Chris Evans is an American actor whose career has moved from teen comedies and independent dramas to some of the biggest superhero films in modern cinema. He first gained wider attention with Not Another Teen Movie before becoming internationally recognized as Johnny Storm, the Human Torch, in Fantastic Four. His career reached another level when he was cast as Steve Rogers, better known as Captain America, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a role he played across numerous major releases. Alongside blockbuster films, Evans has also appeared in dramas, romantic comedies, thrillers, animated features and independent productions. He made his directorial debut with Before We Go in 2014, demonstrating interests beyond acting. This complete guide to Chris Evans movies by year follows his released feature-film career chronologically, including notable cameos and voice performances where appropriate.
2000 — The Newcomers
The Newcomers marked one of Chris Evans’s earliest feature-film appearances. Directed by James Allen Bradley, the family comedy-drama follows a 12-year-old boy and his family as they adjust to starting over in a new town. Evans plays Judd, appearing alongside Christopher McCoy, Matt McCoy and Kate Bosworth. The film is notable as an early entry in Evans’s movie career, before his breakthrough in mainstream teen and superhero films.
2001 — Not Another Teen Movie
Chris Evans took a major step toward mainstream recognition with Not Another Teen Movie, a comedy directed by Joel Gallen. He plays Jake Wyler, the popular high-school athlete at the center of a story that deliberately parodies familiar teen-movie clichés. The cast includes Chyler Leigh, Jaime Pressly and Eric Christian Olsen. Evans’s comic timing and charismatic performance helped establish him as a recognizable young leading actor.
2004 — The Perfect Score
In The Perfect Score, Evans plays Kyle, one of several high-school students who plan to steal answers to an important standardized test. Directed by Brian Robbins, the film combines teen comedy and heist elements while exploring academic pressure and friendship. The ensemble includes Erika Christensen, Scarlett Johansson, Bryan Greenberg and Chris Evans. The movie was an important early example of Evans taking on a youthful ensemble role before moving into more mature projects.
2004 — Cellular
Cellular is an action thriller directed by David R. Ellis in which Evans plays Ryan, a young man who receives a desperate phone call from a kidnapped woman. The film stars Kim Basinger, Jason Statham, William H. Macy and Jessica Biel alongside Evans. Much of the story unfolds through an urgent telephone conversation, giving Evans a fast-moving lead role. The film helped demonstrate his ability to carry an action-oriented project before his superhero breakthrough.
2005 — Fierce People
In Fierce People, Evans plays Bryce Langley in an independent drama thriller directed by Griffin Dunne. The film centers on dysfunctional family relationships, privilege and personal problems within an affluent household, with Diane Lane, Donald Sutherland, Anton Yelchin and Kristen Stewart also appearing. Evans’s role is part of an ensemble dealing with complicated family and social dynamics. The film is notable as one of his early dramatic projects outside mainstream comedy and action.
2005 — Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four was the film that transformed Evans into a major superhero-movie star. Directed by Tim Story, the comic-book adaptation follows four people who gain extraordinary abilities after exposure to cosmic radiation. Evans plays Johnny Storm, the Human Torch, alongside Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba and Michael Chiklis. His energetic performance as the reckless but charismatic Johnny Storm became one of the most recognizable early superhero roles of his career.
2005 — London
The independent romantic drama London stars Evans as Syd, a troubled young man attending a farewell party for his former girlfriend. Directed by Hunter Richards, the film features Jessica Biel, Jason Statham and Joy Bryant among its cast. The story focuses heavily on relationships, emotional conflict and drug-fueled conversations. It offered Evans an opportunity to play a more troubled and introspective character away from the large-scale action of Fantastic Four.
2007 — Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
Evans returned as Johnny Storm in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Tim Story’s sequel to Fantastic Four. The film introduces the Silver Surfer and expands the superhero team’s conflict with powerful cosmic threats. Evans again appears with Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba and Michael Chiklis. The sequel is particularly notable because it marked his second and, at the time, final major appearance as the Human Torch before the character was later revisited in Deadpool & Wolverine.
2007 — TMNT
TMNT is an animated superhero film directed by Kevin Munroe and based on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise. Evans provides the voice of Casey Jones, a vigilante who becomes an ally of the turtles. The movie combines action, martial arts and computer animation as Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo reunite to confront a new threat. Evans’s contribution is a voice role rather than a live-action performance.
