It has been incredible to watch Chris Evans’ ascent to fame. The actor, who is best known for playing Steve Rogers/Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, has grown considerably since his debut in the highly regarded superhero franchise.
Three solo Captain America movies and four Avengers films, as well as several other MCU productions, featured the Fantastic Four star as Steve Rogers/Captain America. Avengers: Endgame marked his final appearance as Captain America in 2019.
However, did you know that getting cast for the role was not a simple process?
Indeed, Harrison Ford, the iconic actor known for his roles in media franchises such as Star Wars and Indiana Jones, may have had a hand in bringing another superhero to the big screen: Chris Evans as Captain America.
Harrison Ford’s Influence on Kevin Feige’s Decision to Cast Chris Evans as Captain America
In 2019, Chris Evans admitted to The Hollywood Reporter that he had not read the Captain America Marvel Comics story before being cast; perhaps this deterred him even more from taking the role.
Meanwhile, Kevin Feige, the head of Marvel Studios, revealed to the outlet that Evans was not originally considered for the Steve Rogers role when they began searching for Captain America: The First Avenger in early 2010.
This was because Evans had previously appeared in two Fantastic Four films as Johnny Storm/Human Torch. But when other casting attempts proved fruitless, Feige realized that “Harrison Ford played Han Solo and Indiana Jones”, so “who cares?”. To quote him:
“We thought, OK, well, he’s that character. Let’s keep looking. And as we [continued] not finding people, we went back to the initial lists. And that brought us back to Chris. And I thought, well, Patrick Stewart played Jean-Luc Picard and Charles Xavier. Harrison Ford played Han Solo and Indiana Jones. Who cares?”
It is impossible to imagine another actor portraying either Harrison Ford’s roles in Star Wars and Indiana Jones or Stewart’s roles in Star Trek: Picard and X-Men. Evans’ portrayal of Captain America turned out to be exactly the same.
How Robert Downey Jr. Influenced the Casting of Chris Evans as Captain America
Sebastian Stan was set to play Steve Rogers in Captain America: The First Avenger, as disclosed in The Story of Marvel Studios: The Making of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (via CBR). Apparently, Robert Downey Jr. had gotten in touch with Chris Evans regarding the role, and ultimately, it worked.
Evans was also persuaded to try out for the Captain America role by Downey. Evans claimed he was afraid of the multi-film deal at first, but after some persuasion, he overcame his fear:
“It’s a big commitment to do these Marvel movies. Initially, the offer was nine pictures, then it went to six. But six movies can last a really long time. My concern was the fact that this will be a life-changing experience and the following commitment would be more than I could handle. But that did not turn out to be the case. It was the best decision I ever made.”
As of right now, Evans appears to be done with the MCU. The actor may never put on Cap’s boots again, but the iconic image will surely make him immortal. And when it comes to Captain America, there are still plenty of reasons for enthusiasm. Sam Wilson’s shield will eventually be seen in a fourth Captain America flick starring Anthony Mackie as Wilson. That gives us something at least to look forward to!
Captain America: Brave New World is scheduled to arrive on February 14, 2025.
