No matter what comes of this, you can't say Marvel didn't do their due diligence.
And you can't say they didn't offer the role to the best man for the job either. After a protracted casting process covered in minute detail on these here internets, THR's Borys Kit is reporting that Marvel Studios has offered the lead role in THE FIRST AVENGER: CAPTAIN AMERICA to Chris Evans. He is not, however, reporting that Evans has accepted.
This is important because, well, Evans (who did not read for the part) could decide he's not keen on Marvel's nine-picture commitment (which counts appearances in sequels and spinoffs) and go back to being a very talented actor on the brink of stardom. I mean, while it is extremely likely that he will steal portions of Edgar Wright's SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD and Sylvain White's THE LOSERS, would these performances be enough to finally put him over the top? I'm not suggesting that CAPTAIN AMERICA is a can't-miss project, but given the effort and money Marvel has poured into setting up THE AVENGERS, I can't imagine the film being anything other than solid. Add in a Tony Stark-level turn from Evans (and he's got the charisma/acting chops to pull something like that off, too), and you're doing IRON MAN business.
I sincerely hope Evans takes the role. Though there have been some interesting names tossed around over the last few weeks, all of them sounded at best like intriguing third choices. Say "Chris Evans as Steve Rogers", and I can very easily see the CAPTAIN AMERICA movie I wanted when I was ten.
