After debuting as Fantastic Four‘s Johnny Storm, Captain America actor Chris Evans was in two DC movies that you probably never heard of. Chris Evans now boasts two MCU roles after his Johnny Storm made a surprise cameo appearance in Deadpool & Wolverine in July. The fate of Evans’ Steve Rogers, meanwhile, is up in the air now that he passed on the Captain America mantle to Sam Wilson and aged significantly, although his tenure in the MCU may continue within the context of the Multiverse Saga.
Evans was one of the most prolific comic book movie actors even before his iconic MCU legacy was established. He is also known for portraying one of Ramona’s ex-boyfriends, Lucas Lee, in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World in 2010, one year before Captain America: The First Avenger. Coincidentally, the super soldier role for which he is most well known continues a trend in Evans’ comic book movie career, with a much less acclaimed starring role in a 2009 movie also centering around the concept.
Push Was A Critical Flop & Box Office Bomb In 2009
The Movie Had A Comic Prequel Series Published By DC’s Wildstorm Imprint
Push is a 2009 superhero thriller in which Chris Evans stars as Nick Grant, one of many individuals who harbor psychic superpowers and whose telekinetic abilities brand him as a “Pusher.” He stars alongside Dakota Fanning’s Cassie Holmes – a “Watcher” who boasts the power of clairvoyance. The movie centers around Grant, Holmes, and their ilk resisting a government initiative to conscript psychics to serve in an army of super soldiers, with their abilities being forcefully enhanced by a dangerous drug administered via a syringe.
Push
is available to stream on Peacock.
The movie wasn’t a box office success, raking in nearly $50 million against a production budget of around $38 million, failing to earn enough to turn a profit. It was released in the same year as another DC movie, Watchmen, the critically panned X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and the satirical Kick-Ass. Of these comic book adaptations, Push was the worst-rated, with a 23% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics took aim at Push‘s bewildering plot, though its action sequences and special effects were praised, making it an effective popcorn movie in an age before Marvel refined the genre.
The Losers Had A Stacked Cast But Bombed In 2010
The Movie Is Based On The Vertigo Comic Book Of The Same Name
Chris Evans portrayed tech expert Jake Jensen in The Losers, which follows Jensen and a team of elite Special Forces operatives headed up by Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s lieutenant Clay. The team is betrayed by their handler, Max (Jason Patric), on a mission in Bolivia, causing them to fake their deaths and seek vengeance and a route back home, uncovering a larger conspiracy in the process. The movie also stars Evans’ MCU colleagues Idris Elba and Zoe Saldana, who portray explosives expert Roque and a mysterious ally to the team, Aisha, respectively.
The Losers
is available to stream on Max.
The Losers was released in 2010 – the same year as Evans’ other comic book movie project, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. It earned nearly $30 million globally against a budget of $25 million, failing to earn enough to be considered a success. Reviews were middling, with The Losers earning 48% on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics highlighting its high-octane entertainment factor and Evans’ comedic value while dismissing it as a relatively shallow romp.
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‘The Losers’ Review
If you’re looking for the first (relatively) non-bloody-yet-grown-up action flick of the year, you might want to check out ‘ The Losers.’ Maybe.
Why Chris Evans Deserves Another Chance To Play A DC Superhero
After His Success At Marvel, He Should Get Another Shot
Since starring in a handful of comic book movies in the late-2000s, Chris Evans has gone on to become a foremost figure in the genre with his MCU career. Save for a possible appearance in the Multiverse Saga’s Avengers movies, Evans’ tenure in the MCU has ended, opening the door for a DC migration. As one of the most prolific comic book actors, it feels right for Evans to cement his comic book movie reputation with a stint in an adaptation that draws from DC’s mainline run of comics – even if only because he is a proven talent.
With that in mind, Evans deserves a role that matches his prestige with a single-movie appearance as a DC villain to broaden his legacy. Evans has made a name for himself as an actor in a more lighthearted franchise, although his time as Captain America helped prove the acting range he is capable of. A role in DC’s new DC Universe franchise would make a lot of sense given his credentials, though it might be more appealing for Evans to branch out into a more serious role in one of DC‘s Elseworlds projects down the line.
