Major spoilers for Deadpool & Wolverine lie ahead, so read on at your own risk.
Marvel’s Deadpool & Wolverine has long been touted as one of the biggest titles on the 2024 schedule of movies and, since its release this past week, it’s seemingly made a serious splash. Not only does the film offer plenty of action, gore, jokes and heart, but it also employs a number of cameos and surprise characters in supporting roles. A returning actor that fans may not have expected to see is Chris Evans and, shockingly, the star doesn’t reprise Captain America in the movie. Now, Evans is talking about his role in the film and what it was like to wear THAT costume again.
In the latest Marvel Cinematic Universe film, Ryan Reynolds’ Wade Wilson and Hugh Jackman’s Logan encounter Chris Evans’ character in the Void. Wilson initially believes him to be the beloved Sentinel of Liberty, though the Merc with a Mouth is thrown for a loop when the character yells, “Flame on!” That’s right, Evans reprises Johnny Storm/The Human Torch – a role he first played in the two Fantastic Four films of the early 2000s. The fan-favorite actor broke his silence on his return, explaining that his pal, Reynolds. deserves a lot of credit for it:
I was so excited. … Ryan's a buddy. He just shot me a text saying, 'Listen, might be a long shot, but would you have any interest in reprising something from 20 years ago?' I said, 'Oh my God! Of course.' Honestly, Ryan might be the only guy that I would've done it for because he's just got the Midas touch. His self-awareness makes him almost invincible. He makes the joke before the audience gets a chance to make the joke, so if you're going to revisit a character and you have to find a way to make it work, Ryan's humor makes just about everything work, so you feel an automatic sense of safety.
I’d say that Ryan Reynolds does indeed have “the Midas touch,” considering his work on the Deadpool franchise. Some may have been more keen on seeing Chris Evans return as Captain America, which is an idea that the actor himself is mixed on. However, it definitely made sense for him to return as Johnny Storm, especially considering the fact that D&W greatly plays like a tribute to the Fox-produced Marvel films of yesteryear. In taking on the role of Storm again, Evans – who spoke to EW after appearing at San Diego Comic-Con alongside his castmates – was able to wear the signature blue suit again. The costume was apparently somewhat cumbersome for the actor years ago, but it sounds like the fitting process was easier this time around:
Primarily because where we find Johnny, he's meant to be a little more rundown, so the costume didn't have to be pristine. Those first two movies, that's when Marvel was really still trying to find their footing. So everything had to be very precise and had a lot of meetings, a lot of opinions. This was a little more like, 'Yeah, we know it. We've seen it.'
All in all, it sounds like the Knives Out alum really relished the opportunity to revisit a role that marked a massive milestone in his career. He went on to mention to EW that he has “nothing but fond memories” when it comes to his time filming those FF movies. As the actor recalled, he was only 23 when he worked on the first film, and it was his first major studio release. As someone who grew up with those superhero flicks, I’m glad he enjoyed his latest outing as the Human Torch.
Whether or not we’ll see Chris Evans suit up for an forthcoming Marvel movie remains to be seen. He likely wouldn’t return as Johnny, given that the character was brutally (and somewhat humorously) killed by the villainous Cassandra Nova for talking smack about her. At this point, I’d also say that the chances of Evans returning to play Cap are slim as well. Despite all of that, the star has more than contributed to the history of the superhero genre. So, if he wants to bow out now, then a Human Torch reprisal makes for a perfect full-circle capper for him.
Check out Deadpool & Wolverine in theaters now, and anyone who’s feeling nostalgic for those first two Fantastic Four movies can stream them with a Disney+ subscription.
