Captain America's Scrawny Pre-Serum Body Was Almost Played By Jeremy Strong
Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) had a remarkable run in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the star-spangled hero Captain America. After thwarting the villainous leader of HYDRA, Red Skull (Hugo Weaving), during World War II, he wound up frozen in ice. Once thawed in 2012, he became a member of the Avengers, battling evil alongside the likes of Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson). In the years that followed, he'd continue to fight for what he believed was right, wield Mjolnir, a weapon fit for a Norse god, and even stand up to the dangerous Thanos (Josh Brolin).
Of course, while Rogers would've defended the innocent to his last breath anyway, his use of the Super Soldier Serum certainly helped him become a more effective hero. Dr. Abraham Erskine's (Stanley Tucci) concoction made him stronger, quicker, and more durable, hence why he was capable of giving some of the strongest beings in the universe a run for their money. Before that, he was just a scrawny kid from Brooklyn, New York, who'd get beat up a lot by those bigger than him. More often than not, his good friend, James "Bucky" Barnes (Sebastian Stan), would have to bail him out.
To play the pre-serum Steve Rogers in 2011's "Captain America: The First Avenger," Chris Evans' head was digitally placed onto Leander Deeny's body. However, Evans' likeness almost went on the body of none other than Jeremy Strong.
Chris Evans didn't even know Strong almost played the skinny Steve Rogers
In an interview with The Times, Jeremy Strong discussed his Hollywood journey so far and revealed an interesting tidbit about his career. He recalls that when "Captain America: The First Avenger" was in development in the early 2010s, the opportunity came his way to play the body of Steve Rogers before he took the Super Soldier Serum. "They said they needed a transformational actor and would use CGI to put the actual actor's face and voice over my own," Strong explained, and while he did consider it, he ultimately turned the gig down, thus affording Leander Deeny the chance to take it on.
Even though it would've been his face on Strong's body, as it turns out, Chris Evans had no idea he was in contention for the "First Avenger" body double role. "Oh no!" Evans told The Times with a gasp. He continues, "It just goes to show the industry is so unpredictable. But I'm so happy things worked out because I don't think there was ever plan B for Jeremy." Following that and a botched audition for "Cowboys & Aliens," where he showed up dressed as a cowboy and all of his fellow aspiring stars were wearing normal clothes, Strong gave up on Hollywood and decided to strengthen his acting skills in New York.
Considering that he's now thriving as one of the stars of the HBO hit "Succession," it's safe to say that all has worked out for Jeremy Strong in the wake of his choice to pass on a role — if you can really call it that — in "Captain America: The First Avenger."