(This is a Chris Evans appreciation post. If you don’t like him or you’re one of those who already got tired of my incessant gushing over the man—feel free to skip.)
There was never a time in my life that I haven’t been a fangirl. Whether it’s for an actor, a singer, a band or an athlete, I am not one to hide my feelings of admiration and devotion. For me, having someone to look up to for inspiration makes life interesting.
I have had so many celebrity crushes in the past; some rather embarrassing (James Van Der Beek during his Dawson Creek days was one). Some days I have more than one celebrity crush I could even make a list. Others were a passing fancy, while there are ones that took me years to get over.
There are many good-looking Hollywood actors, but back then I was into a different type. For a while, I like the types of Farrell and Fassbender who are rough-around-the-edges but absolutely hot in their own mysterious kind of way. Then when I somehow outgrew the bad-boy type, I got pretty much attracted to the older, more mature men like Colin Firth (which perhaps had more to do with the fact that I am an Anglophile).
For almost two years now, it’s Chris Evans. Only Chris Evans.
It was in the crime/thriller “Cellular” where I first saw my favorite Chris although he’s been in some other films before it. I may have also seen him in the spoof comedy “Not Another Teen Movie” but might have dismissed him as just another pretty face who’d have this one not-so-memorable role and then eventually disappear back into obscurity.
But luck is kind to Chris when he was cast as the impetuous and annoying Human Torch (Johnny Storm) in the “Fantastic Four” film series. While he was quite a sight and is undoubtedly attractive in tight spandex, I don’t find his character likable as a superhero.
The opposite can be said when the first Captain America movie came out in 2011. I thought Chris Evans was tailor-made for the role and his dramatic change from Johnny Storm to Steve Rogers was almost unthinkable. In CA, he’s got what you’d call the “All-American charm” that is comparable to that of my childhood crush Christopher Reeve as Superman. You cannot NOT root for him.
That swoon-worthy scene where he was transformed from a puny kid from Brooklyn to the bare-chested supersoldier coming out of the Vita-Ray chamber will always be one of the many highlights in any MCU movie.
I may have developed a slight crush on him since then and would always have a favorite Captain America moment. I mean, people — who can forget this helicopter scene where he shows off his very angry biceps?
And I’m not even into muscular men.
But I can tell you exactly the very moment my obsession over anything Chris Evans began. Remember that subway scene in Avengers: Infinity War when, after catching Proxima Midnight’s spear, a bearded Steve Rogers stepped out of the shadows to help Vision and Wanda?
THIS.
This very entrance made me gasp; it was the most beautiful image of Cap I’ve ever seen. I actually have no words to describe what I felt with justice, other than pure pleasurable(!) excitement. I can’t believe scruffy facial hair could ever be that sexy.
And I don’t think I’m alone on that. If you Google it, that’s the hottest version of Captain America according to many fans.
Almost instantly, all my other crushes (celebrity or otherwise) weren’t so appealing anymore; so much so that my attraction for British men dwindled to a trickle. Since then all I do is download pictures and watch videos/interviews of him for hours on YouTube. I don’t really have a way to describe my overzealousness other than I probably drank the Chris Evans Kool-Aid.
***
Chris is the total package, we already know that. But God, have you seen his perfect teeth? It’s probably one of the best teeth in Hollywood. Even Tony thinks so.
Reading more about Chris beyond his character as the Cap didn’t help. I mean, it would be a lot easier not to like him this much if he turns out to be an asshole in real life. But no.
(I would like to do a “How-do-I-love-thee-let-me-count-the-ways” here, but let me just dictate some of what’s off the top of my head)
By all accounts, he’s a true gentleman. He swooned everyone when he offered his arm to Regina King and helped her up to the stairs during the 2019 Academy Awards. In a magazine interview, he said he can’t understand the buzz over it: “The bar is so low that literally, I did a normal thing, like on par with saying ‘God bless you’ when somebody sneezes, and people thought it was—I don’t know.”
