Chris Evans revealed he almost turned down Captain America role because of panic attacks

He opened up about his mental health in a recent podcast episode 
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Margaret Abrams26 May 2020

Actor Chris Evans is best known for playing Captain America - but his star-making superhero role almost never happened.

Evans, 38, appeared on The Hollywood Reporter's podcast, Awards Chatter, and talked about why he almost never played the Marvel character at all.

Walt Disney Studios/Marvel

Evans said that he was experiencing bad anxiety when he first landed a coveted role as the Human Torch in the 2007 movie Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.

"That was back when the superhero thing was just taking off," he said, adding, "I had just been dumped and I needed it!" It's probable he's referencing his split from actress Minka Kelly. He went on to have a series of high-profile Hollywood relationships, including one with comedian Jenny Slate, who he eventually split from in 2018.

"It was the first time I started having mini panic attacks on set," he said. "I really started to think, 'I'm not sure if this [acting] is the right thing for me, I'm not sure if I'm feeling as healthy as I should be feeling.'"

He was then invited to test for the part of Captain America for the 2011 movie Captain America: The First Avenger. And while many actors would be delighted, he was worried because of the added fame he knew would come with the major role.

He ended up turning down opportunities to test for the role - even after Marvel offered him more money and said he only had to star in six movies instead of nine. Eventually, Marvel offered him the role without him ever testing for it.

Getty Images

Evans then spoke to his therapist, as well as family and friends including fellow superhero Robert Downey Jr., who plays Iron Man and shares an agent with Evans, he decided to accept the role.

He hasn't regretted it since. He said, "It was the best decision I've ever made, and I really owe that to [Marvel chief] Kevin Feige for being persistent and helping me avoid making a giant mistake. To be honest, all the things that I was fearing never really came to fruition."

REUTERS

He also ended up making close friends on set with his co-stars Chris Hemsworth, RDJ, Scarlett Johansson and Mark Ruffalo.

"Hemsworth and I were very new and we also had the stand-alones...so I think we shared in our anxiety, and at least that made it a little bit more comforting," he said.

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