Chris Evans Breaks Down His Most Iconic Characters | GQ

Put on the suit. Let's go a few rounds. Who do you think is stronger, Captain America or Iron Man? Well, I'm biased, so I'm going to say Cap, but who's smarter? Who's richer? I'll give those to Tony. Fantastic Four. Now picture that, but everywhere. I wasn't a big comic book reader. I mean, I've read a lot now, but at the time, aside from like the 80s and early 90s, Batman, Superman, things like that, that new wave of superhero films, the Spider-Man, the X-Men, they had just begun. So it was really exciting. You know, Marvel hadn't even kind of taken back their name yet. So it was, that film was a fox. It was one of the bigger movies I had done up until that point. So I was ecstatic and it was a fun role to play. He was full of life and he reacted the way I probably would have reacted if I was given superpowers. I'm so close to flying, guys. I can taste it. You can't fly. Yet. Johnny, can you put that napkin out? Jesus. Well, it was the first time doing those big action-y stunts. You know, you show up on a set that's two blocks long and these giant cables and explosions and green screens. And it's, you know, the stuff you see in the making ofs on other films, you know, and it's kind of like, wow, I make movies. This is great. And just having a good time with the cast. We had a lot of fun. This was in the early 2000s. This is before social media. I think everyone probably had a Nokia flip phone, you know? So it still was a time where, you know, in between takes, everyone's not buried in their phone. You're conversing and, you know, at night you're socializing. Yeah, it was my early twenties. It was a good time. You knew that Marvel had big plans, that the goal was to create this tapestry and integrate these worlds in a way that really hadn't been done prior. And I knew what the comic books offered me, you know, just about the character. With like most comics, there's a number of different writers who are writing for that character and a number of different storylines. So you're not quite sure which one they're going to follow. Yeah, it wasn't a whole lot about where the character was going to end up. It was more about, you know, the burden of trying to create this universe. But that didn't really fall in my lap. That was other people's responsibility. And we had Downey driving the show, you know what I mean? Like he had already done so well with Iron Man and it was such a phenomenon that you kind of felt like, okay, this is, we're off on the right foot. You want to see how the fans see, you know what I mean? Anytime I've heard about movies that are being made or remade, something that's dear to me, you realize how protective and possessive you are over that role. And you want to make sure the person playing the character respects that perspective and isn't just like, well, you know, I know they know the character, but this is my time. I'm going to do my thing. That's stumbling right out of the gate. So first step, try to understand why other people like them and honor it as best you can. There's a lot of fun moments in Endgame because it's a lot of moments that are servicing the fandom. But for a lot of those prep montage where we're about to go back and get the stones, it's kind of some of the original people and we just got to be in this room for weeks. I obviously really liked the scene where I pick up Mjolnir for the first time. It just felt good. Most of the scenes in Endgame, it just, you're fully aware of what you got to be a part of. You're really just kind of so grateful every day and just trying to absorb it all. You know, I think when you're in the middle of it, it's just always like, ah, there's another Marvel movie next year. Not that you take it for granted, but it just doesn't resonate the same way when you know, wow, we're wrapping in a couple of weeks and I'm putting this shield down. And that's just, that's been such a big part of my life for a decade. So most of Endgame was a really, really lovely experience. How does it feel? Like it's someone else's. It isn't. That last day was, you know, emotional. It's like graduating school. I mean, like, you know, the day's coming and then it's all of a sudden here and you feel like it went by way too quick. And I mean, it's life changing. My life is forever not the same. My family's life isn't. I mean, you know what I mean? Like the ripple effect of signing up for that role is kind of immeasurable for me, at least. And it was a beautiful time, full of gratitude. Scott Pilgrim versus the world. You really don't know about the League? The seven evil exes coming to kill you, controlling the future of Ramona's love life? No. Oh, well, hey, listen, man, don't worry about it. Really? Yeah, let's go get a beer. The pitch for Scott Pilgrim was so strange, but he kind of said, you know, Lucas Lee is this movie star, but he really doesn't have much range and he thinks he's great, but he's actually terrible. And I think you'd be perfect. I said, okay. They spent a lot, a lot of time trying to get me to look comfortable. But at the end of the day, I'm still hanging off the cables and had a rig where my shoe was connected to the skateboard. So when I try and ollie, it comes up with me. So I mean, you know, but you dive in because you're in this big warehouse and Mary's in the corner working with swords and Mike and Jason are over there doing this big