Chris Evans was so well cast as Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that it seemed like he was simply playing himself onscreen.

Years since last picked up the shield, he still remains our Captain America.

However, there were so many other actors who also wanted a chance to suit up and save the day as the character in the MCU. They all put up a good fight for it!

The actor brought Steve Rogers to life on the big screen starting in 2011 with Captain America: The First Avenger. He seemingly bowed out almost a decade later with Avengers: Endgame.

After taking some time away from acting, there’s been a lot of buzz about some upcoming gigs for Chris. He’s even addressed his future within the MCU, revealing if he was really done playing Captain America.

While he is now synonymous with the part, Chris initially turned it down. Who might have picked up the shield if he never agreed to lead the Avengers? We did some digging and rounded up 10 other actors who auditioned for the opportunity.

Interestingly, some of them wound up acting alongside Chris in the MCU. Others joined the franchise after he left. Some even had the chance to play roles in mega-successful franchises, and one of them later revealed that they had to apologize to Marvel after their audition!

Scroll through the slideshow to see who else could have played Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe…