Beauty & the Beast's Gaston to Be Played by (Sorta) Openly Gay Luke Evans

Proving childhood dreams do come true, Gaston's gay! Kinda.

Questionably out actor (and noted single person) Luke Evans -- perhaps best known for his role as Zeus in the mythological hunkfest Immortals or that Dracula movie they tried to make happen last year --has been cast as the dreamy villainous Gaston in the live action remake of Beauty and the Beast.

Emma Watson and Downton Abbey's Dan Stevens will play the titular couple with Bill Condon (Dreamgirls) handling directing duties.

Though he ostensibly came out in a 2002 Advocate article, Evans has been noticeably less loud and proud about his sexuality on his rise up the Hollywood ladder. He's, shall we say: gaying it backward, living in a glass closet, not-asking/not-telling, or what ever euphamism strikes your fancy.

"It's not something he is hiding, but not a fact he wishes to discuss in the press," his publicist toldWomen's Wear Daily last year before an interview with Evans about Dracula Untold. Still, Evans, went on to address the rather unheard of prospect of being a gay action star.

It's good for people to look at me and think this guy is doing his thing and enjoying what he's doing and successful at it and living his life.

In other words, can a bitch live? Sure, but, by not discussing his sexuality, does the issue simply go away? It certainly shouldn't matter, but it does because it's pretty cool to have an openly gay action star. Even if the "star" part is still up in the air.

And it's pretty cool to have a gay guy playing such a stereotypically masculine character, if only for the inevitable fan fiction starring Evans and Stevens. Gaston & the Beast: A Fire Island Tale -- featuring model and fellow OutEligible Bachelor Jon Kortajarena, since he and Evans are reportedly dating.

Which I'm not even ready to start talking about.

Now on to what really matters. Evans has a musical theater background so he should have no trouble delivering on that front, but can he possibly hope to fill Gaston's shoes, let alone his absurdly tight shirts?

Now, Evans is no stranger flashing his flesh on film:

Gifs: Tumblr

But to do Gaston justice, he better start eating his five dozen eggs if he hopes to be roughly the size of a barge.

Les Fabian Brathwaite, shade as old as time.