Chris loves his family. He would bring them as his date on events such as red-carpet premieres and award shows.
I love how Chris Evans laughs. It’s hearty. Notice how he places his hand on his chest (or left boob) every time.
He owns a rescue dog, Dodger. Chris adopted this mixed-breed boxer in a pound while filming Gifted. I never wanted to be a dog so badly as I want to be Chris Evans’ dog.
Chris got a heart. He visits children’s hospitals (in full Cap costume) and USO troops in Afghanistan.
He can dance.
Chris Evans is actually very smart, funny and endearing. Read his tweets.
I can go and on with this article on why I adore Chris Evans, but I know you already get the point.
***
I haven’t gone into full-blown celebrity worship syndrome as my Evans devotion is still a low-level obsession. It is not disrupting anything in my life, except maybe the fact that I’m not interested in any man as of the moment aside from him.
I know it’s just a character, a mere idealization, but whatever — he makes me happy. I have watched Chris in his Marvel movies many, many times and I still get the same prepubescent kilig, thrill, and emotional satisfaction seeing him on the screen.
Just recently I told my older brother how I fear I will no longer like any other guy other than Chris Evans; how I am not even remotely attracted to anyone—in real or reel life. I know how that sounds for someone who’s still single in her forties as it seems I have doomed myself.
While I haven’t done any crazy-stupid things as some ardent fan would just to get noticed (other than asking my Photoshop-savvy friends to superimpose my face on Chris’ pictures with other fans or fellow celebrity and flooding my IG feed about him), the thought of looking past any other man IRL is quite alarming to a certain level. I am well aware of how that might affect my potential relationships and connections.
If I’m in a relationship with some guy right now, I don’t think all of this would even be fair to him. While I never had that fantasy of marrying Chris Evans or anything (the closest is just hyphenating my last name with his), I’d probably cry for days when Chris Evans gets engaged/hitched.
It’s tough and almost sad when you’re a fan of a Hollywood celebrity like Chris Evans who has millions of fans. So many websites, IG accounts, fan art, etc. in his honor that at times I wonder if he’s even aware they exist. Will he or any of his closest friends ever read this? I highly doubt that.
Add to that, the likelihood of seeing Evans in the flesh (which is all I really want TBQH) is very slim—almost improbable, as we are on different continents.
I sometimes envy K-Pop fans because even with an equally big fanbase there is a better chance for fans to see their idol in person. I have a friend who’s a big fan of South Korean actor So Ji-sub and just recently she saw him during a fan meet here in Manila. I will never have that with a Hollywood actor as popular as Chris Evans. Not even close.
Obviously, my momentum for MCU had ebbed after Endgame, knowing that I wouldn’t see him anymore as Steve Rogers/Captain America. All I have are his pictures, his films, and all my Marvel merchandise to bring me back to that exhilarating feeling he gave that turned me into a superfan. I have to accept that it’s high time he goes beyond his character as the Star-Spangled Man with a Plan.
When I watched him on Knives Out, I found it difficult to shake his “goody-goody” Steve Rogers character up until the movie’s climax where he turns out to be the scheming villain. I think that’s precisely the reason why the film was so good apart from clever writing and an amazing ensemble: Chris played a character that is an antithesis of Captain America and he did it so well, able to transition from a hero to an antagonist. He’s that good of an actor and had me convinced that he’s the biggest jerk.
Some people supposed that not being exposed to the awesomeness of the MCU franchise and his endearing character would curb my thing for the actor and time will come I’d go out of my movie-nerd cocoon and realize that like all my celebrity crushes before him, it will go away in time.
Maybe, maybe not. See, I may have loved him because of his character in a mega-million franchise that already bumped-off Star Wars on my favorite-of-all-time-list, but even if I know he has hung up the vibranium shield, nothing has changed. I still love Chris Evans, the actor. Maybe even the person.
Since I don’t think this will be going away anytime soon, just let me be. We all have our own piece of happiness, you know.
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