At this point, it’s hard to imagine anyone but Chris Evans playing Steve Rogers (a.k.a. Captain America) in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Back in the early aughts though, Evans had to vie with other actors for the gig. There were a few notable names in the running, including Scott Porter, who’s still known for his work on Friday Night Lights. Porter recently recalled his audition and shared honest thoughts about what it was like losing the part to Evans. Based on the way he described it, it was a painful experience.
Scott Porter has forged a solid career for himself, having landed roles in various TV shows and movies. Nevertheless, losing the opportunity to play the leader of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes really stung at the time. Porter discussed it all during his appearance on Watch What Happens Live, where host Andy Cohen and others listened with intrigue as he shared his recollections. The Ginny & Georgia actor recalled being in the final four and, as he explained in the clip shared to TikTok, he prematurely bought into the hype around him:
Yeah, you said a punch in the gut earlier, yeah, that was a kick in the nuts. That was a big like, I’m bent over sobbing, heaving – yeah, it was bad. Well, because all these press outlets had put my head on Captain America’s body, and I started to buy in – ‘I can do this.’
Steve Rogers takes a lot of hits, but I’m sure the comic book hero has never felt the sting of losing an acting job to someone. It’s hard not to empathize with Scott Porter, as I can certainly understand why he’d want to play the MCU’s Sentinel of Liberty. However, despite having that freakout years ago, Porter now has a very tempered and reasonable take on not landing the role:
Who else could be Captain America than Chris Evans? I was not mad at all, and I watched all the Avengers movies. I’m a huge nerd and the man just crushed it.
During his interview, Scott Porter mentioned that the other two actors that were part of the final four were his Hart of Dixie co-star Wilson Bethel and Mike Vogel (of Under the Dome and Sex/Life fame). Bethel has been open about losing out on Cap and, in hindsight, it’s ironic that he was in contention since he was later cast as the MCU’s Bullseye. Other notable stars auditioned before the top four were selected. John Krasinski tried out for the part, though he opted against it after seeing the muscular Chris Hemsworth in costume as Thor. Comedian Dane Cook even apologized to Marvel for his audition after the fact.
Chris Evans may not have been everyone’s first choice for the role of Cap, given his prior role as Johnny Storm/The Human Torch in the Fantastic Four films of the 2000s. However, Evans ultimately embodied the role perfectly, playing Steve Rogers in various MCU films between 2011 and 2019. The star’s winning performance is a major reason why a number of fans would like to see him reprise his role in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday and/or Secret Wars. Evans had denied rumors of a reprisal (though some fans remain skeptical).
Scott Porter should, at the very least be proud to have made it as far through the auditions as he did. Not only that, but Porter went on to voice heroic characters in animated productions like Marvel Anime: X-Men, Ultimate Spider-Man and Avengers Assemble. And, based on his MCU fandom, I’d imagine that he’d be seated if Chris Evans does actually return as Captain America. Fans can check out Cap’s exploits in the MCU by streaming the films of the Infinity Saga on Disney+.
