Until very recently, Chris Evans was at the center of the biggest movie franchise in history, playing the role of Steve Rogers aka Captain America in over two decades worth of movies within the MCU. Recently, during a THR podcast celebrating the release of his new Apple TV+ production, Defending Jacob, the actor reflected back on his time in the star-spangled uniform.

It was the best decision I've ever made, and I really owe that to [Marvel chief] Kevin Feige for being persistent and helping me avoid making a giant mistake. To be honest, all the things that I was fearing never really came to fruition. I fell in love with Steve Rogers pretty quick.

Chris Evans has spoken frequently about how he turned down the role of Captain America several times before finally accepting the part. Before his entry into the MCU, Evans had been a part of smaller productions, and the prospect of hitching his wagon to the Marvel juggernaut and the public scrutiny that would follow was intimidating.

The actor has revealed in the past that he suffered from anxiety attacks on the set of his movies, and the fact that the MCU was such a gigantic undertaking only made those attacks worse. Under those conditions, Evans found in fellow-newcomer to the MCU, Chris Hemsworth, a much-needed pillar of support.

"It was nice having Chris Hemsworth around because he was going through it, too. I mean, at the time Downey's Downey and Scarlett's Scarlett [Johansson]. And [Mark] Ruffalo and [Jeremy] Renner, at the time, were crushing it, too. Hemsworth and I were very new and we also had the stand-alones and so I think we shared in our anxiety, and at least that made it a little bit more comforting."

Now, the actor views accepting the role as the best decision of his life, even if a certain section of the audience and moviemakers dismiss superhero movies as unimportant CGI explosion-fests. In answer to such criticism, Evans points to the level of talent the MCU attracts.

"We may be a little bit too accustomed to the structure now so I think it's easy to sweep it into the same category as films of that nature. But I really do think they stand apart. And the caliber of talent they attract is a testament to that."

The actor ended his journey in the MCU with Avengers: Endgame, which saw Steve Rogers defeat Thanos, and travel back to the past to live out the rest of his days with his lost love Peggy. In the days since exiting the role of Captain America, Evans has found critical acclaim playing the role of Ransom Drysdale in the breakout hit Knives Out. He will next be seen in the crime drama series Defending Jacob, where the actor plays the role of a small-town district attorney who must fight a case involving his teenage son, who has been accused of murder. This news originated at The Hollywood Reporter.