Chris Evans refused first Captain America film because he thought it’d be a “sh*tty” movie

❘ Published: 2023-09-24T18:30:26

Chris Evans as Steve Rogers in The Avengers

Marvel

Chris Evans almost didn’t play Captain America as he was afraid he would be signing up for a shitty movie.

When a fan thinks of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, they usually conjure six iconic characters: Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, Black Widow, Hawkeye, and Captain America, also known as The Avengers.

Since Iron Man premiered in 2008, these six characters have become household names thanks to the iconic actors who played them for more than a decade.

However, it’s been revealed that Chris Evans, best known as Captain America, almost walked away from the character as he felt it would be a huge hit to his blossoming career.

Evans tried to resist the temptation of Marvel

In an exclusive Vanity Fair excerpt from the upcoming book MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios, the authors revealed that Evans was the number one actor Marvel wanted in the role of Captain America.

But, things hit a snag when Evans refused to audition for the role, so Marvel CEO Kevin Feige recalled “bringing him in, showing him the artwork, showing him what was happening in this movie.” They reportedly offered him a nine-movie contract, no audition necessary and Feige said it was a “tough” weekend as they gave Evans time to decide whether to take the deal or not.

And their hopes were dashed as Evans said no to the deal and he explained why he refused stating, “Getting the offer felt, to me, like the epitome of temptation. The ultimate job offer, on the biggest scale. I’m supposed to say no to this thing. It felt like the right thing to do. You see the pictures, and you see the costumes, and it’s cool. But I’d now woken up the day after saying no and felt good—twice.”

“The biggest thing I was worried about was making shitty fucking movies,” Evans said, “I don’t want to make shitty movies and be contractually obligated to make garbage.”

However, Evans was convinced to take the role by Robert Downey Jr. (aka Iron Man), as Downey explained that the fame that came from playing Captain America would “expand [Evans’] opportunities as an actor, not constrict them.”

Evans went on to play the iconic hero from 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger to 2019’s Avengers: Endgame.

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