Chris Evans has spoken exclusively to Total Film about the demands of taking on the Captain America role.
Evans was cast as the iconic comic hero for Marvel's The First Avenger , and he'll also be appearing in superhero team-up The Avengers .
"It's a big commitment," he tells us. "At one point it was nine pictures. We've got it down to six but still, that's making a decision for a big portion of your life."
"I love acting but there are other things I want to do. I want to write and direct. If the movies do well and they want to exercise all six films, I could be doing this until I'm 40."
"That's a crazy thing to try and process."
Evans is also fully aware of the demands of transporting such a well-loved property to the big screen: "It's important, you know at the end of the day we are doing this for the fans. And if they're not happy, we've missed the mark."
"You go in and do as much research as you can from the comic books, but you're also trying to make something your own. This is an origin story."
"I think a lot of the comic books deal with after he's become Captain America, so to some degree we had to take some liberties. But you want to make sure you've done your homework."
The actor is also keen for the character to remain human, and not disappear beneath the iconic status: "You want the character to be the icon, but if you reduce him to a red, white and blue outfit it makes him shallow."
"It wasn't until we got our hands dirty with the script and had a good couple of scenes in the can, that I thought, 'Man, I think I'm actually getting this guy.' I feel like the character now, much more than a shield or a mask."
Despite Evans initial reluctance towards the role, he assured us that this has been an experience he has very much enjoyed: "I wouldn't trade this movie at this point for anything. I'm very happy with the decision."
Captain America: The First Avenger is due to hit cinemas on 29 July 2011.
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