It's hard to imagine anyone but Chris Evans taking on the role of Captain America. Over the course of CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGERS, THE AVENGERS, CAPTAIN AMERICA: WINTER SOLDIER, AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON, CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR, AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR, and AVENGERS: ENDGAME, Evans crafted a strong yet heart-felt character who was the very definition of a hero.
Taking on a major role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is no small thing, particularly as these characters will follow Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johannson, and the others for the rest of their lives, so it's understandable why one might be hesitant to accept the gig. When Chris Evans was first offered the role of Captain America, he initially turned it down, and in a recent interview with Esquire, it seems that it was his mother Lisa Evans who convinced him to reconsider.
“His biggest fear was losing his anonymity,” Lisa recalls. “He said, ‘I have a career now where I can do work I really like. I can walk my dog. Nobody bothers me. Nobody wants to talk to me. I can go wherever I want. And the idea of losing that is terrifying to me.’ “He would call and ask for my advice,” she says. “I said to him, ‘Look, you want to do acting work for the rest of your life? If you do this part, you will have the opportunity. You’ll never have to worry about paying the rent. If you take the part, you just have to decide, It’s not going to affect my life negatively—it will enable it.’”
If Chris Evans hadn't played Captain America, there were plenty of other actors vying for the role, including John Krasinski, Garrett Hedlund, Sebastian Stan, and others, but I think we can all be grateful that Evans listened to his mom. The actor will next be seen in Defending Jacob, an upcoming Apple TV+ mini-series which tells the story of a family dealing with the accusation that their 14-year-old son may be a murderer. The series is slated to debut on April 24th.