While Evans is known for his Marvel work, he has a solid resume outside the MCU. He starred in the broad parody Not Another Teen Movie, as well as a gritty hit man biopic called The Iceman. In this sci-fi thriller, Evans plays a lowly passenger aboard a train that carries the last survivors of an ill-fated global-warming experiment. His layered performance is worth a rewatch.
1. The Amazing Spider-Man
Despite the film’s relatively low box office take, this movie is a rewatchable gem. Its premise, about alternate versions of superheroes teaming up to save their universes from villains, is pretty rad. Also, Evans’ interaction with his fellow Spidey co-stars is a lot of fun. While he’s better known for a series of Marvel blockbusters, the Massachusetts native has had a solid acting career. He acted in films like Not Another Teen Movie and the sci-fi thriller Snowpiercer, which was a critical and commercial success.
In Snowpiercer, Evans plays Frank, a man who takes custody of his niece Mary. He elevates this role with his earnestness and has a chemistry with young Mckenna Grace that’s unmatched. Based on a true story, the drama is well worth a watch.
2. The Amazing Spider-Man 2
While Evans is most famous for playing Captain America, he has built a solid acting resume with roles in sci-fi, romantic comedies and dramas. He voiced Stewart Stanton in the animated film Battle for Terra and played Mike Weiss, a lawyer struggling with drug addiction in the drama Puncture. In the sci-fi dystopian flick Snowpiercer, he played Curtis Everett, one of the train passengers fighting back against the upper class.
He is also the sexiest man alive in Edgar Wright’s cult-classic Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and has a natural intuitive knack for frat-boy inspired idiots as shown in Edgar Wright’s short cameo in the gomovies. The Iceman, a crime thriller with echoes of the real-life hitman Richard Kuklinski, has Evans play Mr. Freezy aka Robert Pronge. The movie is a worthy watch. It rated 6.8 on IMDb.
3. Deadpool
After appearing in several TV shows, Evans scored his first big-screen role as the superhero who could fly and punch through walls. The movie made him a star, and he’s been a beloved Marvel hero ever since. While he has starred in plenty of superhero blockbusters, it’s his more down-to-earth roles that show off the true depth of his acting talent. In this film, he portrays Nick Gant, a bitter psychic who helps defeat a covert government agency. His layered performance is worth the watch.
Evans also branched out into more serious films like this one, in which he stars as Mike Weiss, a lawyer who struggles with drug addiction. The movie was based on true events and is well worth the watch. It’s one of the more complex roles he’s ever taken on.
4. The Grey Man
After a short career on TV, Evans began getting starring roles in movies. His first was 2001’s Not Another Teen Movie, a sendup of cheesy teen comedies. He plays the stereotypical heartthrob, and nails every comedic beat with dry stoicism and exaggerated melodrama. He may not be as dashing as his Marvel Cinematic Universe counterpart, but Evans is a lot of fun as a taciturn spy in the Russo brothers’ action thriller. He gets into one scrape after another as he races across Europe with a horde of bloodthirsty mercenaries on his heels.
Evans is a force to be reckoned with as the lead character in this whodunit. Rian Johnson’s film is an exhilarating ride that features an A-list cast including Michael Shannon, Dakota Fanning and Toni Collette.
5. Toy Story 3
Before he donned the stars and stripes of Captain America, Evans built a solid acting resume. His movie career stretches back to 2001’s Not Another Teen Movie, a sendup of teen comedies that showcased his ability to switch from dry stoicism to frat boy inspired idiot.
After his stint in teen flicks, Evans took on more serious roles. His talent shone in Sunshine, a sci-fi thriller that evoked the existential dread of open space as well as Andrei Tarkovsky’s Solaris. He also starred in the highly underrated Gifted, about an attorney who battles a drug addict for custody of his niece. In the film, Evans plays a lawyer with an innate sense of humor. His performance is sure to charm audiences. His gritty anti-hero turn in Snowpiercer followed, as did his psychopathic hitman role in The Iceman.
