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

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.

It’s been years since he last picked up the shield, but he’ll always be our Cap.

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 11 other actors who were considered for the role.

Interestingly, some of them wound up acting alongside Chris in the MCU. Two of them even yielded Cap’s shield at various points.

Others joined the franchise after he left. Some even had the chance to play roles in other mega-successful franchises, and one of them later revealed that they had to apologize to Marvel after their audition! The final actor would have put a very different spin on the iconic hero.

Believe it or not, Captain America: The Winter Soldier premiered in theaters 10 years ago on Thursday (April 4). In honor of the occasion, check out the other stars who were up for the part.

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