Chris Evans does not envy the spotlight Robert Downey Jr. got during their time in the MCU.

Chris Evans became a globally loved movie star after his Marvel role as Captain America. The actor played the super soldier in the film trilogy based on the character and also reprised his role in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.

Despite the 42-year-old actor’s key role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), it’s his co-star Robert Downey Jr. who is often credited for the meteoric success of MCU. Thanks to the Oscar winner’s laudable portrayal of Iron Man, he became the “Face of MCU” in many ways. However, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige once weighed in on Evans’ contribution to the MCU, noting how fans can often overlook the Captain America: Civil War star’s role in the company’s success.

Image from Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War | YouTube

Kevin Feige Compared Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr.’s Contribution to MCU

Kevin Feige loves the Marvel superheroes as much as fans. He famously saved Evans’ Captain America: The First Avenger from doom after fighting a former Marvel executive who wanted to change the film’s timeline.

In Chris Evans‘ 2023 GQ profile, Feige compared the actor’s contributions to the MCU to Robert Downey Jr.‘s. Both actors retired from their superhero roles following 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, although a popular theory says that Downey Jr.’s Iron Man already knew Captain America’s fate in the film. Both the Oppenheimer actor and his character Iron Man have been at the front and center of the MCU.

Image from Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War | YouTube
However, Feige told GQ, how he often thinks of a situation where Evans would have said no to his Captain America role. He went on to say that despite the credit Downey Jr. gets for being the foundation of Marvel Studios, Evans is a pillar without which the company would not be standing today.

The Marvel boss’ exact words were,

“I often think about the parallel world where he said no. Robert Downey Jr. gets a lot of attention, deservedly so, for being the foundation of this studio we have here. But in many, many ways, Chris Evans was one of those additional pillars that the house would not be standing today, if not for him.”

Fans could not be more pleased with Evans’ casting for the role. One of the weirdest pitches during the character’s casting urged Dwayne Johnson or Will Smith to play Steve Rogers.

Actor Compares Captain America Role To Playing Super Bowl in Tom Brady’s Team

Despite, Feige’s kind words, the Knives Out star, ever-so-humble shared that he feels lucky to be a part of the MCU. In response to Feige’s praise, the actor expressed his love for the character.

“I love playing that role. I feel connected to it in a way that when you revisit a character so many times you can’t help but try to absorb some of their traits and measure yourself against them.”

Image from Marvel Studios’ Avengers – Official Trailer | YouTube
He further compared playing Captain America to being a part of a winning Super Bowl team with Tom Brady in it. Although he is not the most credited player, the star said he is happy to be on the team. His exact words were,

“You kind of feel like you were just lucky enough to go along for the ride,” he says. “It’s like winning the Super Bowl, but you weren’t Tom Brady. I mean, you were on the team. You might have had a couple good plays, but it’s not your victory to own. You are a part of it, which is wonderful. And you’re a part of a cultural phenomenon.”

Since his MCU departure, Chris Evans has starred in multiple highly acclaimed projects like Defending Jacob, Don’t Look Up, The Gray Man, Pain Hustlers, and more. His upcoming film Red One is a highly-anticipated action comedy in which he stars alongside Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. Evans is also newly married to Warrior Nun star Alba Baptista.