2007 — Sunshine
Danny Boyle’s science-fiction thriller Sunshine features Evans as Mace, a member of a spacecraft crew sent on a dangerous mission to reignite the dying Sun. The film blends science fiction, psychological drama and survival thriller elements, with Cillian Murphy, Rose Byrne and Michelle Yeoh among the cast. Evans’s performance stands out for its physical intensity and ensemble-driven character work. Sunshine remains one of his more distinctive non-superhero films from the 2000s.
2007 — The Nanny Diaries
In The Nanny Diaries, Evans plays Hayden, nicknamed the “Harvard Hottie,” opposite Scarlett Johansson. Directed by Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini, the comedy-drama follows a young woman working as a nanny for a wealthy New York family. The film explores class, family expectations and the pressures of domestic employment. Evans provides a romantic subplot that shows his softer side as a leading actor.
2007 — Battle for Terra
Battle for Terra is an animated science-fiction adventure in which Evans voices Stewart Stanton. Directed by Aristomeni Tsirba, the film follows inhabitants of an alien world who face conflict with humans seeking a new home. Evans’s involvement is a voice performance, rather than a traditional on-screen acting role. The project further expanded his work in animation and science fiction.
2008 — Street Kings
The crime thriller Street Kings stars Evans as Detective Paul Diskant, a younger police officer working alongside Keanu Reeves’s morally compromised Detective Tom Ludlow. Directed by David Ayer, the film explores corruption and violence within the Los Angeles police department. Hugh Laurie, Forest Whitaker and Common are also featured in the cast. Evans’s role demonstrated his growing ability to work within darker adult-oriented crime stories.
2009 — The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond
Although the film premiered at festivals in 2008, The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond received its U.S. theatrical release in 2009, making 2009 the appropriate year for a release-based chronology. Directed by Jodie Markell and based on an unpublished Tennessee Williams screenplay, the romantic drama stars Bryce Dallas Howard as Fisher Willow and Evans as Jimmy Dobyne. The story follows a socially unconventional heiress whose relationship with Jimmy becomes complicated by family expectations and a missing diamond. It remains one of Evans’s less widely seen independent dramas.
2009 — Push
In Push, Evans plays Nick Gant, a young man with telekinetic abilities who becomes involved in a struggle between people possessing extraordinary powers. Directed by Paul McGuigan, the science-fiction thriller also stars Dakota Fanning, Camilla Belle and Djimon Hounsou. Nick must protect a young girl while confronting a powerful government organization seeking to control people with supernatural abilities. The movie gave Evans another opportunity to lead a genre action film before his arrival in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
2010 — The Losers
The Losers is an action comedy directed by Sylvain White and based on the DC/Vertigo comic-book series. Evans plays Jake Jensen, a member of an elite team of special operatives who are betrayed and left for dead. The ensemble includes Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Zoe Saldaña, Idris Elba and Columbus Short. Evans’s comedic performance as the team’s technically skilled but irreverent specialist became one of the film’s memorable elements.
2010 — Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
In Edgar Wright’s Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Evans plays Lucas Lee, a famous action-movie star and one of Scott Pilgrim’s “seven evil exes.” The film combines comedy, romance, action and video-game-inspired visuals, with Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Kieran Culkin leading the cast. Evans deliberately exaggerates the personality of an overconfident Hollywood action hero. His brief but memorable appearance became a fan favorite and demonstrated his versatility in comedy.
2011 — Puncture
Puncture stars Evans as Mike Weiss, a Houston attorney struggling with drug addiction while taking on a case involving unsafe medical equipment. Directed by Adam Kassen and Mark Kassen, the legal drama was inspired by real events and focuses on corporate power, medical safety and the American legal system. Evans gives one of the more serious performances of his pre-Captain America career. The film is notable for showing his interest in socially grounded dramatic material.
2011 — What’s Your Number?
In the romantic comedy What’s Your Number?, Evans plays Colin Shea, a carefree musician and neighbor who helps Ally Darling search through her romantic past. Anna Faris stars as Ally, with the film directed by Mark Mylod. The movie combines relationship comedy with the question of whether people can recognize the right partner when they are focused on the wrong expectations. It gave Evans another chance to work in a lighter romantic role between major action projects.
2011 — Captain America: The First Avenger
Captain America: The First Avenger introduced Evans as Steve Rogers, the character who would define the next decade of his movie career. Directed by Joe Johnston, the period superhero film follows a physically frail but determined young man who becomes a super-soldier during World War II. Evans stars opposite Hayley Atwell, Sebastian Stan, Hugo Weaving and Tommy Lee Jones. The film established Steve Rogers as a central Marvel Cinematic Universe hero and launched one of the most important roles in Evans’s career.
