Chris Evans' Best Movies, Ranked by Metacritic
Chris Evans
Andrew Toth / Getty ImagesOver the last two decades, Chris Evans — better known to some as Captain America — has successfully made the leap from teen heartthrob to Marvel mainstay.
The Boston-born actor got his start with small parts in such high-school comedies as Not Another Teen Movie andThe Perfect Score. From there, he took on more supporting roles in movies including Fantastic Four, TMNT, and The Nanny Diaries.
On top of his film work, Evans has also appeared in a number of TV shows at various stages of his career. In 2002, for example, he had a recurring role in Fox's comedy-drama Opposite Sex. Two years ago, he led the cast of the Apple TV+ miniseries Defending Jacob (where he was also an executive producer). However, for this list, we've narrowed in on his movie roles.
In 2011, Evans made his Marvel debut as Steve Rogers/Captain America in Captain America: The First Avenger. Since then, he's gone on to appear as that character in almost a dozen films across the Captain America, Avengers, and Spider-Man franchises.
Evans will stay busy throughout 2022, with several projects coming out. In June, he takes on the origin story of the real man behind Toy Story's astronaut action figure Buzz Lightyear (in Pixar's Lightyear). In July, he's slated to appear in The Gray Man, an action thriller from Avengers and Captain America directors (and brothers) Anthony Russo and Joe Russo.
Here, Metacritic highlights the top 10 movies Evans has acted in, ranked by Metascore.
Snowpiercer
Metascore: 84
Best for: Fans of post-apocalyptic dramas
Where to watch:
Runtime: 126 minutes
Snowpiercer, the 2013 English-language debut of Parasite director Bong Joon-ho, takes place in a future where most of humanity has died after a climate change experiment goes wrong. The people that survived live on a train called the Snowpiercer, which circles the globe and separates passengers by their wealth status: The rich enjoy a relaxing and spacious journey and the poor are crowded into the tight tail section of the train. Evans plays Curtis Everett, a man from the poorer part of the train who organizes a revolution against the train manager Wilford (Ed Harris).
"A rare hybrid that perfectly blends the dazzle of a futuristic action thriller with the intellectual substance of an art film." — Claudia Puig, USA Today
Knives Out
Metascore: 82
Best for: Fans of comedic crime mysteries
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Runtime: 131 minutes
Released in 2019, Knives Out revolves on the sudden and mysterious death of Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer), a successful crime novelist. To figure out what happened, private investigator Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is hired to look into the potential killers and their motives, including multiple members of the deceased's family. Evans plays Hugh Ransom Drysdale, Harlan's grandson from his daughter Linda (Jamie Lee Curtis), who had a fight with his grandfather just before his death. Knives Out, which was written and directed by Rian Johnson, received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay in 2020, but Evans' character's wardrobe got just as much attention.
"Pound for pound, actor for actor, laugh for laugh, Knives Out may be the most entertaining movie of the year." — Ty Burr, The Boston Globe
Avengers: Endgame
Metascore: 78
Best for: Fans of Marvel Comics
Where to watch:
Runtime: 181 minutes
In Avengers: Endgame, the 2019 sequel to Avengers: Infinity War, the remaining crew of superheroes assembles to pick up the pieces after Thanos (Josh Brolin) destroyed half of the universe. After discovering that they can time travel and create alternate realities, several members of the group — including Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), and Steve Rogers (Evans) — create a plan to head back in time and recover the Infinity Stones before Thanos can get his hands on them. Avengers: Endgame was a smash success at the worldwide box office, taking in nearly $2.8 billion and becoming the highest-grossing movie of 2019.
"The movie largely delivers, splashing its ambitious three-hour narrative across a sprawling canvas of characters, eras, and not-quite-insurmountable challenges." — Leah Greenblatt, Entertainment Weekly
Captain America: Civil War
Metascore: 75
Best for: Fans of superhero flicks
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Runtime: 147 minutes
Captain America: Civil War depicts a factional split in the Avengers team, with members of the crew divided over whether or not to allow a UN panel to oversee them. One half, led by Tony, supports the idea, while the other side, led by Steve, prefers self-governance. But while they fight amongst themselves, a new villain named Helmut Zemo (Daniel Brühl) threatens to destroy the Avengers entirely. The film received several major award nominations, including Best Action Movie and Best Actor in an Action Movie (for Evans) at the 2016 Critics' Choice Awards.
