Here’s why John Krasinski couldn’t become Captain America (Photo Credit – Instagram)
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The MCU looked a lot different. John Krasinski—yep, Jim from The Office—was this close to landing the role of Captain America. But instead of donning the star-spangled suit, he walked away from his shot, all because of Thor.
Back in the day, before Krasinski was all jacked in 13 Hours or running through Jack Ryan, he auditioned for Steve Rogers himself. Marvel was still pulling together its Avengers, searching for the perfect guy to take on Captain America. So, Krasinski stepped into the suit, which didn’t go as planned.
Krasinski shared the hilarious story on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, revealing how Chris Hemsworth, already Thor by then, accidentally crushed his Captain America dreams. “I was putting the suit on,” Krasinski said. “And right at that moment, Chris Hemsworth walked by, and he was like, ‘You look good, mate.’” Krasinski, probably feeling like a wet noodle next to Thor, was like, “Nope. We’re good here. I’m out.”
At that point, Krasinski just couldn’t handle the reality check. “I’m good. This is stupid. That’s okay, I’m not Captain America,” he joked. And with that, he walked away, suit half on, dreams half crushed. He acted his heart out; it just didn’t work out.
Fast forward, and Chris Evans snagged the iconic role, taking Cap to new heights in Captain America: The First Avenger and beyond. Krasinski? He didn’t sweat it. The two Bostonians eventually teamed up for a Hyundai Super Bowl commercial, showing there were no hard feelings.
It’s funny and full-action, though. Seeing Krasinski go full action as a hero in 13 Hours and Jack Ryan makes it easy to imagine him as a superhero. Maybe not Cap, but he’d crush it as someone like Scott Lang (Ant-Man) or even Hawkeye—no big deal.
And let’s not forget, Krasinski’s wife, Emily Blunt, has also been in the Marvel mix—auditioning for everything from Black Widow to Captain Marvel. Talk about a power couple who almost could’ve been the Marvel super duo.
But, hey, the Captain America franchise didn’t miss a beat. Civil War smashed box office records, and Krasinski kept doing his thing—directing, acting, and starring in The Hollars with Anna Kendrick and Charlie Day.
So, while Krasinski may have missed the Cap boat, we’ll always wonder what would’ve happened if Thor hadn’t walked by and casually destroyed his superhero dreams.
