What’s Next for Chris Evans?
Marvel fans have adored the ‘Captain America’ star ‘s role as an image of incorruptible righteousness for years, and his popularity and relevance as a public figure has never been greater. The question is: Where does the leader of the Avengers go once the war is over?
Ever since I was a kid, Chris Evans has — for better or worse — managed to be in my line of sight; as a result, making himself my personal favorite to win the ongoing Chris Wars debate. However, the entirety of Evans’ body of work, at first glance, isn’t exactly something to write home about, or suggest is indicative of being the champion one should choose to ride with, per say. Yes, there’s everything pertaining to Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but what about everything else? Take a closer look at his IMDB, and you’ll find a bizarre assortment of cheesy, qualitatively underwhelming and mediocre films — even if there are some that I’d personally ride for (Push is my all-time leader for the “I Swear If a Few Things Went Differently This Would’ve Been Spectacular” Award).
What’s strange about Evans is that the poor quality of his films doesn’t fall squarely on his shoulders. In fact, I’d say some like the aforementioned Push and those two Fantastic Four films are instances in which Evans was the lone bright spot. Aside from Marvel movies, Evans’ most memorable projects aren’t his strongest selling point; they are lackluster, and eerily reminiscent of the career path that, say, Ryan Reynolds had been following pre-Deadpoolmania.
Unlike Reynolds, though, Evans’ future doesn’t seem as concrete — not because he’ll never act again, but rather because his stature, and capability, of being a movie star might be in question. Reynolds has the Merc-With-a-Mouth, and Evans is retiring the Captain after Avengers 4 next year. It feels like a Hall-of-Famer in his last season — almost Jeter-esque, but not quite as ceremonious, yet far more intriguing.
Despite Evans’ seemingly exclusive Captain America façade, the actor has secretly partaken in a plethora of side ventures. There’s the heartfelt, even if unspectacular, drama of Gifted; his—and it pains me to say — poor directorial debut Before We Go, which I applaud simply for his effort; and his recent theatre performance as a police officer in the play Lobby Hero, which has garnered critical acclaim.
Most of these projects feel largely inconsequential, but actually point towards something more important: His willingness to try. I’m sure that he could’ve sided more towards banking on what has already worked with Captain America and settled for a swath of, maybe, middle-of-the-road action films, like Liam Neeson except without the same degree of past success.
There wasn’t anything particularly safe about what Evans has done on the side here, which I’m sure is the byproduct of feeling secure knowing that Marvel is paying the bill just fine. Nevertheless, Evans seems anxious — almost desperate, even — to move on from his superhero identity, not because of resentment but because of disinterest. How many times can he play a hero with an unwavering moral compass; or better yet, does Evans even have the talent to do otherwise?
My answer to this question has been, thanks in large part to one under-the-radar flick from 2013, a resounding yes — and I doubt anyone can convince me otherwise.
That movie was Snowpiercer, a twisted science-fiction action film set in a post-apocalyptic world littered with violence. The film was directed by Bong Joon-ho, who also helmed last year’s beloved Okja, and is by far the most interesting project in Evans’ catalogue. On the surface, the film seems like a bloody, action-packed battle between the haves versus the have-nots — and it is, but the underbelly of the film consists of societal commentary regarding theories surrounding classism and natural order that felt unnervingly exceptional. Based on the look and teases of the film, it felt like an under-qualified vehicle to house these particular conversations, yet it did, and it did so brilliantly.
During my initial viewing, I had no idea Evans had been playing main character Curtis Everett until around 30–35 minutes into the film. This could be due to how shocking and over-the-top the film itself was — and perhaps so much so that I’d been distracted of the fact — but I wager it wasn’t; there was something that spoke to me, and even if that sounds trite I stand by it. The gruff, desperate resistance leader was hardly exhibitive of the usual Evans charisma, but that wasn’t a bad thing. Evans had hardly been a proprietor of this brand of character for some time, if ever. It was different — enlightening, almost. The whole ordeal felt real; I thought he was going to be the next James Bond.
Evans, up until Snowpiercer, felt more in line with the guilty pleasure tier of actors I had been following. After that, I was far more optimistic that he could be taken more seriously. While my premonitions of James Bond are certainly unlikely, and silly, I still believe Evans has a tantalizing upside still yet to be explored. I’ve long held the belief that, assuming it is actually made at some point, Evans could star as Joel in the live-action adaptation of my favorite video game of all-time, The Last of Us.
Hot take? Yes. Impossible? No.
Evans’ post-Avengers future is a topic I find to be severely overlooked, with hardly any other ramblings similar to mine out there other than a New York Times profile from last month. That could be ignorance on my part, sure, but let’s pretend I’m the movie shaman who sees the angle no one else does; ego boosts are important, my friends.
Furthermore, I look at the majority of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and there isn’t the same shroud of mystery concerning their careers outside of their MCU ethos. Everyone’s projections are far more clear: Scarlett Johansson still seems like the easiest actress to plug into any movie — from Hail, Caesar! and [extremely cringes] Ghost in a Shell to voiceovers in The Jungle Book and Isle of Dogs — plus it doesn’t take a genius to know the Black Widow movie (the lateness of this being developed is arguably one of Marvel’s greatest missteps) will be a big deal; Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther is kind of a big deal, and he’s probaly going to play every famous black man in history; Chris Hemsworth is handsome, friends with Matt Damon and finally starting to give his comedic chops a chance; Mark Ruffalo can star in an Oscar movie whenever he wants, probably, or just continue saving the world, I guess; Tom Holland is playing Nathan Drake; Benedict Cumberbatch probably has a weird new movie or an episode of Sherlock coming out tomorrow; Chris Pratt, even if not the most talented of the bunch, is too likable on-screen to fail (I think?); and Robert Downey Jr. is, well, Robert Downey Jr., so let’s not overthink this.
Considering Evans is the heart of the MCU, you would think he’d be the easiest to project, but alas, here I am, projecting and rambling on an uncertain future. I’m certainly all-in, but all-in on what, exactly, I’m not sure. What I am sure of, however, is that I want his time in the MCU to come to an end. I have enjoyed, rather immensely, the portrayal of Captain Steve Rogers that Chris Evans has delivered over the last several years. He has played the face of strength, courage and compassion in a way that will forever make him an important movie figure with memories I’ll cherish for a long time, but endings are vital. He’s shown that he wants to expand his horizons, and whether or not it works out, I’m here for it.
It’s been one hell of a ride, Cap. I can’t wait to see what’s next.