action sequence. So you're just happy to be a part of it. That's probably the most fun I've had on a movie. Again, early in my career, 20s, but a big cast of people in the same place. I want to have his adopted babies. The cast was very connected. I'm not done. It looks like you're seeing double. He's good, right? Leaving was heartbreaking. It truly was like the first time I was like, I mean, I can just hang out guys. If you need me to, you know, it's you don't want to miss a beat. Another film where there was a rehearsal period that was more physical base. You know, a lot of people had action sequences. I had to learn how to skateboard, but the rehearsal was so fun. Then you leave and come back a month later to do your bit. And you just have such horrible FOMO. You just, you know, well, what'd you guys been doing? Have you been having fun? Send me pictures. Yeah. To this day, that email chain is still very active. When I first saw it, after they finished the edit, before it had been released, I saw it and was just like, this movie is going to be huge, you know? And then oddly it kind of came and went. The moons that have to align for a movie to not just be good, but find success is a lot, but it's nice to know that that one continues to find new audiences. And it's kind of created a little bit of like a cult following. That's why we're doing this animated series. And I've just never been a part of something where all Edgar had to do was say, Hey, you guys want to do this? And it was a race to jump in. Everyone. Yes, of course. Of course. No, no, no, no brainer. So yeah, it's, it's a little family, not another team movie. At that point I would have taken any movie, but yeah, to, to be able to spoof some of those films that I grew up on was a treat. There was Ferris Bueller elements. My dad in the movie was, was Ferris's dad, you know, just to be in any way, somewhat adjacent to Ferris Bueller was pretty exciting at the time. Comedy is more intimidating, keeping things fresh on a film set is the biggest challenge drama. You can always find something to make it feel honest comedy. You know, when you tell a joke or you, you know, you, you know, the comedic rhythm that's coming. It's very easy to get stale. You had to be really nimble and just intrinsically funny, which I don't know that I am. So it's a, it's an uphill battle. Ransom. Call me Ransom. It's my middle name. I mean, I love a murder mystery. I love an ensemble. I love the majority. I mean, that cast is just phenomenal. And Ryan Johnson, again, another director who really knows what he wants. And it was a role that I felt confident. It was intimidating role just because a lot of the characters are colorful. And you don't quite know how far to go and how grounded do I make this? And again, you let Ryan guide you, but it was just a dream job. With a good lawyer, which I have, I'll be out in no time. And then you'll see just how much hell I can wreak on your life. You vicious little bitch. Oh, that was a great scene. I didn't love getting the puke in my face. What the ----? That means she's lying. I have such a love for Michael Shannon. I just think he's the funniest guy. I don't think anyone realizes how he's so dry and so sharp. And he knows he's funny too. He'll make these like, kind of quiet side comments and just have the littlest smirk on his face. So that we were doing that scene where he's shoving the cookies in my face and just screaming. Took all of me to not break. He's just, he's very committed. Absolutely hilarious. So that might be my favorite scene. Snowpiercer. When I first read the script, I didn't quite get it. I was like, so what's, you know, whenever it's a world, a movie that's world building, you know, you're creating a completely separate environment. There's just kind of a conceit that you have to say, okay, so everyone just accepts this. This is just how it is. No one's kind of outraged that this is the structure. That's just the normal kind. You kind of have to decide what part of your brain do you spend time wrapping your head around? Do you go the intimate road and just kind of make it about the character? Do you try and make it about what it took for that society to level into that place? It's a challenge, but you get to watch Tilda Swinton's in the movie. You get to watch her approach to this larger than life character. Precisely 74% of you shall die. My friend, you suffer from the misplaced optimism of the doomed. Again, we had some good rehearsal on that project as well. And director Bong is such a visionary. When you're working with someone that knows exactly what they want, even if it's not exactly the way you saw it, it breeds trust. And as an actor, that's the most important thing to trust the director. Otherwise you're playing defense. Otherwise you're like, all right, this first take I'll do this just so I can at least protect that. Then I'll try this, but I don't want to try that because I don't know if they know how to use that take. And any take I give them could be used against me. And when you have a director who is so convinced of what their vision is, that's when you say, great. You say jump, I'll say how high. We had those cars on gimbals, these little like, they just do like a subtle movement. So a lot of boat legs at the end of the day, you kind of are wobbly getting back to your hotel room. Incredibly helpful, the tangible environment as opposed to