Chris Evans has built up quite the resume as an actor, and continues to be one of Hollywood’s best leading men. However, his legacy will always be tied to his most iconic role as Steve Rogers, a.k.a. Captain America. OG Marvel fans will remember this wasn’t his first gig as a Marvel Superhero, as he previously starred in the Fantastic Four movies. Now, one of Evans' co-stars on that film is recalling their reaction to learning he'd been tapped to play the Sentinel of Liberty by Marvel Studios.
Before there was Pedro Pascal as Mr. Fantastic and Joseph Quinn as the Human Torch, there was Ioan Gruffudd and Chris Evans, respectively, playing the roles in the Fantastic Four films of the 2000s. While the 2025 summer blockbuster First Steps was the official MCU debut for the family of superheroes, Gruffudd and Evan’s portrayals -- as well as those of co-stars Jessica Alba and Michael Chiklis -- were the first live action introductions of the characters on the big screen (aside from the shelved 1994 film). While some fans were shocked that Evans was cast as Cap back in 2010, Gruffud told Vulture that he never doubted the casting:
It made sense to me. I mean, I can imagine there were fans of comics that were a bit jarred by the fact. But, when you think about it, he’s absolutely perfect for the role — and he played it perfectly. Physically, Chris worked as Captain America, and he just represents that part, and when you went to see the movie, you go, Yep, there’s the reason why he was cast.
There’s no denying Chris Evans fit the role of Captain America, with his now-gone biceps and all-American bravado. In fact, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has tried to pass the Captain America torch a few times since Steve Rogers exit in Avengers: Endgame, introducing multiple candidates such as Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson and Wyatt Russell’s John Walker. While Sam is now forging his own path, there's just something about Evans' portrayal of Steve.
Needless to say, while some fans were "jarred" over the casting decision, I agree with Ioan Gruffud that the choice made sense. It's for that reason that I, too, miss seeing Evans' Rogers in the MCU. Of course, no one is ever truly gone from the MCU until you see a dead body on screen. Plus, given the MCU's Multiverse Saga is still playing out, there's a chance he could return.
In fact, even iterations of pre-MCU Marvel characters aren’t out of the fold. On that note, Chris Evans reprised his role as Johnny Storm for the 2024 film Deadpool & Wolverine. In the same Vulture interview, Gruffudd responded to Evans' reprisal and shared some positive thoughts. And, given how great it is, it's hard to blame the Welsh actor for holding that view.
Considering these multiversal developments, I have to wonder if we could possibly see the return of former versions of the Fantastic Four, even the characters from Josh Trank's 2015 movie. While I think another version of Evans' Johnny Storm is out of the question after his brutal evisceration by Cassandra Nova in Deadpool & Wolverine, perhaps Ioan Gruffudd’s Reed Richards could step through the multiverse in a similar way to Garfield and Maguire’s Spider-Men?
Even if he doesn't return as the beloved super-stretchy scientist fans know and love, the Titanic actor has shown interest in joining the MCU, perhaps this time as a villain. Should that happen, I'd also be curious to hear what Evans thinks about his colleague taking on a fresh Marvel role.
We will just have to wait and see all the surprises in store, and with all the upcoming Marvel projects set to release over the next few years, anything is possible. Until then, you can brush up on your MCU lore and check out Chris Evans and Ioan Gruffudd's two Fantastic Four movies using a Disney+ subscription.
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