The movie Chris Evans instantly regretted making: “We could have been better”
Playing Captain America meant that Chris Evans was set for life, but that didn’t mean that his career was over, and although he has shown some promise as an actor when working with interesting directors and playing against type, the choices he’s made in the aftermath of Avengers: Endgame have been a bit baffling.
Even if he’ll be known as Steve Rogers for the rest of his life, Chris Evans is a much more accomplished actor than he even needed to be; in between his appearances as Marvel’s most beloved superhero, he made the decision to take on wildly experimental roles that synced him up with interesting filmmakers.
From playing a doomed astronaut in Danny Boyle’s Sunshine, a pretentious actor in Edgar Wright’s Scott Pilgrim vs the World, a post-apocalyptic revolutionary in Bong Joon-ho’s Snowpiercer, and a sarcastic murder suspect in Knives Out, it seemed like he had cracked the code on how to not be typecast.
The ending of Avengers: Endgame, in which Rogers officially passes the shield over to Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson, seemingly gave Evans the opportunity to continue this phase of taking on prestige projects, but unfortunately, he seemed to only have an interest in appearing in second-rate blockbusters and streaming releases, such as the Russo Brothers’ forgettable action thriller The Gray Man and the obnoxious holiday comedy Red One, in which he co-starred with Dwayne Johnson.
Of all the films that the buff actor has appeared in within his post-Marvel career, none was more embarrassing than Ghosted, a romantic comedy in which he co-starred with Ana de Armas, and beyond the fact that he was unrealistically cast as a schlubby loser who couldn’t get a date, the film seemed to commit to every single cliché that would have already felt out-of-touch a decade prior.
To Evans’ credit, he seemed to understand the mistake that he’d made, and showed that he’s empowered to make better decisions in the future, and speaking to Variety, stated that it wasn’t critics or audiences to blame for the failure of Ghosted, but the people who made it.
“I didn’t think audiences had outgrown it prior, and I still don’t think they have, despite the fact, I mean, technically I think we did OK on, in terms of viewership,” Evans said, “Critics didn’t like it, but that’s more the fault of the movie as opposed to the appetite of the audience. I think the appetite’s there, if it’s done properly. We could have been better.”
Ghosted may have marked a new low for America’s saviour, but he has thankfully been making the type of decisions that indicate he’s willing to take more risks, appearing in two interesting films in 2025: Ethan Coen’s Honey, Don’t! and Celine Song’s Materialists, in which he was able to turn in layered performances and accept “character roles” that didn’t rely on his own charisma. Neither film was particularly good, but they at least proved to be a step in the right direction, with even the most scathing reviews for each title seeming to single out Evans as being a highlight.
Nonetheless, he may not have to worry about any of this if he indeed does make a return, in some form or another, to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in either Avengers: Doomsday or Avengers: Secret Wars, but whether it will be a brief cameo or a full-on return to the franchise remains to be seen.