2012 — Marvel’s The Avengers
Evans returned as Captain America in Marvel’s The Avengers, directed by Joss Whedon. The superhero ensemble brings together Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, Black Widow, Hawkeye and Captain America to fight Loki and an invading alien force. Evans’s Steve Rogers serves as one of the team’s principal field leaders, creating an important contrast with Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark. The film became a major worldwide blockbuster and firmly established the Avengers as a dominant movie franchise.
2013 — The Iceman
In The Iceman, Evans makes a brief appearance as Mr. Freezy, a fictional ice-cream-truck-related figure encountered by notorious contract killer Richard Kuklinski. Directed by Ariel Vromen, the crime drama stars Michael Shannon, Winona Ryder, Ray Liotta and James Franco. Evans’s role is a small supporting appearance rather than a leading performance. The film was released theatrically in 2013 and is based loosely on the life of real-life mob hitman Richard Kuklinski.
2013 — Snowpiercer
Bong Joon Ho’s Snowpiercer stars Evans as Curtis Everett, a passenger aboard a perpetually moving train carrying the surviving population of a frozen Earth. The science-fiction action thriller explores class divisions as Curtis leads a revolt from the impoverished rear sections toward the privileged front of the train. Tilda Swinton, Jamie Bell, Octavia Spencer and John Hurt also star. The film became one of Evans’s most acclaimed non-Marvel projects and demonstrated that he could anchor a complex, internationally produced science-fiction drama.
2013 — Thor: The Dark World
Evans makes an uncredited cameo in Thor: The Dark World, directed by Alan Taylor. His appearance occurs when Loki temporarily transforms himself into Captain America while imprisoned and interacting with Thor. Because Evans is portraying Loki’s imitation of Steve Rogers rather than the actual Captain America, this is best classified as a cameo rather than a conventional MCU Captain America performance. The brief scene became one of the film’s most recognizable comedic moments.
2014 — Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Captain America: The Winter Soldier placed Evans at the center of a darker political thriller within the Marvel universe. Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, the film follows Steve Rogers as he uncovers a conspiracy involving S.H.I.E.L.D. and the mysterious Winter Soldier. Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Samuel L. Jackson and Robert Redford form the principal ensemble. The movie was widely praised for blending superhero spectacle with espionage and significantly deepened Evans’s portrayal of Steve Rogers.
2014 — Before We Go
Before We Go marked Evans’s directorial debut, while he also stars as Nick Vaughan and served as a producer. The romantic drama follows two strangers who spend a night together in New York City after one of them loses her purse and misses her train. Alice Eve co-stars as Brooke Dalton, with the film focusing on conversation, relationships and unexpected connections. It remains especially notable within Chris Evans movies by year because it represents his first feature as a director.
2015 — Playing It Cool
In Playing It Cool, Evans plays a screenwriter who falls for a woman who insists that they remain friends. Directed by Justin Reardon, the romantic comedy features Michelle Monaghan, Topher Grace, Anthony Mackie and Aubrey Plaza. Evans also served as an executive producer. The film uses a self-aware approach to romance and gave him another opportunity to move away from the superhero genre.
2015 — Avengers: Age of Ultron
Evans returned as Steve Rogers in Joss Whedon’s Avengers: Age of Ultron. The story sees the Avengers confronting Ultron, an artificial intelligence created by Tony Stark and Bruce Banner that becomes determined to eliminate humanity. Evans’s Captain America remains one of the team’s central leaders while the group faces internal divisions. The film expanded the MCU’s interconnected story and became another major global box-office success.
2015 — Ant-Man
Evans makes an uncredited cameo as Captain America in Ant-Man, directed by Peyton Reed. His brief appearance occurs during a sequence involving Scott Lang and Falcon and serves as a connection between the smaller-scale superhero story and the wider MCU. Paul Rudd leads the film as Scott Lang, with Michael Douglas and Evangeline Lilly also starring. Evans’s appearance is short but reinforces Captain America’s place within the shared Marvel universe.
2016 — Captain America: Civil War
Captain America: Civil War placed Evans’s Steve Rogers in direct ideological conflict with Tony Stark. Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, the film follows the Avengers as they divide over government oversight of superheroes and the consequences of their actions. Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie and Chadwick Boseman are among the major cast members. The film became one of Evans’s defining MCU performances because the story treats Captain America as both a superhero and a deeply conflicted leader.
2017 — Gifted
In Marc Webb’s Gifted, Evans plays Frank Adler, a Florida man raising his exceptionally gifted niece, Mary, played by Mckenna Grace. The drama explores family, education and the difficult question of whether a highly talented child should receive an ordinary childhood or an accelerated academic life. Octavia Spencer and Lindsay Duncan also appear in important roles. Gifted is particularly notable because it allowed Evans to lead a grounded emotional drama without relying on superhero action.