"Civil War is an exciting, often giddy pop pleasure." — Tim Grierson, Screen Daily
Spider-Man: Homecoming
Metascore: 73
Best for: Fans of Stan Lee comics
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Runtime: 133 minutes
Spider-Man: Homecoming takes place after Peter Parker (Tom Holland) is asked to join the Avengers in a part-time capacity while he's still in high school. Eager to sharpen his crime-fighting skills, Peter hits the streets to take on villain Adrian Toomes (Michael Keaton) and his associates but is reprimanded by Tony for focusing on being a superhero over being a student. Evans reprises his Avengers role, appearing as Captain America in a fitness-focused public service announcement watched by Peter and his classmates. Spider-Man: Homecoming premiered in 2017, followed by sequels Spider-Man: Far From Homeand Spider-Man: No Way Home.
"Spider-Man: Homecoming is a return to form, featuring an incredibly likable cast, a compelling and complicated villain, and an irrepressibly charming Spider-Man." — Matt Singer, ScreenCrush
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Metascore: 70
Best for: Fans of action-adventure thrillers
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Runtime: 136 minutes
Directed by the Russo brothers, Captain America: The Winter Soldier picks up two years after the disastrous Battle of New York (as depicted in 2012's The Avengers). In this film, Evans once again appears as Steve, aka Captain America, who joins the S.H.I.E.L.D. Agency in Washington, D.C. and begins working with fellow agent Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson). Eventually, the pair align themselves with Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) to help defeat an emerging threat from a familiar enemy. Captain America: The Winter Soldier was nominated for several awards, including the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects.
"This entry won't win any new converts, but anyone already invested in this series is going to have a blast." — Jordan Hoffman, ScreenCrush
The Avengers
Metascore: 69
Best for: Fans of ensemble superhero films
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Runtime: 143 minutes
The 2012 Joss Whedon-directed film brings together a number of Marvel's most popular superheroes, recruited by Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), the director of the S.H.I.E.L.D. Agency. Once assembled, the crew must work together to track down and defeat Loki (Tom Hiddleston), Thor's (Chris Hemsworth) devious adopted brother, who has stolen the powerful Tesseract energy source and plans to use it for evil. The Avengers was Evans' second time playing Steve, aka Captain America, after debuting the character in Captain America: The First Avenger. The film was heralded for its visual effects, earning award nominations at the Oscars and BAFTAs.
"If the film is more solid and satisfying than terrific, so be it." — Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
Metascore: 69
Best for: Fans of quirky romantic comedies
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Runtime: 112 minutes
Based on Bryan Lee O'Malley's graphic novel series, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World follows the titular character (played by Michael Cera) as he starts a new relationship with a delivery driver named Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). In order to capture her heart, Scott has to battle (and defeat) each of her seven ex-boyfriends — one of whom is Lucas Lee (Evans), a famous movie star and skateboarder. Despite its lackluster box office performance, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World eventually earned a cult following and landed on the Oscar shortlist for Best Visual Effects (though it didn't end up nominated).
"The perfect summation of Hollywood at this moment — an apotheosis of American male infantilism — and, on its own, a most likable mess." — Richard Corliss, Time
Avengers: Infinity War
Metascore: 68
Best for: Fans of action-fantasy flicks
Where to watch:
Runtime: 149 minutes
In this prequel to Avengers: Endgame, the Marvel superheroes accept a new mission: prevent Thanos from collecting all six Infinity Stones and destroying the universe. To achieve this goal, the Avengers (including Evans' Captain America) are joined by the Guardians of the Galaxy, including Gamora (Zoe Saldana) and Peter Quill (Chris Pratt). Following its release in 2018, Avengers: Infinity War quickly solidified its place in Hollywood history, becoming the top-grossing movie of the year (with more than $2 billion in worldwide ticket sales) and receiving nominations at the Academy Awards, BAFTA Awards, and Screen Actors' Guild Awards.
"Infinity War is big, blustery and brave, taking viewers to places that they may not be used to going." — Michael O'Sullivan, The Washington Post
Captain America: The First Avenger
Metascore: 66
Best for: Fans of superhero origin stories
Where to watch:
Runtime: 125 minutes
Released in 2011, Captain America: The First Avenger marks Evans' first appearance as the patriotic superhero that helped make him a household name. The film focuses on his backstory, including his evolution from a frail young man rejected from the military to a scientifically-modified "super soldier" fighting in World War II. As part of his mission, Steve must stop Nazi leader Johann Schmidt (Hugo Weaving) from using the Tesseract in his plan for world domination. Captain America: The First Avenger also features performances from other popular Marvel characters, including Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) and Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan).
"A curiously fun, surprisingly imaginative and unashamedly old-fashioned yarn of skulduggery and adventure." — Andrew O'Hehir, Salon