Chris Evans doesn't think anyone could play Iron Man better than Robert Downey Jr.
- In a new interview with ACE Universe, Chris Evans spoke about Marvel costar Robert Downey Jr.
- Evans doesn't think there's anyone who could play Iron Man following Downey Jr.'s portrayal.
- "He's Iron Man, the end," the Captain America actor said.
Chris Evans says Marvel costar Robert Downey Jr. is the only actor who could (and should) play Iron Man/Tony Stark.
"I don't think there's anything anyone on this planet could do that would somehow improve upon what Downey's done, you know what I mean?" Evans, known for his role as Captain America/Steve Rogers in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, said in a virtual interview with his brother Scott Evans and host Angélique Roché for ACE Universe.
"I don't consider that a role that's gonna be like a James Bond or a Superman or Batman, that somehow other people get a bite at the apple," Evans continued, referring to popular roles that have been portrayed by several different actors for decades. "He's Iron Man, the end."
The "Knives Out" star's comments about Downey Jr. were sparked by Roché asking a fan question: "If you could switch roles with anyone else in the Marvel Universe, who would it be and why?"
Evans named Iron Man as the part he'd like to play, saying that "the paychecks would be nice, but just the role is so fun."
"He's the engine, he's the life. But I suppose that's kind of signing up for failure," explaining that Downey Jr. is the ideal person to portray the iconic comic-book character.
Downey Jr. kicked off phase one of the MCU in 2008, portraying the titular character in "Iron Man." Three years later, Evans made his Marvel debut in "Captain America: The First Avenger."
Evans previously said that he turned down his role twice, but accepted after speaking with a few people, including Downey Jr.
The two actors first shared the big screen in 2012's "The Avengers."
Following the success of the ensemble movie, they costarred in "Avengers: Age of Ultron," "Captain America: Civil War," "Avengers: Infinity War," and "Avengers: Endgame."
In "Endgame," Tony Stark sacrificed himself when he wielded the power of all the Infinity Stones to wipe out the villain Thanos and his army. Meanwhile, Steve Rogers traveled back in time to return the gems. He also stayed a little longer to spend time with Peggy Carter. When he returned to the present day as an old man, he gave Sam Wilson/Falcon his blessing to take on the mantle and be the next Cap.
Since "Endgame," Downey Jr. has repeatedly said that he's done playing Iron Man but recently told GQ: "Never say never."
Now that Evans' character has retired, the actor appeared to also have shut the door on the role. But in January 2021, Deadline reported that he will return as Cap in some capacity. Evans and Marvel Studios' president Kevin Feige both denied the report.