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Marvel star Chris Evans admits Spider-Man – not Captain America – was his favourite superhero all along

Chris Evans nearly turned down his name-making Marvel role as Captain America. Photo: Shutterstock

Superhero superstar Chris Evans turns 39 on June 13. To celebrate, the American actor shares with STYLE why he it wasn’t a sure thing for him to play Captain America and how he thinks directing is the way forward.

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At first he was hesitant to play Captain America, starting from 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger

“I grew up knowing a lot about the business and even though a big film like that can mean a lot of money, it also puts you in a situation where you worry about not having any privacy. I was very worried about not being able to walk down the street without being recognised because I like my anonymity. But the greater worry was the commitment to a long-term contract and knowing that for potentially the next 10 years of your life you’re going to be playing the same character. It was not an easy decision, but now I’m very happy with it.”

You can’t allow your success to define your identity or happiness. You have to keep that separate
Chris Evans also starred in the hit whodunit film Knives Out. Photo: Shutterstock

When he was a kid, Spider-Man was his favourite superhero

“I love Captain America, but Spider-Man was my childhood hero. I would have loved doing scenes like attaching myself to the sides of buildings and trying to spring from one building to the next.

“But I would have hated to wear Spider-Man’s mask. I’m very claustrophobic, and I doubt whether I could have worn that kind of full suit and mask for hours a day on a set. I much prefer my Captain America outfit, which I think is cooler anyway!”

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He thinks it is important to have a healthy perspective on his career

“You can’t allow your success to define your identity or happiness. You have to keep that separate. Every actor who’s struggling at the beginning will tell you about how unpredictable the business is, and you never know whether you’re going to get a call-back or whether you’re as good as you hope you are.

“There are a lot of very talented actors out there who don’t make it. It’s a very fragile kind of world. But there’s something addictive about acting. When you get into it, really into it, there’s no better feeling than that. You feel such a rush when you know you’ve given a good performance that lives up to your expectations. That’s what keeps you going.”

He started acting straight out of high school

“In the summer after my junior year [of high school], I talked my parents into letting me move to New York City to get an internship. That was the most difficult hurdle. At the end of the summer, I went back to finish my senior year but was travelling to New York maybe once a week for auditions.

“At that point college was still part of the plan, but then I got really lucky. I got a pilot, and that got picked up and took me to L.A. So, we decided, ‘Maybe college can wait.’”

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He lives in the present

“My work is not for the idea of it. I do it and release it. So, the idea of it, in the future, or the reflection of it in the past, is not relevant to me. In my opinion, it’s not just a waste of time, but indulgent in [that it’s] the wrong thing we should be cultivating as we grow. It encourages the ego, and, not to get too theological about it, but to some degree, the tricky landscape of acting is that it really tempts the ego, to believe you are something more than what you are, or that somehow your work is relevant in a capacity beyond the thoughts in your head.”

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He made his directorial debut in 2014 with Before We Go, and wants to get back behind the camera soon

“I love acting from the creative point, but I’m not very comfortable with the celebrity that comes with it. The media attention can be tiring at times and also you have to train for months and go on special diets. As a director you don’t have to do any of that. You can just throw yourself completely into the process of telling a story and bringing all the creative elements together. That’s why directing means so much to me.

“I love acting and I will always love that. It’s very fulfilling, but as an actor you’re only a small piece of the overall puzzle, and I love being in control when it comes to the process. If I could, I would get involved in every aspect of a film – the lighting, the camera work, the sets. I love all of it. As a director, you get to put all the pieces together and the trick is to bring all that creativity into one satisfying whole.”

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Chris Evans’ run as a Marvel superstar ended with Avengers: Endgame – here the actor talks directing, dealing with fame and how he nearly turned down his name-making role as Captain America