Depending on how Avengers 4 goes, Chris Evans may potentially be saying goodbye to his iconic role as Captain America after almost 10 years as the first Avenger. In the strenuous casting process that ended in Evans' favor years ago, there was another actor neck and neck with him before he nabbed the role: Wilson Bethel. The actor makes his debut today on Marvel Television's Daredevil season 3 as the classic villain Bullseye, but there was a time when he felt he lost out on the role of a lifetime. Bethel auditioned, screen tested, screen tested again and even wore Cap's suit, leading him to believe he might be the leader of the MCU's Avengers, but you know what happened instead. In Bethel's words:
I think it was like one or two days later that they made the announcement that Chris Evans got the part. So, to be perfectly honest, that was one of the hardest moments in my professional career. And it spun me out for a while to be honest with you. But I'm also a firm believer that things happen as they're supposed to, and obviously, Chris did an incredible job in that role. And my life, while it hasn't brought me to lead the Avengers, has been really rich and rewarding in other ways. So, I can't spend too much time lamenting it. And honestly, just the fact that things have kind of come full circle in a way, and I still get to be a dude in a suit, is pretty exciting.
At the time when Wilson Bethel auditioned for Captain America, he was a relative newcomer to the industry with just a few acting credits, so his ability to get so close to nabbing the role is quite impressive. But Chris Evans had already lead quite a few successful films, so he was likely a better bet for the studio still in the early days of forming their expansive MCU. In Bethel's interview with ComicBook.com, he explained the casting process in depth, detailing how he screen tested with many other guys for the role, who they all ended up being released at the end of it except for him, making him a close contender for Steve Rogers.
To lose out at such a high-profile role when he was so close sounds like a tough break, but Wilson Bethel has kept busy, primarily in the realm of television since Chris Evans has played Captain America on the big screen. Bethel is best known for his role on the CW's Hart of Dixie from 2011 to 2015, and has also been on the HBO miniseries Generation Kill, The Astronaut Wives Club and How to Get Away With Murder.
Eight years later, he makes his way back to the MCU as a compelling villain on Netflix's most successful television series, Daredevil. Wilson Bethel plays FBI Agent Benjamin 'Dex' Poindexter, a.k.a. Bullseye, now available to binge on Netflix.
As for the movies side of the MCU, look through our handy guide to learn what's coming up.
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