Chris Evans almost let the Captain America role slip away due to anxiety

Chris Evans catapulted to fame with his iconic portrayal of Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

And while that became one of his career-defining roles, the actor almost let the massive opportunity slip out of his hands all because of his issues with anxiety.

During an interview with the Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast, Evans, 38, revealed how he suffered several debilitating panic attacks.

“All of a sudden your hobby becomes your job. Anxiety comes with that,” he said.

The Defending Jacob star had rejected the role of Steve Rogers multiple times in 2011-released Captain America: The First Avenger, in spite of a salary raise.

“My suffering would be my own,” he recalls as he fretted over him instantly racking up internet attention as it was “during the proliferation of the internet age where all of a sudden you can read people’s reactions online.”

He remembered how it was during his film Puncture in 2010 that his struggle with anxiety escalated. “It was the first time I started having mini panic attacks on set.”

The actor decided to take up the role of the Avenger after consulting fellow MCU star Robert Downey Jr. and upon the persistence of friends, family and his therapist. “It was the best decision I’ve ever made,” he said.