At this point, it's hard to imagine anyone else playing Steve Rogers aside from Chris Evans, who now has become iconic for the role and arguably it is the signature character of his acting career.
However, before playing the first Captain America in the MCU, Evans already had his rodeo in the Marvel universe thanks to his role as Johnny Storm in Fox's Fantastic Four films which were not received well by fans and critics.
For years, he has been candid about the apprehension that he initially had before joining the franchise due to the long-term commitment and how it could change his career with the global recognition that he is about to embark on.
Thankfully, a fellow MCU actor was able to convince him and the rest is now history.
Also Read: Chris Evans Gives Hopeful Response on Potential Captain America Return
Robert Downey Jr. Convinced Chris Evans to Play Captain America in the MCU
An excerpt of the upcoming book MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios by Joanna Robinson, Dave Gonzales, and Gavin Edwards that was shared in Vanity Fair revealed the details surrounding how Evans ended up agreeing to play Captain America in the MCU.
As we already know, he initially had apprehensions about joining the franchise which is why he said no to the offer at first.
"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," Evans said.
"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."
He added, "I like my privacy. The good thing about movies is there’s a lot of freedom built in: you make a film and then you have time off. If one of those films hits and changes your life, you have the opportunity to... run away. If you want to. Take some time, reassess, and regroup."
Ultimately, it was Robert Downey Jr. who convinced and encouraged Evans to take on the role and told him that "the fame that came with it would expand his opportunities as an actor, not constrict them."
In order to entice Evans further, Marvel Studios only offered a six-movie commitment by appearing in three Captain America films and three Avengers films although, in the end, he showed up in more than six MCU films if you include his cameos.
This is an interesting piece of information regarding one of the most pivotal MCU castings that arguably went in a perfect direction and it is great that Downey Jr. helped a lot in making it possible which eventually led to their respective characters' legendary rivalry that fans were invested at.
It was really fortunate that Evans was able to get over his initial concerns and, as Downey also predicted, he ended up having an extensive acting career all thanks to the fame that he got from playing the role.
Read Next: Chris Evans Surprisingly Agrees with Quentin Tarantino's Controversial Marvel Comment
Explore new topics and discover content that's right for you!