Chris Evans says Robert Downey Jr's MCU return convinced him to join 'Avengers: Doomsday'

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA: When Chris Evans bid an emotional farewell to the star-spangled suit in 2019's blockbuster 'Avengers: Endgame,' fans wondered if Captain America's shield had been permanently retired.

Steve Rogers chose to step away from the relentless responsibilities of being a superhero, travel back in time, and live a peaceful life with his longtime love, Peggy Carter. It was widely viewed as a definitive, pitch-perfect conclusion for one of the foundational characters of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

But more than eight years later, Evans is back, and his return has a direct link to Robert Downey Jr's comeback in 'Avengers: Doomsday.'

Chris Evans rejected multiple Marvel return pitches

After 'Avengers: Endgame,' Marvel was already thinking about bringing Evans back. The actor revealed that Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige and producer Louis D'Esposito invited him to dinner and pitched the idea of more stories featuring Steve Rogers as Nomad.

“When we finished Endgame in 2018, Lou and Kevin took me to dinner, and they were like, 'We'd love to keep doing movies with Steve Rogers as Nomad,'” Evans recalled. “And I said, 'Okay, well, what do you got?'"

"They showed me a pitch, and it was a great pitch, but for whatever reason, it just didn't feel right at the time. I kind of wanted to... I was a little precious. I wanted to preserve it. But I just said, 'Please keep pitching," he added.

Instead of closing the door on the MCU, Evans encouraged Marvel to keep coming up with new ideas. Over the next eight years, the studio continued approaching him with different storylines, but none convinced him to return.

“Over the course of eight years, I probably heard at least a dozen pitches,” Evans said. “And they were all wonderful. It just never quite felt right. And you do start thinking maybe that's the expiration, whatever it is - maybe it's not right because it's just not right.”

Things changed when Evans learned that Robert Downey Jr was in talks to return to the MCU. That news immediately caught his attention and made him curious about Marvel's plans.

“I got a phone call from my team saying there's a rumor (Robert Downey Jr is) talking to Marvel, and I was like, 'Uh, oh. What does this mean?'” Evans shared.

Once director Joe Russo explained the full vision and Downey's involvement, everything finally clicked. “It just all of a sudden... it was like, 'This is it.'"

Chris Evans recalls original 'Avengers' magic

During an interview with Entertainment Weekly at San Diego Comic-Con, Evans opened up about returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The 'Captain America' star said stepping back onto the set reminded him of filming the original 'The Avengers' in 2011.

“It was almost like going back to 2011 on the first Avengers, because at the beginning of that, you're kind of the new kid on the block and you're excited to even be there,” Evans said.

The actor admitted that even while filming the first 'The Avengers,' he was in awe of sharing the screen with Robert Downey Jr. He said the same feeling returned while working on 'Doomsday.'

“I would find myself during that movie watching. You're in the scene, but then you're just like, 'Robert Downey Jr is playing Tony Stark! I have a line,'” he recalled. “And on this one, I felt that a little bit again, just watching you do this thing that I couldn't wait to see.”

This time, however, things are different. Instead of fighting alongside Tony Stark, Evans' character is expected to face off against Robert Downey Jr's Doctor Doom in 'Avengers: Doomsday,' turning one of the MCU's most iconic partnerships into a rivalry.