2017 — Spider-Man: Homecoming
Evans makes a brief cameo appearance as Captain America in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Directed by Jon Watts, the film features Steve Rogers in educational videos used by Peter Parker’s school, turning the veteran superhero into an unexpectedly humorous presence. Tom Holland leads the movie as Spider-Man, alongside Michael Keaton, Zendaya and Jacob Batalon. Evans’s cameo helped connect the younger Spider-Man story to the larger MCU while giving the film several comedic moments.
2018 — Avengers: Infinity War
In Avengers: Infinity War, Evans returns as Steve Rogers as the Avengers confront Thanos and his quest to collect the Infinity Stones. Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, the film brings together an enormous Marvel ensemble including Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo and Josh Brolin. Rogers is presented as a more independent and battle-worn figure following the events of Civil War. The movie ends with one of the MCU’s most consequential cliffhangers and became a landmark blockbuster.
2019 — Captain Marvel
Evans makes an uncredited cameo as Steve Rogers in Captain Marvel. Directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, the film primarily follows Brie Larson’s Carol Danvers and her transformation into Captain Marvel. Evans appears briefly in the present-day framing scenes connected to the aftermath of Avengers: Infinity War. His appearance helps bridge the film’s 1990s-set story with the broader MCU narrative.
2019 — Avengers: Endgame
Avengers: Endgame became the culmination of Evans’s principal Captain America story. Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, the film follows the surviving Avengers as they attempt to undo the devastation caused by Thanos. Evans delivers a central performance as Steve Rogers, with Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo and Jeremy Renner among the returning cast. The film became one of the highest-grossing movies ever released and marked a major turning point in Evans’s MCU career.
2019 — Superpower Dogs
Superpower Dogs is a documentary feature narrated by Evans. Directed by Daniel Ferguson, the film follows trained working dogs in different parts of the world and examines their abilities in rescue and service roles. Evans’s contribution is a narration role rather than an on-screen acting performance. The documentary is worth including in a complete filmography because it was an officially released feature-length production featuring his voice.
2019 — The Red Sea Diving Resort
In The Red Sea Diving Resort, Evans plays Ari Levinson, a fictionalized character inspired by people involved in an operation to rescue Ethiopian Jews from Sudan. Directed by Gideon Raff, the historical thriller also features Ben Kingsley, Alessandro Nivola, Haley Bennett and Michiel Huisman. The story centers on a covert mission using a seemingly abandoned coastal resort as a front. It gave Evans a post-MCU role with a serious historical and geopolitical focus.
2019 — Knives Out
Rian Johnson’s Knives Out features Evans as Ransom Drysdale, a wealthy and abrasive member of a dysfunctional family gathered after the death of its patriarch. Daniel Craig leads the ensemble as detective Benoit Blanc, with Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Christopher Plummer and Michael Shannon also starring. The mystery combines classic whodunit elements with sharp social commentary and dark comedy. Evans’s performance as the arrogant, confrontational Ransom was widely praised and became one of his standout post-Captain America roles.
2021 — Free Guy
Evans makes a brief cameo as himself in Free Guy, the Ryan Reynolds-led action comedy directed by Shawn Levy. The film follows an ordinary bank employee who discovers that he is actually a non-player character inside an open-world video game. Evans’s appearance is a short pop-culture joke connected to his Captain America identity. It is therefore best classified as a cameo rather than a conventional acting role.
2021 — Don’t Look Up
In Adam McKay’s satirical disaster comedy Don’t Look Up, Evans makes an uncredited cameo appearance as television personality Devin Peters. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Jonah Hill and Timothée Chalamet and follows scientists attempting to warn the world about a planet-killing comet. Evans’s appearance is brief and intentionally comedic. The film uses its large celebrity ensemble to satirize media, politics and public reactions to major crises.
2022 — Lightyear
Evans provides the voice of Buzz Lightyear in Pixar’s animated science-fiction adventure Lightyear. Directed by Angus MacLane, the film explores the fictional origin story of the heroic space ranger who inspired the toy character from the Toy Story universe. Evans voices Buzz alongside Keke Palmer, Taika Waititi, Peter Sohn and James Brolin. This was a significant voice role, allowing Evans to lead a major animated feature outside the live-action superhero genre.
