It’s long since become part of Marvel Cinematic Universe folklore that Chris Evans turned down the role of Captain America twice for fear of being typecast, before a heart-to-heart chat with his mother ultimately saw him sign on the dotted line and accept the part that would change his life and career forever.
Imagining anybody else under the star-spangled costume is an almost impossible task, although that’s Anthony Mackie’s problem to worry about now, with Evans establishing Steve Rogers as the heart and soul of not just the Avengers, but the entire franchise.
New book The Story of Marvel Studios: The Making of the Marvel Cinematic Universe via CBR covers Evans’ initial hesitancy to take the job, and it turns out a surprising pair of supporters recommended him for the part. Renowned producer of action movies Joel Silver had just worked with Evans on The Losers, and pitched the idea of him playing Cap directly to Kevin Feige in his office.
On top of that, Robert Downey Jr. urged Evans to audition given the transformative effects Iron Man had on his own career and livelihood, which he did. As they say, the rest is history, but things could have turned out drastically different had the actor not been nudged in the direction of Captain America by others.
