【2021 Archives】

Welcome to Chris-mas in July021 Archives a week-long celebration of our four favorite Hollywood Chrises. We'll be analyzing old movies, digging deep into past roles, and exploring everything there isto know aboutEvans, Hemsworth, Pine and Pratt. We hope this totally made up holiday makes you smile. 

Forget Captain America. Forget Johnny Storm, even (done). I stan for Chris Evans-as-Lucas Lee, aka Evil Ex #2 in Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World.

This isn't to say that Evans is the best part of Scott Pilgrim. Far from it. But that movie was easily 2010's strongest (Don't. @. Me.), and the fact that Evans is memorable at all is no small achievement.

Lucas Lee is such a delightful character.

Even before Evans became universally recognized as "the guy who is actually Captain America," seeing him step into the role of a villain didn't feel quite right. Being affable and charming is his whole schtick.

The natural charisma that makes Evans such a likable movie star fit for Lucas, a fictional movie star, but Lucas is also a giant dick to everyone around him. That meant Evans had to tap into his dark side. He did it with aplomb.

Edgy Chris Evans may not be the best Chris Evans, but he sure is fun.

He's like a darkest timeline version of himself.

Lucas Lee probably would have made much more of a splash if Scott Pilgrimhad come along during Evans' post-Captain America fame. Watching the scene now, you can see how he might have turned out as an actor if the fame and fortune had gotten to him.

He'd be the kind of jerk who calls "action" on set before the director can. Or the kind that lets his stunt team fight his battles, or who subsequently loses said fight when an appeal to his ego goads him into doing something stupid.

Against all odds, Evans is a great villain.

It's probably a bit much to hope that Evans will challenge himself with new, transformative roles while he's still busy riding the Marvel train. That's totally fine. But the dude is going to be at risk of being typecast after he's done with Captain America.

His best bet for shedding that image, I think, would be to shrug off the good guy antics and embrace his dark side once again. Lucas Lee's story may be over, but Chris Evans future as a Hollywood villain has barely begun.