2022 — The Gray Man
In the Russo brothers’ action thriller The Gray Man, Evans plays Lloyd Hansen, a ruthless former CIA operative hunting Ryan Gosling’s Court Gentry. Ana de Armas, Regé-Jean Page and Jessica Henwick also appear in the Netflix production. Unlike Captain America, Evans’s character is deliberately cruel, unpredictable and flamboyant. The role gave him an opportunity to play a full-scale antagonist and became one of the clearest examples of his post-MCU range.
2022 — Fisherman’s Friends: One and All
Fisherman’s Friends: One and All is a British musical comedy-drama sequel in which Evans appears as himself. The film follows the continuing adventures of the Cornish singing group after their unexpected success. His appearance is a cameo rather than a conventional fictional character performance. Because it is a released feature film containing an appearance by Evans, it is relevant to a comprehensive chronology of his movie work.
2023 — Ghosted
In Ghosted, Evans plays Cole Turner, a man who becomes romantically involved with Ana de Armas’s Sadie and discovers that she is secretly a highly capable operative. Directed by Dexter Fletcher, the Apple-produced action comedy mixes romance, espionage and adventure. Evans also served as a producer on the film. The project reunited him with de Armas after Knives Out and The Gray Man while placing him back in a lighter action-comedy setting.
2023 — Pain Hustlers
Pain Hustlers stars Evans as Pete Brenner, a pharmaceutical sales executive who recruits Emily Blunt’s character into an increasingly questionable business operation. Directed by David Yates, the crime drama examines ambition, corporate pressure and the opioid industry’s destructive consequences. Catherine O’Hara, Andy García and Chloe Coleman also feature in the cast. Evans’s performance presents a morally compromised businessman, continuing his move toward more complicated adult characters.
2024 — Deadpool & Wolverine
Evans made a major surprise return to a Marvel role in Deadpool & Wolverine, directed by Shawn Levy. Rather than simply returning as Captain America, he reprises Johnny Storm, the Human Torch, from the earlier Fantastic Four films, alongside Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman. The film uses multiverse storytelling to revisit characters from different corners of Marvel’s cinematic history. Evans’s appearance is especially notable because it connects one of his earliest superhero characters with his later MCU legacy.
2024 — Red One
In the Christmas action comedy Red One, Evans plays Jack O’Malley, a former special forces operative and skilled hacker who becomes involved in a mission to rescue Santa Claus. Directed by Jake Kasdan, the film stars Evans alongside Dwayne Johnson, Lucy Liu, J.K. Simmons and Kiernan Shipka. The story combines holiday fantasy with large-scale action and comedy. It marked another major studio action role for Evans following his work in The Gray Man and Ghosted.
2025 — Materialists
Celine Song’s romantic comedy-drama Materialists stars Evans as John Pitts, the former boyfriend of Dakota Johnson’s character, Lucy Mason. The story follows a successful New York matchmaker whose personal life becomes complicated by a choice between a wealthy new romantic prospect and her imperfect ex. Pedro Pascal co-stars as Harry Castillo, creating the film’s central romantic triangle. Released theatrically in the United States in June 2025, Materialists offered Evans another character-driven role in an adult romantic drama.
2025 — Honey Don’t!
In Ethan Coen’s Honey Don’t!, Evans plays Reverend Drew Devlin, a corrupt preacher connected to a mysterious church. The dark comedy stars Margaret Qualley as private investigator Honey O’Donahue, with Aubrey Plaza and Charlie Day also appearing. The story combines crime, mystery, comedy and noir-inspired elements as Honey investigates a series of strange deaths. The film premiered at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival before its U.S. theatrical release on August 22, 2025.
2025 — Sacrifice
Sacrifice is an action-adventure comedy directed by Romain Gavras and featuring Evans alongside Anya Taylor-Joy, Salma Hayek and Vincent Cassel. Evans plays Mike Tyler in a story built around an unusual group of characters and a high-stakes international situation. The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2025. It represents another departure from the familiar superhero roles that defined much of Evans’s 2010s career.
Conclusion
Chris Evans’s film career has evolved considerably from early appearances in teen comedies such as Not Another Teen Movie to major superhero performances, independent dramas, animated features and darker character roles. His portrayal of Captain America remains the defining achievement of his career, but films such as Sunshine, Snowpiercer, Gifted, Knives Out and The Gray Man show the breadth of his work beyond the Marvel Cinematic Universe. His directing work on Before We Go, voice performance in Lightyear, and supporting appearances in films such as Deadpool & Wolverine further demonstrate his versatility. From his earliest feature-film work to his latest released projects in 2025, Chris Evans movies by year reveal a career that has continually expanded across genres, franchises and styles.
