What's Chris Evans' Favorite MCU movie?

Chris Evans is one of the most beloved MCU actors, whose heroic portrayal of Captain America to date remains unforgotten, iconic, and universally praised. Throughout his MCU tenure, he closely depicted the comic-accurate version of Steve Rogers, capturing his strong moral compass, patriotism, strong leadership skills, and worthiness in a consistent way. However, the actor was initially hesitant to take on the role due to several factors, such as long-term MCU commitment, performance pressure, the need to do justice to a beloved comic character, and the weight of building a universe. All thanks to Robert Downey Jr., who convinced him to play Captain America, and Evans, who took a leap of faith, which eventually turned out in his favor, indeed making him a fan favorite and the MCU's perfect casting choice.

The overall journey of Evans, right from Captain America: The First Avenger to Avengers: Endgame, has been pretty precious to him as well as the fans, who still want him to return to the MCU. Nevertheless, the actor has strongly dismissed the idea, saying he didn't want to spoil the years-long journey, which is very close to his heart. While it's currently difficult to say if we will ever see him picking up the shield again, Evans still continues to show his admiration for comic book movies and has also mentioned his favorite MCU movie. So let's have a look at that below.

Chris Evans' Take On Comic-Book Adaptations and His Favorite MCU Movie

Well, the debate about whether superhero movies are considered real cinema or not, is never-ending. Some critics feel the homogeneity and excessive use of VFX, with less focus on real characters and storylines, make such movies unworthy of being called cinema. Whereas, some individuals believe such superhero movies are works of art and require equal hard work, just like any movie in general. Additionally, they also think that over the years comic book movies have established their own genre. Together, they are highly entertaining, exhibit numerous representations through characters, have gripping plots, and have a cult following of their own.

Similarly, in a recent interview at Emerald City Con 2024 (via Total Film), even Evans also put emphasis on how these comic book movies aren't appreciated enough and how a lot of hard work goes behind these blockbuster movies before releasing them on a big screen.

"“Comic book movies in general, for whatever reason, don’t always get the credit I think they deserve. They are these big, giant movies. There’s a lot of cooks in the kitchen. But the empirical evidence is in: They are not easy to make. If it was easier, there would be a lot more good ones. I’m not throwing shade! I’ve been a part of a few that missed. It happens. Making a movie is tough. More cooks in the kitchen doesn’t make it easier. I don’t want to highlight specific films in the Marvel catalogue but some of them are phenomenal. Like independently, objectively great movies, and I think they deserve a little more credit.”"

- Chris Evans

Evans has worked for almost nine years in the MCU, starring in a total of 11 movies. Out of which, his personal favorite remains Captain America: The Winter Soldier, directed by the Russo Brothers. When he first stepped into the MCU with Captain America: The First Avenger Movie, it was all new to him, and he was nervous about portraying the character for the first time, trying hard to prevent any blunder from happening. However, the second installment gave him an opportunity to explore more of his titular character.

"“It’s my personal favorite Marvel movie that I was a part of. It’s not just for the movie itself but the experience. The first film, I was so nervous. You know what you’re stepping into and as a result you’re playing defense and you’re playing not to lose. When ‘Winter Solider’ came around, we were playing to win. And it’s the first movie with the Russo Brothers. We were taking more risks, and the character felt more fleshed out. It was one of the more satisfying experiences I’ve had in my Marvel run.”"

- Chris Evans

Why is Captain America: The Winter Soldier one of the best MCU movies?

We all can agree with Chris Evans on this personal favorite movie topic, as to date, the 2014 movie is considered one of the best creations of the MCU for numerous reasons. Firstly, the movie blends its superhero, political-thriller, and action-packed elements perfectly, while also giving more substance to characters like Natasha Romanoff and Bucky Barnes.

Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes depicted his acting range well when he went from an innocent sergeant to a wicked assassin like Winter Soldier quickly, making him a great villain choice. Although Stan didn't have many dialogues in the movie, his body language, powerful presence, and eyes were enough to depict how a mentally broken and badly brainwashed individual was trapped in the skin of a dangerously well-trained assassin. On the other hand, Evans, as Steve Rogers, resumed navigating through this espionage and the corrupted world around him while also staying true to his beliefs and showing empathy towards the ones he cared about the most (despite knowing the fact that his friend is no longer innocent but a tortured criminal).

Overall, its great character development, espionage-filled plot, and combat-oriented scenes, garnished with heightened emotional depth between a villain and hero's years-long bond put to the test in the modern world, are the elements that make this movie one of the best.