To the rescue! Some of Hollywood’s most famous stars have donned tights and capes to save the day as beloved superheroes on the big screen.
Chris Evans began his journey as Captain America in 2011 and continued to battle for justice in a number of Marvel movies until 2019’s Avengers: Endgame. The Massachusetts native announced that he would be hanging up his cape after the final Avengers film but will always appreciate the series for giving him the chance to inspire young people across the globe.
“I grew up with Star Wars and I had certain characters that just meant the world to me. We live in a much different time now. When I was young, the celebrity was far away and actors were only accessible through their work. Now, you have this other channel where you can offer more of who you are, which is a tricky tightrope to walk, but it is nice to be able to share a little bit extra,” he told fellow Marvel star Paul Rudd in a candid conversation for Variety in June 2020. “Especially playing a character I respect so much and trying to you know create this nexus between the work you do and the impact you may want to have on kids. It’s so nice when a kid looks up to you.”
The Knives Out star continued: “What a strange thing, very undeserving in a way, you know? You’re just an actor. But it’s nice to kind of feel that the interaction can be more than [that] … I think the role itself kind of brings a lot of that to the table … It’s nice to interact with kids especially when they walk away feeling something that the character put in their head already.”
Other stars, like Hugh Jackman, have been able to reflect on their roles as someone’s superhero for a longer period of time. The Australian actor made his breakthrough in 2000’s X-Men as Wolverine and eventually broke a Guinness World Record for the longest career as a live-action Marvel superhero. Two decades later, he revealed that he never expected the franchise to take off the way it did.
“I had two or three friends in the business say, ‘Hey dude, before this movie comes out, the word on this street is this is not good so make sure you’ve booked another film that way at least you have another shot,'” Jackman said during an August 2020 appearance on Good Morning America. “When it came out, no one knew that was coming. No one knew I would end up playing the role nine times. It still all surprises me, thrills me, I’m so grateful to those fans.”
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Scroll down to see more stars who’ve turned into superheroes on-screen — from Brie Larson to Zachary Levi.
