How Robert Downey Jr Saved Chris Evans From Making The Worst Mistake Of His Career

Unlike Batman, the character of Captain America has not been brought to the big screen as many times, and the actors who came before Chris Evans are almost always forgotten.

Over the years of his contract with Marvel Studios, Evans has managed to make the role truly his own.

However, not many people know that he wasn't a fan of the idea of joining a superhero team and initially wanted to turn down the opportunity.

It's not that Chris Evans wasn't already an established actor when he was approached with the opportunity, but he wasn't nearly as famous as he is today.

Having starred alongside his future Marvel co-star Scarlett Johansson in a couple of romances like The Nanny Diaries and another superhero franchise Fantastic Four, Evans had a promising career ahead of him.

The idea of tying himself down for so many years was not the most convincing.

The actor also felt that the role of Captain America came with a lot of pressure, as audiences clearly wouldn't forgive him for messing up a symbol of American patriotism.

The actor, who has a history of anxiety and mental health issues, decided the opportunity wasn't worth it and made the difficult decision to pass.

Chris Evans decided to protect his own mental health and personal life to the very end and turned down the role three times before Robert Downey Jr. had to step in and convince him to take it.

The actor later admitted that he made decisions "out of fear" and mentioned how grateful he was to everyone who helped him avoid making such a huge mistake.

Thanks to the support of friends, family, co-stars, and therapists, Chris Evans had a great run with Marvel. If you want to revisit his movies, they are all available to stream on Disney Plus.

Source: Awards Chatter Podcast