Chris Evans didn’t know Jeremy Strong was nearly his body double

Chris Evans has admitted that he had no idea that Jeremy Strong was asked to play his body double in 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger. Here's the trailer for that film, in case you want a bit of a refresher:

Evans starred in the early Marvel Cinematic Universe film as the superhero, who develops super strength.

Still, in the early part of the film, Steve Rogers – the real name of the Captain – is rejected by the US military because of his scrawny stature.

Strong, who plays Kendall Roy in the hugely successful Succession, has now revealed that he was asked to play the body double of this early form of the Cap.

Because he was ‘broke’ and ‘needed money’ he did consider the offer, but ultimately turned it down.

Explaining the situation in an interview with The Times, he said: “OK, f*** it, I will tell you this story.”

He went on to say that once he’d auditioned for Cowboys & Aliens and didn’t get the role, he was told about a ‘top-secret film about Captain America’.

UPI/Alamy

Strong went on: “They needed someone to play Captain America’s young body, before he turns into a superhero,

“They said they needed a transformational actor and would use CGI to put the actual actor’s face and voice over my own.”

Strong continued: “I considered it. But that’s my story of LA.

“It was just never going to happen for me here.

“It didn’t feel like what I had to offer was valued.

“And the next day I went back to New York and did a play about a veteran from Afghanistan in a wheelchair during the blackout of 2003.”

Strong, who is now friends with with Evans, did eventually make it work in the movie game, having featured in some huge flicks such as Zero Dark Thirty, The Big Short, Selma, and The Trial of the Chicago 7.

PA Images/Alamy

Reacting to the news that his buddy nearly didn’t make it as a star, Evans said: “Oh no!

“It just goes to show the industry is so unpredictable.

“But I’m so happy things worked out, because I don’t think there was ever plan B for Jeremy.”

In his role in Succession, Strong has garnered a lot of critical acclaim, including winning an Emmy and a Golden Globe.

The hotly anticipated fourth series will be out in early 2023, and Strong has another film – James Gray directed Armageddon Time – out on 18 November.