When it comes to the friendship shared between Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr., it can be said that the two are pretty close in real life. As Captain America and Iron Man, we saw their shared synergy translate into a beautiful, well-fleshed-out camaraderie/rivalry. Regarded as actors who’ve played irrefutably the two most iconic roles in mainstream media history, RDJ, and Chris Evans have throughout the years proved that despite intense on-screen bickering, the two have always been great buddies. However, back in 2016, on a late-night talk show, Downey Jr. expressed why he thinks the Snowpiercer alum should “man up.”
While promoting Captain America: Civil War, the renowned actor and MCU superstar shared an incident that happened during the film’s premiere on Jimmy Kimmel Live. According to his statements, Evans was struggling with nervousness.
Robert Downey Jr. Thinks Chris Evans Is A Nervous Nelly
Read also: This Marvel Theory Perfectly Explains How Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans Return in MCU Phase 5
While recounting his experiences at the Los Angeles world premiere of Civil War, RDJ was asked about his co-star Chris Evans. The Sherlock Holmes actor, while faced with the question of who had the better seats at the premiere, stated that all he knows about Evans is that he’s a “nervous nelly.” The 57-year-old silver screen star elaborated his claim, saying the following:
“He [Chris Evans] gets all… I mean, for you know, he plays a real butch guy in the movie. I love Captain America, I hate to say it. I’m not supposed to say it. I love Chris, I love Captain America. But before the premiere… He’s all nervous.“
According to Downey Jr., the two shared a ride while on their way to the premiere, and Chris Evans got visibly anxious. It got to a point where the 41-year-old actor kept asking questions like, “Should you go first, or should I go first?” To this, the Iron Man alum had the subsequent reply:
“Man up, dude! We got to get to this premiere together!”
The celebrity’s response reaped laughter from the audience, who perhaps found the idea of Evans being anxious a direct, and hilarious contrast to his on-screen self. RDJ proceeded to explain the reason behind such nervousness, and how with time, actors get “immune” to it.
A Universal Experience Shared By Actors
When Kimmel asked Robert Downey Jr. what Chris Evans was worried about, the actor explained how all celebrities tend to get rather jazzed up. Experienced actors, who have been trained to face the public, tend to get overwhelmed too at times — it is no surprise. Relating the incident to his own experiences, the Dolittle actor emphasized how he was quite “pumped” backstage before he came on to Kimmel’s show. However, at the same time, RDJ expressed that with time, people tend to get “immune” to it, and what once felt nerve-wracking, becomes an exciting affair.
To substantiate why his co-star got nervous, the actor said this:
“I think last night he [Chris Evans] suddenly all of a sudden realized ‘This is exciting!'”
While RDJ and his statements were lighthearted, it is no doubt that most celebrities face anxiousness in the face of important, life-changing experiences. For Evans to show nervousness at one of the most-anticipated premieres of 2016, is simply human, and nobody can blame him for it.
You can catch the full interview down below:
While MCU fans miss the on-screen chemistry between Evans and Downey Jr., it is obvious that both the actors are quite close in real life, and never miss out on an opportunity to poke, albeit friendly, fun at each other. For now, fans expectantly anticipate the day they’d witness the two stars in a film together, again.
Captain America: Civil War, featuring Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans, is available for streaming on Disney+.
Source: Jimmy Kimmel Live
Read more: Robert Downey Jr. Plans To Reboot Sherlock Holmes On HBO Max