Few actors in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) have boasted such iconic and long-lived careers as Chris Evans. As the Steve Rogers (a.k.a. Captain America) of the MCU, Evans was the first Avenger and one of the first heroes introduced to the MCU. For almost a decade, Evans portrayed Captain America from his humble beginnings in Brooklyn, all the way to the battle at the end of Avengers: Endgame.
Not only did Evans look the part of Rogers, but he manages to perfectly embody his spirit. Captain America was always a symbol of freedom and justice and Evans conveyed that well in his portrayal. He comes across as decent, humble, self-assured, and as noble as a hero can get. Even now that he has left the MCU, his legacy still lives on as Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) takes up his mantle as Captain America.
One can’t really imagine what the MCU would look like without Evans. However, many don’t realize how close the MCU came to not having Evans in it. When he was first offered the role, Evans actually declined it, due to second-guessing the 6-film contract it came with. Ultimately, Marvel succeeded in persuading him to join as Rogers. What would’ve Captain America looked like, though, had Evans permanently declined the role? Here are the actors who auditioned for Captain America and came close to nabbing the role.
Sebastian Stan
That’s right, Sebastian Stan had initially auditioned for the role of Captain America and was one of the frontrunners for the role. However, while he didn’t land the role of Cap, he was given the part of Bucky Barnes (a.k.a. The Winter Soldier), instead. It certainly worked out well for Stan, as his performance as Barnes has received high praise and garnered quite a large fanbase. He even got his own miniseries, alongside Anthony Mackie, in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and the series left room for him to be featured further in the MCU.
Chris Pratt
We all know and love Chris Pratt as the MCU’s current Star Lord. However, he initially went for the role of Captain America. While he didn’t get the job, his Captain America audition did manage to catch the attention of casting director Sarah Finn. Later, when Guardians of the Galaxy began casting, it was Finn who bagged Pratt an audition and helped him nab the role of Star Lord. Just like with Stan, things worked out well for Pratt and he ended up in a role he was perfect for.
John Krasinski
John Krasinski just made a brief MCU debut as Mr. Fantastic in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. However, he almost entered it much earlier when he auditioned for Captain America. In fact, it was Marvel who reached out to him to invite him to audition. He even did screen testing for the role and tried on the iconic suit. Krasinski wasn’t quite as jacked at the time, though, and found it embarrassing when Chris Hemsworth saw him in the suit. Still, he acted his heart out, but it simply wasn’t meant to be. He’s had no lack of work, though, with his roles in The Office, A Quiet Place, and Jack Ryan.
Kellan Lutz
Kellan Lutz has actually tried to enter the MCU twice. He revealed he had auditioned for both the roles of Thor and Captain America. Meanwhile, he got pretty close to the Captain America role and there were reports he even screen-tested for it. Still, Lutz has stated he is happy for both Hemsworth and Evans and doesn’t get competitive with other actors. He is most well known for starring as Emmett Cullen in Twilight and has since went on to star in The Expendables 3, The Legend of Hercules, and FBI: Most Wanted.
Alexander Skarsgård
Just like Lutz, Alexander Skarsgård reportedly auditioned for both roles of Thor and Captain America. In fact, he came extremely close to landing the role of Thor, even auditioning in the full outfit with the hammer. While neither role panned out for him, he has gone on to star in numerous other projects including Godzilla vs. Kong, The Northman, and Big Little Lies.
Ryan Phillippe
Ryan Phillippe is another actor who has confirmed he auditioned for the role of Captain America. In fact, he was pretty set on the role of Captain America, as Cap is one of his favorite heroes and he thought it would be a great role to have for his six-year-old son. Although he didn’t land it, he has gone on to star in One Shot, Lady of the Manor, and Wish Upon.
Scott Eastwood
Scott Eastwood admitted to auditioning for Captain America “many moons ago.” It was a role he thought would be interesting, though he has stated that his favorite superhero is actually Wolverine. Although he didn’t get the role, there are no hard feelings as he calls Evans incredible in the role. Meanwhile, he has more than made a name for himself with his roles in Suicide Squad, Pacific Rim Uprising, and The Fate of the Furious. He’s also still interested in Wolverine and down to play a younger version of him.
Wilson Bethel
Wilson Bethel is yet another actor who first auditioned for Captain America before popping up elsewhere in the MCU. Before he starred in Daredevil, as the villain Bullseye, he was actually really close to being Cap. Bethel revealed that he got to try on the iconic suit and actually screen-tested twice for the role. In fact, he seems to be one of the very last actors that it came down to. He added that not getting the role was one of the hardest moments in his career. However, he eventually did make his way to the MCU through Daredevil and has also went on to star in Hart of Dixie and All Rise.
Garrett Hedlum
While it’s unclear if Garrett Hedlund actually officially auditioned for Captain America, he was definitely considered for the role. However, despite meeting the director about the role, he ultimately chose to pass on it, mainly because of his devotion to TRON. He portrayed Sam Flynn in TRON: Legacy and TRON: The Next Day. Due to his commitment to the films, Captain America just wasn’t a gig he was interested in at the time. He certainly didn’t need the role, as he has found success with TRON and also starred in Unbroken, Pan, and Mudbound.
Wyatt Russell
It’s only fitting that the guy who played a knock-off version of Captain America in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, did initially audition to be the real Cap. Wyatt Russell starred in The Falcon and the Winter Solider as John Walker who is initially chosen to succeed Rogers as Captain America. However, after he kills a foreign national, he is demoted until Valentina recruits him to be U.S. Agent. Russell actually did audition to be the real Captain America, but was never really in the running for the role as it was actually his first-ever audition.
Chace Crawford
Chace Crawford actually didn’t technically audition for Captain America, but that’s only because Marvel wouldn’t let him. The actor did have a chance to screen test for the role, but when they found out he was filming Gossip Girl, they didn’t let him go through with it. After all, he was filming for the show 9 months out of the year. His commitment to the show certainly would’ve conflicted with being Captain America. He did still end up landing a superhero role, though, as he currently plays The Deep in The Boys.
Rumored auditions for Captain America
Of course, thanks to fan casting, there are always a number of actors that are rumored to have auditioned for a role, even if they never did. Jensen Ackles, Channing Tatum and, bizarrely, Kevin and Joe Jonas were all rumored to have auditioned or been in consideration for Captain America. Ackles has confirmed that he never auditioned for the role and there is no confirmation that Tatum or the Jonas brothers ever auditioned. The latter three seemed mainly to be fan castings. However, the actors themselves have never confirmed or denied auditioning. I sincerely hope, though, that no one was actually considering the Jonas brothers for Captain America.
(featured image: Marvel)
