While many actors have expressed gratitude for the opportunity to be part of a gigantic franchise like MCU, Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson have mixed feelings about it. Portraying Captain America and Black Widow, the duo have played an integral part in the entire Avengers saga.
If fans have felt fatigued due to the onslaught of superhero movies and shows in the past few years, Marvel actors were also worn out of playing the same role over and over. This is why once they finally got out of the franchise for good, it was a huge relief for them.
Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson Discuss The Tedium Of Working On MCU Films
In Variety’s Actors on Actors segment, Marvel stars Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson shared their opinions about previous roles and projects they have done in the past, particularly their stint in the MCU. Johansson talked about a project she and Noah Baumbach had been planning to do for a long time, and she mentioned how she held on to this proposal while working on the final Avengers films. The Black Widow star remarked:
“It must have been so exciting also. Well, I was talking to Noah while we were doing the Infinity War and Endgame stuff. It was something for me to hold on to during those often just tedious days. All that action storytelling that we have to do where you have to be in it for these little segments of time.”
Evans added that the nature of these Marvel films and the kind of roles they played over the years required lots of “start, stop, start, stop with little bits and pieces.” He admitted feeling some sort of familiarity with this kind of filming situation, so moving on to a different kind of project was exciting for him. He further explained:
“No disrespect to those movies. I love those movies, but to come off of them, and have a completely different approach to finding a character, to collaborating with other artists… It’s unchartered waters coming off of a Marvel movie. It’s just exciting to get a change of pace.”
It must have been a huge relief to finally put down the shield and stop running from the past, at least for Evans’ and Johansson’s characters who have been working together since 2012’s The Avengers.
Chris Evans Criticized Marvel’s Use of Green Screen
Evans and Johansson also discussed the biggest debate of the century: are Marvel films considered cinema? Fans might be aware of some renowned filmmakers dissing the franchise, which the duo talked about extensively in the same interview with Variety. Johansson said:
“A couple of extremely esteemed directors have been really vocal about how the whole Marvel Universe, and I guess, big blockbuster action movies are “despicable” and “the death of cinema.” At first, I thought, ‘Oh, that seems kind of old-fashioned…’ It made me think about how people consume content now.”
Meanwhile, Evans admitted that every couple of months, he wanted to quit acting, and he was looking for a way out. In the end, he just wanted to do something new and creative, and this is why he chose to star in the 2013 film Snowpiercer. The actor once notably criticized Marvel for the extensive use of CGI. He told GQ:
“[It was] incredibly helpful with the tangible environment as opposed to Marvel when you’re talking to green screens, imaginary aliens. Everything was right there, and you could touch.”
Aside from Evans and Johansson, actors such as Christian Bale and Anthony Hopkins have also expressed their distaste for Marvel’s “monotonous” film production.
