For any self-respecting Marvel fan, even imagining someone other than Chris Evans as Captain America or Steve Rogers is no less than a crime. This mentality became evident when #notmycap was among top trends on Twitter after actor Wyatt Russell took up the character for ‘The Falcon and The Winter Soldier’. But do you know that Chris was not excited for the role when he was first offered and eventually refused to play the part?

Today, on Evan’s 40th birthday, let’s revisit the time when the actor revealed that at first, he turned down the role of Captain America, a character that made him an immortal star in the world of Marvel Cinema.

In 2016, Chris made an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live and disclosed that he turned down the part several times before signing in. On being asked by the host about his reluctance to take up a role as popular and charismatic as Captain America, Chris said, “I was scared.”

While he openly accepted that it was his social anxiety with the industry that made him apprehensive about the project at first, he also revealed that he was also hesitant of a six-movie contract that Marvel wanted him to sign.

Evans said, “When doing one movie at a time, you have the liberty to wake up and decide not to do the same stuff again if it is not working well for you but with a giant contract like this in hand, even if it’s not responding well, you have to suit up again and do the work.”

“I find it scary”, Chris now the beloved Captain America added.

Chris further revealed that after declining the offer, the project kept coming to him multiple times and after discussing it with friends and family, he realised what an amazing opportunity it was.

Today, Chris’s character is one of the most popular and celebrated characters of the Marvel Universe. He went on to play Captain America in ‘Captain America: The First Avenger’, its sequels ‘The Winter Soldier’ and ‘Civil War’ as well as all the four Avengers movie.