One of the final runner-ups for the role of Captain America in theMarvel Cinematic UniversemovieCaptain America: The First Avengeropens up about the gig ultimately going to Chris Evans.Captain America: The First Avengerwas one of the first films of Phase 1, and Steve Rogers was one of the most important heroes in the early MCU, with several actors vying for what would become one of the biggest roles in the franchise. While Evans ended up winning out and joining theMCU as Captain America, one of the stars who was a runner-up is opening up about the casting process.
During a recent appearance onWatch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen,Ginny & Georgiastar Scott Porter, who plays Mayor Paul Randolph in the Netflix series, was asked about being a finalist for the role of Captain America, and he confirmed he was in the final four. While praising the work Evans did as Captain America, Porter also addressed his disappointment about not landing the job, as he shared the following:
I was in the final four for Captain America. But who else can be Captain America than Chris Evans? I was not mad at all, and I watched all the Avengers movies. I’m a huge nerd, and the man just crushed it.Two of us from Hart of Dixie, me and Wilson Bethel, otherwise known as Wade Kinsella. And then Mike Vogel.That was the final four, I believe. You said a punch in the gut earlier, that was like a kick in the nuts. That was, like, a big, I’m bent over, sobbing, heaving. Yeah, it was bad. Because all these press outlets had put my head on Captain America’s body, and I started to buy in. I was like, ‘I can do this. Oh, no, no. Yeah, I can’t.’
What Scott Porter’s Captain America Casting Story Means
Going back to whenCaptain America: The First Avengerwas doing its casting search,one can only imagine how intense the auditions must have been, as the Marvel hero was likely a major role in Hollywood. While Evans and Porter are both terrific actors, the latter would definitely have been a very different Captain America than the former. But to have made it that far in the audition process for theMCU’s Captain America movieshighlights that Porter was clearly good enough to be one of the final candidates.
This is also similar to whatWilson Bethel shared about his Captain America casting process, as he had gotten as far as trying on a suit. Bethel, in the end, did land a different role in the MCU later when he joined Daredevil as Bullseye, and is back playing the villain inDaredevil: Born Again. While Porter may not have been cast as Captain America in the MCU, theFriday Night Lightsstar has voiced several roles in both DC and Marvel animated projects,leaving the door open for a potential future role as a live-action superhero or villain.
Our Take On Scott Porter’s Captain America Casting Story
Even though Porter wasn’t cast inCaptain America: The First Avenger, there is always the chance that Marvel Studios eventually taps him for a different role, perhaps after The Multiverse Saga. The MCU is rumored to be going through a soft reboot afterAvengers: Secret Wars, which opens up the door for new actors to join in previously cast roles.
Whether or notEvans will return to the MCUafterAvengers: Endgameremains to be seen, as the MCU alum has currently stated he isn’t inAvengers: Doomsday. Hopefully, for Porter, whether it is in the MCU or James Gunn’s DC Universe, his time to join the superhero genre in live-action will come.
Marvel Cinematic Universe
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a multimedia superhero franchise that began in 2008 with Paramount’s Iron Man starring Robert Downey Jr. The franchise quickly grew in popularity, with Disney eventually buying out Marvel Entertainment in 2009. The MCU consists of dozens of movies and TV shows, most notably Avengers: Endgame, WandaVision, and Loki.