Marvel where you're talking to green screens and imaginary aliens. Everything was, you know, right there for you to touch and react with. Sunshine. Do I have to spell it out for you? We have a payload to deliver to the heart of our nearest star. We're delivering that payload because that star is dying. And if it dies, we die. Everything dies. So that is our mission. There is nothing, literally, nothing more important than completing our mission. He's very ossified in a lot of ways, but he's kind of the engine. He's kind of the moral compass. He prioritizes the mission first at the cost of people's feelings. In a lot of ways, he's very clean. He believes strongly in what he believes in. For the most part, selfless, you know, and there's a mission and he's going to get it done. And I like that. I like those kind of roles. We do not have enough oxygen reserves to get us to our payload delivery point, let alone to survive the return journey. So cancel the ticker tape parade. I was well aware of Danny Boyle. I mean, he's a major talent. He really comes from the theater world, too. So to that end, the approach was very rehearsal based. You know, in my short career at that point, I certainly had never had a film that had that much prep time. The whole cast got out there a couple of weeks before. Danny had us all live together in these little apartments for a couple of weeks, experience loss of space. We did scuba lessons to experience weightlessness. He would rent out theaters to watch these, you know, Das Boot and all the right stuff, just all these movies to put us in the right mindset. We did tons of rehearsing and it got to a point that by the time you were filming, you knew what you were doing. So much a film, you show up for the first day and you're meeting the actor for the first time, you're reading the words for the first time. That had very much a theater approach. I think I was a little spoiled, actually, as a result. Puncture. So you're telling the jury the reason my client is fired is because he falsified his resume, not because you went above your head and reported that trucks were not getting fixed and people were dying as a result, correct? Say yes. Yes. That was my first time playing a real person and he had passed away a few years prior. So you have a, there's a unique burden that comes with that. We met his family, met his brother and, you know, you just, you get, you get personal stories and socially relevant topic, which I was excited to be a part of and a really fun role. A director, the Kasson brothers, Mark Kasson, who is now my producing partner and dear friend. It was a really exciting time, very creatively satisfying role, but also a really demanding one. And that kind of coincided right when I got the offer to do Captain America, you know, and I had been coming off of Puncture and was just so content with that type of filmmaking and Captain America just felt like a different universe. And I just was really unsure if that's the world I wanted to drift into. So that's, that's part of the reasons I kind of was so wary and said no to Captain America a couple of times because of the experience I had on Puncture. You know, I just wasn't sure which avenue to take. In retrospect, you realize that nothing's binary. You can kind of construct any sort of path you'd like, but at the time it just felt overwhelming. Yeah. Well, at least I have the courage to lose for what's right. Sometimes on big, big movies, there's a hundred cooks in the kitchen. Every decision is filtered through, you know, a billion teams of people and working on Puncture just feels like a couple people with a camera. You have a much more intimate hands-on approach to these aspects and it just feels maybe a little more protected. I mean, I've been a part of films where you do your job and then there's so many steps. That's the nature of filmmaking. I mean, you see the final product, you say, wow, that is not what I thought this was going to be. Such is the case with big, big movies. Smaller movies, it almost feels like you can guide them along a bit more because there's just less people involved. Bane hustlers. I play Keith Brenner. He's a drug rep. He is representative of a mentality that's pretty ubiquitous in the field, which is just like, hey, I'm just doing my job. Just doing my job. It's not my fault. I'm not the one writing the prescriptions. I'm not the one killing people. I'm just passing it from A to B. So it's kind of this twisted perspective that absolves anyone from responsibility of this epidemic. What specifically drew me was Emily. You know, her and I are friendly and we've been looking for something to do together. Pretty keen on joining regardless, but the story ended up being very timely and important. Anytime you can work with a certain caliber of people on a project that's relevant and important and moves the needle in social ways, you jump on board. I think there's different motivating factors. Creative appetites drift from one thing to the next. One time you might just want something that's a comedy, something that's, you know, fun or, you know, or a horror suspense. But sometimes, you know, you might even stumble across an issue that means something to you personally and then actively go pursue a project that reflects that issue. It's a blessing and I'm very creatively satisfied and, you know, personally satisfied that I get to do that from time to time.