In a recent interview with Esquire, Chris Evans speaks candidly and critically about the Trump administration as he gears up to shoot two more Avengers movies back-to-back, which will likely mark his final appearances in the role. The actor says he’s looking forward to taking on roles in smaller films, like the upcoming Gifted.
While much of the focus falls on his politics, Evans’ role in Gifted is, ostensibly, the focus of the Esquire piece. For him, the small family drama was a welcome change from a massive summer blockbuster, allowing him to play a character who’s more familiar (in a human sense) than a comic book icon. "With Steve Rogers," Evans says, "even though you're on a giant movie with a huge budget and strange costumes, you're still on a hunt for the truth of the character." That said, "with Adler, it's nice to play someone relatable... Adler is someone you can hold up as a mirror for someone in the audience. They'll be able to far more easily identify with Frank Adler than Steve Rogers."
Evans signed a six-film contract when he first agreed to play Cap for Marvel, though the studio originally wanted him to agree to a nine-movie deal. It’s always possible Marvel will try to tempt the actor back for another outing for some major cash and/or a smaller role, as happened previously with Robert Downey Jr. Still, by the sound of this interview, it sounds like Evans is more focused on new challenges going forward, namely different kinds of roles or possibly directing.
Whether or not Evans returns to the MCU after the two-part Avengers: Infinity War , it’s likely he’ll continue to have a say on American politics. Following previous rants about Trump and a faceoff with professional bigot David Duke on Twitter, Evans confessed he knows sharing his political views so publicly might not be the best career move, but he simply can’t keep quiet in the current political climate. In other words, he doesn’t care if his political views impact the box-office bottom line of his movies.
READ : Chris Evans Takes To Twitter To Denounce President-Elect
"Look, I'm in a business where you've got to sell tickets," Evans said. "But, my God, I would not be able to look at myself in the mirror if I felt strongly about something and didn't speak up. I think it's about how you speak up. We're allowed to disagree. If I state my case and people don't want to go see my movies as a result, I'm okay with that."
Evans, like many Americans, has been attempting to make sense of how so many people could have cast their ballots for Trump in the weeks since the election. "People were just so desperate to hear someone say that someone is to blame," he told the Esquire. "They were just so happy to hear that someone was angry. Hear someone say that Washington sucks. They just want something new without actually understanding. I mean, guys like Steve Bannon—Steve Bannon!—this man has no place in politics."
Still, while he understands the impulse to scream, shout and make enemies of one another, Evans urges a level-headed approach to the new political reality. "Yeah, I see it, and it's time for calm. Because not everyone who voted for Trump is going to be some horrible bigot. There are a lot of people in that middle; those are the people you can't lose your credibility with. If you're trying to change minds, by spewing too much rhetoric you can easily become white noise."
Avengers: Inifinity War hits theaters May 4, 2018. A yet-unnamed sequel is slated for release in May 2019.
What do you think of Evans’ likely decision to leave behind the role of Captain America? Do you enjoy hearing his thoughts on the current political situation? Let us know in the comments!
