Jensen Ackles Reveals If He Actually Auditioned to Play ‘Captain America’
Jensen Ackles cleared the air on a long-believed rumor that he once auditioned to play Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
According to the Supernatural star, he was never in the running to play the star-spangled man with a plan. "Did I audition for Captain America? No, I did not," Ackles told Entertainment Weekly.
He added that he did not believe the role was filled via a traditional audition process. "I feel like they just met with people on that," he told the outlet. As it turns out, even if Ackles had been approached, he would not have been available because of other commitments.
Of course, the role famously went to Chris Evans.
Ackles — who is getting his superhero fix playing Soldier Boy in a series called The Boys — said that he and Evans did frequently face off for parts back then. "But, unfortunately, I didn't get to fight him on that one," he reiterated.
Evans introduced Cap to the MCU in 2011's Captain America: The First Avenger. He portrayed the classic hero through 2019's Avengers: Endgame and frequently appeared alongside a star-studded cast that included of Scarlett Johansson, Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner and Tom Holland.
He has been celebrated as a "real-life Captain America" by fans and publications such as Insider ever since he picked up the character's iconic shield.
Interestingly, Evans told The Hollywood Reporter‘s Awards Chatter podcast that he initially turned down offers to test for the role due to personal struggles with anxiety. The Lightyear actor finally reconsidered at the recommendation of Downey Jr. after Marvel offered him the job anyway.
"It was the best decision I’ve ever made, and I really owe that to [Marvel chief] Kevin Feige for being persistent and helping me avoid making a giant mistake,” Evans said.
Although Evans' contract with Marvel ended following Endgame, there have been whispers in recent years that he might return to the franchise again in the future. Deadline notes Marvel would not confirm or deny if the star had a future in the universe in early 2021.