Chris Evans' Captain America Fame Came At A Hefty Cost
Fame comes at a price, especially when you're in the biggest franchise in the world. To date, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has raked in over $26 billion dollars (via The Numbers) and shows no signs of stopping with dozens of projects in the works. With so many eyeballs glued to each respective franchise within the universe, it's fair to say that the MCU has turned superstars out of almost all of its main players.
After appearing as The Human Torch in the "Fantastic Four" films, Chris Evans traded in Johnny Storm's arrogance for Steve Rogers' unapologetic patriotism by joining the MCU as Captain America. Evans made his debut as the star-spangled hero in "Captain America: The First Avenger," a year before he appeared in the franchise-defining "The Avengers" in 2012.
Evans appeared as the hero countless times, spearheading his own trilogy. The character received a fitting farewell in "Avengers: Endgame," with the final shot of the blockbuster closing in on him and his love, Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell). Despite wrapping up his story, Deadline reported in 2021 that Marvel was in talks with Evans to return as Rogers, only for the star to dispel those reports with a cheeky tweet.
While Marvel fans may be cheering for Evans to return, the star has openly discussed his struggles with playing the character and how the recognition that comes with it has taken a significant toll on him.
Chris Evans went to therapy to manage his anxiety
Shortly after "Captain America: The First Avenger" hit cinemas in 2011, Chris Evans opened up to Shortlist about his struggles with fame and how therapy helped him manage and deal with the resulting anxiety. "I struggle with anxiety sometimes, especially when promoting films like this. Just the life of doing what I do, being in the public eye, it's a stressful environment. So it's good to go and talk about the things that cause your anxiety," the star revealed to the outlet.
While appearing on The Hollywood Reporter's "Awards Chatter," Evans revealed that his anxiety first started to surface during the production of "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer." The star later admitted to having panic attacks on the set of "Puncture." Marvel had initially asked Evans to screentest as Rogers, but Evans declined, only for the studio to directly offer him the role.
Evans continued in his interview with Shortlist by admitting that he was a private person and found it challenging to speak about himself. "You feel strange, self-aware, very foolish. Your third eye clicks on, just to try to maintain a healthy sense of perspective, and you think, 'What am I doing here? I'm just making a movie, and people want all these things from me.'"
Seeing as Evans' stint as Captain America is widely considered to be one of the best superhero performances of all time (via The Hollywood Reporter), it's difficult to not feel grateful that the star took on the role and provided joy to millions knowing it took a heavy toll on him.