Robert Downey Jr. was the one who convinced Chris Evans to take the role of Captain America

If you thought Chris Evans was the best aspect of the Marvel Cinematic Universe then you have Robert Downey Jr. to thank for that.

It's hard to imagine anyone else playing Captain America across 11 films in the MCU and the actor perfectly portrayed the shy but stoic superhero.

But it took a bit of convincing for him to accept the role.

In an interview with GQ, he explained that he was nearly 30 when he eventually accepted the career-defining character.

“I remember in my late 20s having a real shift in how I felt on set, how I felt promoting films: a little more anxiety, a little more uncertainty," he said.

Marvel/Disney

"You always end up questioning, Is this what I should be doing?”

He turned down the offer a few times before Downey Jr. stepped in to get him to sign on.

According to Vanity Fair, Iron Man said the role could 'expand his opportunities as an actor, not constrict them'.

In a bid to get Evans to agree to play Captain America, they rolled back their initial movie commitment.

They said he would only have to play Steve Rogers six times as a minimum.

He would have to do three Captain America movies and then three Avengers movies.

Evans told GQ it was a decision of being 'able to take care of my family forever' versus becoming 'deeply, deeply unhappy with fame and loss of control'.

Marvel Studios boss Kevine Feige told the outlet they were so happy when he eventually signed on the dotted line.

“I often think about the parallel world where he said no,” Feige said.

“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.”

While Evans was worried Captain America could make him 'deeply, deeply unhappy', he eventually found solace in it.

“I love playing that role,” he explained to GQ.

“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.”

Topics: Captain America, Iron Man, Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Marvel, Film and TV

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie is a Senior Journalist at LADbible. Stewart has covered the conflict in Syria for LADbible, interviewing a doctor on the front line, and has contributed to the hugely successful UOKM8 campaign. He is in charge of the LADbible Australia editorial content and social presence.

@stewartperrie