Before Captain America: The First Avenger, lots of other actors auditioned for the part of Steve Rogers. The original deal for The First Avenger back in 2010 wasn't huge by Hollywood standards, at only $300k, but it came with an agreement to appear in up to six future films. Playing Captain America has thus ended up being one of the biggest moves of Chris Evans's career, but it's interesting to consider how things might have gone differently.
The casting process for Captain America: The First Avenger was long and filled with a staggering variety of names. Both Sam Worthington and Will Smith were apparently involved in early talks for the part but were never seriously pursued. Michael Cassidy, Scott Porter, Mike Vogel, and Patrick Flueger were all on the table at one point, and while his name was also in the ring, Tron star Garrett Hedlund was also on the shortlist for quite a while, but it's unclear whether he ever officially auditioned for the coveted role. From there, rumored names become even more far-fetched, from Channing Tatum, who was more of a fan-casting, to the likes of comedian Dane Cook and both Joe and Kevin Jonas.
Ultimately, it's very difficult to say just how many of these actors actually met with director Joe Johnston for official Captain America auditions and how many were only names being tossed around at the time. Chris Evans, who has played 8 comic characters in his career, was himself cast without having to audition since Johnston was already familiar with his work. Thus, it's also possible that some of the other actors in contention were being seriously considered even if they never had a screen test. While a comprehensive list of every single candidate could fill a book, here's every actor who definitely auditioned for the role of Steve Rogers in Captain America: The First Avenger.
John Krasinski
Known for his longstanding role as Jim Halpert on Krasinski could never escape The Office, the actor ed on the part.
Sebastian Stan
Anyone who has seen The First Avenger will recognize Sebastian Stan, as he plays Steve Rogers' lifelong best friend and comrade-in-arms, James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes. Stan has gone on to reprise this role as the Winter Soldier in both Captain America sequels, The Falcon & Winter Soldier. The chemistry between Evans and Stan as Steve and Bucky proves that the two are well-suited for their respective roles, but Stan initially auditioned for the part of Steve Rogers back in 2010 before being cast as Bucky.
Chris Pratt
Another MCU star who found a different way in after trying for Steve Rogers was Chris Pratt. Best-known at the time for his role as the lovable but Guardians of the Galaxy.
Scott Eastwood
The son of award-winning actor and director Clint Eastwood, Scott Eastwood has had a solid acting career himself thus far, with notable roles in films as varied as Eastwood wants to play Wolverine, another Marvel character, if the opportunity ever presents itself.
Wilson Bethel
Though not technically part of the MCU, Netflix's Netflix canceled Daredevil in 2018 to the dismay of many viewers.
Ryan Phillippe
Much of Ryan Phillippe's time in the spotlight came in the late 90s with films like Big Sky, in which he plays private detective Cody Hoyt.
Kellan Lutz
Kellan Lutz's best-known role is probably The Legend of Hercules in 2014.
Alexander Skarsgård
Like Lutz, Alexander Skarsgård also auditioned for the leads in both Thor and The First Avenger. The Swedish actor's best-known part to date may be Tarzan in The Legend of Tarzan, though he also had a key role in Avengers films.
Jensen Ackles
Jensen Ackles is known for his starring role as Dean Winchester on the cult classic The Boys season 3, however.
Wyatt Russell
Speaking of knock-off Captain Americas, Wyatt Russell made a recent appearance as John Walker in The Falcon & Winter Soldier, a young army captain who attempts to take up Steve's mantle at the government's behest. However, the son of superstar Kurt Russell actually auditioned for the part of Steve Rogers back in 2010. Russell was relatively unknown and quite new to acting at that time, so he describes the audition as being more about seeing whether he could act rather than putting him in real contention for the role. Like every actor who auditioned for Captain America in Captain America: The First Avenger, Russell was destined to lose the part to Chris Evans, who was undoubtedly the right man for the role.
