John Krasinski Admits He Still Jokes With Chris Evans About Losing Captain America Role

Chris Evans and John Krasinski

If the fans get their way, John Krasinski will make his MCU debut as Reed Richards, a.k.a. Mr. Fantastic, when the Fantastic Four finally arrive, presumably in Phase 5 or 6. But the actor and A Quiet Place Part II director could have joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe back in the beginning when he was up for playing Captain America, a role that ultimately went to Chris Evans. John Krasinski admits he still jokes with Chris Evans about losing out on Captain America, as he explained:

So as soon as they said Chris Evans got the part, I was like, yeah, look at that guy. Are you kidding me? He is Captain America. And I just saw Chris a couple of weeks ago and we were still laughing about it. I said, ‘I love that you retired in my role.

John Krasinski isn’t bitter now that he missed out on playing Captain America and he wasn’t bitter back when it happened either. As he recalled to Esquire, when Chris Evans got the role, John Krasinski couldn’t be mad because despite going out for the part himself, he knew that Chris Evans was perfect for it. Just looking at Chris Evans, it was obvious to John Krasinski that he was Captain America.

John Krasinski knew it then, but everyone knows it now because Chris Evans proved himself in the role time and time again and became one of the most beloved actors behind one of the most beloved characters in the wildly popular MCU. But even though he knew Chris Evans was right for it, John Krasinski still busts his chops about losing out on Captain America.

Even now, nearly a decade after Captain America: The First Avenger released in theaters, John Krasinski still reminds Chris Evans that he stole his role. Now he has new fodder too following Chris Evans’ exit from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and sendoff in last year’s Avengers: Endgame.

Displaying the kind of trolling that made his character Jim on The Office so funny, John Krasinski now jokes with Chris Evans about retiring the role that should have belonged to him. But if any of this seems like a rivalry, it is not. The two are actually friends, as John Krasinski explained:

People have a sense that some of us are insanely competitive. I've known Chris forever.

The two actors are friends and have been for some time, so although John Krasinski still jokes with Chris Evans about losing Captain America to him, it’s friendly ribbing. It’s a pity that we’ve never seen these two friends together onscreen, and even if John Krasinski does join the MCU, that ship has sadly sailed.

Chris Evans’ MCU days are seemingly over and Captain America is ancient in the current timeline. So we’ll never see John Krasinski as Mr. Fantastic standing alongside, and likely arguing with, Chris Evans’ Captain America or Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark. But maybe if he does get to play Reed Richards in Fantastic Four, which he still very much wants to do, John Krasinski can find some way to lord it over Chris Evans and have the last laugh.

First that has to happen though, and since we haven’t even begun Phase 4 yet, all is quiet on the Fantastic Four front. But John Krasinski’s talents will be on full display both in front of and behind the camera in next month’s A Quiet Place Part II.

A Quiet Place Part II opens in theaters on March 20. Check out our 2020 Release Schedule to see all the movies you can look forward to this year.

Nick Evans

Nick grew up in Maryland has degrees in Film Studies and Communications. His life goal is to walk the earth, meet people and get into adventures. He’s also still looking for The Adventures of Pete and Pete season 3 on DVD if anyone has a lead.