Danny Boyle on the “fantastic” and very underrated skills of Chris Evans
“I want people to leave the cinema feeling that something’s been confirmed for them about life” is Danny Boyle’s outlook on cinema. With this firm mantra established, he has been able to wander his way towards an incredibly diverse career, known for films like Slumdog Millionaire, Trainspotting, and 28 Days Later—all of which frame ‘meaning’ in magically different ways.
Boyle has produced a wide range of movies with numerous well-known stars, giving him a unique outlook on the differing traits it takes to make great cinema in varying modes. One of these actors is often unfairly typecast and, as Boyle suggests, is vastly underestimated by Hollywood.
Boyle’s 2007 science fiction thriller Sunshine featured an international ensemble cast portraying a group of scientists and astronauts on a perilous mission to reignite Earth’s dying sun. Interestingly, the film’s pre-production was so extensive that Boyle began casting several years before filming began. One of the stars, Chris Evans, was just emerging as a Hollywood heavyweight. However, before Sunshine hit cinemas, Evans had already appeared in another major science fiction film that would drastically alter his career—Fantastic Four.
Following his performance as Johnny Storm—AKA the Human Torch—in Fantastic Four, Evans’ career skyrocketed. Despite the film being something of a trainwreck, it established Evans as a fitting lead. Though he received a massive influx of acting opportunities, Evans found himself largely pigeonholed as an action movie star. It was a situation that repeatedly robbed him of the chance to further engage with the tender and emotional performances in which he had previously excelled. Boyle, on the other hand, had already seen the potential in Evans’ abilities.
During an interview with Pop, Boyle stated that his impression of Evans came solely from his audition, allowing for an independent assessment. The director quickly determined that Evans was a “fantastic” actor and stated that casting him in Sunshine was easy. Nevertheless, Boyle could understand why other filmmakers may not have given Evans such an emotionally charged and nuanced role. Boyle observed that Fantastic Four put Evans in a box, from which he struggled to escape for quite some time.
In fact, so strong was this typecasting that Evans would later return to comic book movie territory, cast as the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Steve Rogers by day or Captain America when a crisis arrives. Evans stayed in this role for eight years and has since become even more synonymous with comic book cinema.
Boyle had a unique insight into Evans’ action star labelling. As the director observed, many actors in large franchises often express dissatisfaction with their success, which can come across as ungrateful for the franchise’s triumph. Having developed a professional relationship with Evans, Boyle understood the depth of his abilities and gained a privileged perspective on how this underrated star was slowly being typecast as merely a “shield-wielding smile” rather than an actor capable of much greater complexity.
In Sunshine, the American star excels, bringing necessary nuance and depth to the high-octane plot. Rather than rendering the film another sci-fi platitude, his ability to subtly convey human flaws in the face of great danger provided the necessary meaning that Boyle is always searching for. It is just a shame that we haven’t seen more of that.
