Warning: This post contains spoilers for The Gray Man
Why The Gray Man never calls Sierra Six by his real name. The Gray Man — the action thriller starring Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans, and Ana de Armas — is Netflix’s most expensive film production to date. Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, and based on the 2009 novel by Mark Greaney, the film adapts many of the story elements from the source material, but there is one major change regarding the titular character’s name.
The Gray Man is an espionage film that sees its protagonist Sierra Six (aka, the Gray Man), played by Gosling, on the run for his life. Released from prison nearly two decades prior, Sierra Six was trained as a black ops mercenary with the CIA to carry out off-the-record missions. He existed in the gray area of the agency’s protocols and laws, which is why his title moniker is given. More often than not, however, the assassin is referred to by his given CIA name — Sierra Six. Even the closest people to the mercenary, including Donald Fitzroy and his niece Claire, call him “Six” for short, but almost never by his real name in The Gray Man.
While Greaney’s novels mention Sierra Six’s real name, it’s possible the movie avoided calling him by his birth name for the most part because it wanted to maintain the intrigue and mystery surrounding his character. After all, Sierra Six operated in the shadows and there was no formal CIA agent record or international presence, his identity wiped completely to prevent any of his enemies from blackmailing him or kidnapping someone he knows as collateral. The name Sierra Six certainly adds to the mystique of it all, and it’s not dissimilar to a moniker like James Bond’s 007. The less people know about Sierra Six or how he operates, the easier it is to do his job and to keep hidden from those seeking revenge. Sierra Six isn’t a typical CIA agent and his mercenary name reflects that, as well as the covert team he works for. It also sounds pretty cool.
What Sierra Six’s Real Name Is In The Gray Man
The Gray Man confirms that Donald Fitzroy, who becomes Sierra Six’s boss, knows his true identity because he was responsible for commuting his sentence. He’s the only character to use his real name, in their first meeting. Sierra Six’s real name in The Gray Man books is Courtland “Court” Gentry. To many, he’s known as the Gray Man or the Violator. Within the text, Greaney often refers to Court simply as “Gentry” and occasionally as “Gray” when in the third person. While Court Gentry is still not the name most call him — even in the books, the assassin keeps his identity under wraps — it’s possible a potential The Gray Man sequel will shift to using the title character’s real name more.
The prospective franchise can only go so long before Court Gentry becomes a prominent part of things. In an interview, Ryan Gosling revealed he wanted Sierra Six to be bumped up “to name status” as well. The actor seems well aware that his character could do well with his real identity confirmed. It could be that Sierra Six eventually gets tired of being called by his covert title. For now, however, The Gray Man’s exclusive use of Sierra Six in place of Court Gentry keeps the enigma of his identity alive.
