Chris Evans made a recent appearance at Emerald City Con 2024 (via Total Film) and threw his support behind comic book movies, a genre he’ll be forever associated with after playing Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe for nearly 10 years.
“Comic book movies in general, for whatever reason, don’t always get the credit I think they deserve,” Evans told the audience. “They are these big, giant movies. There’s a lot of cooks in the kitchen. But the empirical evidence is in: They are not easy to make. If it was easier, there would be a lot more good ones. I’m not throwing shade! I’ve been a part of a few that missed. It happens. Making a movie is tough. More cooks in the kitchen doesn’t make it easier. I don’t want to highlight specific films in the Marvel catalogue but some of them are phenomenal. Like independently, objectively great movies, and I think they deserve a little more credit.”
Evans highlighted 2014’s “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” as his favorite Marvel movie to make. The film marked his second solo outing as Captain America.
“It’s my personal favorite Marvel movie that I was a part of. It’s not just for the movie itself but the experience,” he said. “The first film, I was so nervous. You know what you’re stepping into and as a result you’re playing defense and you’re playing not to lose. When ‘Winter Solider’ came around, we were playing to win. And it’s the first movie with the Russo Brothers. We were taking more risks, and the character felt more fleshed out. It was one of the more satisfying experiences I’ve had in my Marvel run.”
Evans exited the Marvel Cinematic Universe after 2019’s “Endgame.” Speaking at the C2E2 fan convention in Chicago last year, he said a potential Captain America return “doesn’t quite feel right” at the moment. However, Evans did admit that telling more Captain America stories is appealing to him, so never say never.
“It’s tough, because look, I love that role deeply,” Evans said when asked about returning as Captain America. “He means so much to me, and I really do. I think there’s more Steve Rogers stories to tell, sure. But at the same time, I’m very, very precious with it … it’s like this little shiny thing that I have that I love so much, and I just don’t want to mess up in any way. I was a part of something that was so special for the special period of time and, in a way, it really landed so well.”
Evans added, “As much as I’m connected to that role and love telling those stories and working with those people, it doesn’t quite feel right right now.”
“Avengers: Endgame” ended with Evans’ Steve Rogers giving the Captain America shield to Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson/Falcon. The Disney+ series “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” centered on Sam as he reconciled with what becoming the new Captain America means. Sam accepted the challenge, and the upcoming Marvel tentpole “Captain America: Brave New World” will find Mackie and Sam Wilson front and center as the new Captain America.
