Chris Evans reveals why 'Avengers: Doomsday' finally convinced him to return

Chris Evans has opened up about his highly anticipated return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, revealing why Avengers: Doomsday was the first project that convinced him to reprise Steve Rogers.

The actor, who last appeared as Captain America in 2019's Avengers: Endgame, said he turned down numerous ideas over the years because he wanted to protect the legacy of the beloved superhero.

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Evans recalled that Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige and executive producer Louis D'Esposito approached him shortly after Endgame with the idea of continuing Steve Rogers' story as Nomad.

“When we finished Endgame in 2018, Lou and Kevin took me to dinner and they were like, ‘We’d love to keep doing movies with Steve Rogers as Nomad,’” Evans said.

Although he described the initial concept as “a great pitch,” the actor admitted it did not feel like the right time to return.

“They showed me a pitch, and it was a great pitch, but for whatever reason, it just didn’t feel right at the time,” he explained. “I was a little precious. I wanted to preserve it.”

Instead of accepting the offer, Evans encouraged Marvel to keep developing ideas.

“Please keep pitching,” he recalled telling the studio.

According to Evans, he listened to around a dozen different proposals over the following eight years.

“They were all wonderful,” he said. “But it just never quite felt right.”

That changed when he learned about Avengers: Doomsday. Evans revealed he first heard rumours that Robert Downey Jr. was in talks to return to Marvel, prompting him to wonder what the studio was planning.

“I got a phone call from my team saying there’s a rumour Robert is talking to Marvel,” Evans said. “I was like, ‘Uh-oh. What does this mean?’”

The actor explained that after Avengers: Doomsday, co-director Joe Russo presented the story and Downey became involved, everything finally clicked.

“It just all of a sudden... it was like, ‘This is it,’” Evans said.

Despite returning for the upcoming blockbuster, Evans stressed that he remains selective about revisiting Captain America in the future.

“I guess it’s a never-say-never,” he said. “But certainly not willing to just jump back in for anything because I think everyone here is precious with their role in the universe.”

“This stuff, it’s earned its position over a long period of time. You don’t want to mess with that,” he added.

Avengers: Doomsday is expected to mark Evans' first appearance as Steve Rogers since Endgame, reuniting him with several familiar faces from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.