — there are currently 11 books in "The Gray Man" series — that audiences could see more of Page on-screen, adding that he seemed "perfectly suited" for the role.

"The Gray Man," also starring Ana de Armas, Jessica Henwick, Dhanush, and Alfre Woodard will be released in theaters on July 15 before streaming on Netflix on July 22.