Every generation has its own unique action movie superstar. Whether it's Bruce Willis, The Rock, or Tom Cruise, there’s always at least one actor who most people are familiar with thanks to their action exploits. For millennials and Gen Z, one of the most notable action movie stars is Chris Evans. For nearly two decades, Evans has starred in multiple top-notch action movies and has helped generate billions of dollars for companies like Fox, Disney, and Netflix. He’s a household name, and today, we’re going to look at what his best roles are.
While Evans is most well-known for his portrayal of Steve Rogers in the MCU, we’re not going to focus exclusively on his time as Captain America. We’re also going to look at movies that aren’t necessarily in the action wheelhouse, especially because of how Evans has branched out into other genres following his exit from Marvel (at least until 2026’s Avengers: Doomsday). So if you’re a Chris Evans superfan and want to know if his best movies are on Prime Video or Disney+, then this is the list for you.
5. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)
As a young actor, Evans spent most of the 2000s in small, supporting roles in a variety of mediocre to forgettable films. While he has openly stated he hates most of his early filmography, except for playing Johnny Storm in Fox’s Fantastic Four duology, he, as well as the rest of the cast of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, loves that film.
While Evans is only present for one scene as Ramona’s second evil ex, Lucas Lee, his tough guy attitude became an instant fan favorite. Channeling White Goodman from Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004), Evans plays Lucas Lee like a narcissistic bad boy who can’t handle anyone thinking less of him. Director Edgar Wright understood that making Evans a parody of action movie stars would allow him to deliver some of the dumbest yet perfect lines in the entire film. The film reeks of nerd and comic book culture, so if you’re looking for a movie by nerds for nerds, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is practically made for you. It’s silly, yet grounded, and perfect for people looking for either a romance about young twenty-somethings discovering themselves or some sick fight scenes starring Chris Evans.
4. Snowpiercer (2013)
While Evans was gaining more mainstream recognition thanks to his MCU tenure that didn’t stop him from starring in a few independent films in the 2010s. While some of these movies floundered critically and commercially, Snowpiercer was essential in helping establish Evans as a leading man.
What makes Snowpiercer such a captivating movie is that it’s one of the most scathing films about class warfare ever to exist. It’s a theme that director Bong Joon Ho would come back to in movies like Parasite (2019) and Mickey 17 (2025), but there’s such a rawness to Snowpiercer that it’s invigorating. As we watch Evans lead a violent rebellion through the gargantuan train that the remnants of society call home, we see a stark divide between the haves and the have-nots, and the engineered misery throughout this post-apocalyptic world. It may be a bit simplistic in how it presents those themes, but that simplicity helps make it a great gateway film not only to Bong’s filmography, but also for those looking for an action movie that isn’t afraid to address tough topics like global warming, social engineering, and child labor. This is Chris Evans at his darkest, and it’s also Chris Evans at his best.
3. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
Once Chris Evans joined the MCU, his status as a celebrity rose at an astronomical rate. He appeared in 11 MCU films, including an entire trilogy of films he headlined. Of all of his MCU appearances, though, Captain America: The Winter Soldier is undeniably his best. What helps set The Winter Soldier apart from other MCU movies is how the film is a great standalone story. The Winter Soldier can be enjoyed without any prior MCU knowledge, delivering a thoughtful character piece about Steve coming to terms with his past and the inherent corruption of the United States government by Hydra.
At times, it feels like a cross between The Bourne Ultimatum (2007) and The Manchurian Candidate (1962). It’s hard to know who to trust in The Winter Soldier, which makes the film a great watch for anyone who’s been searching for something that will genuinely surprise them. If you’re just looking for well-choreographed fight scenes, the ones featured in The Winter Soldier are some of the MCU’s best. If you had to watch one Captain America movie starring Chris Evans, make it this one.
2. Knives Out (2019)
By 2019, Avengers: Endgame marked the end of the Infinity Saga, and with it, Chris Evans decided to step back from Marvel. He was at the height of his career, and after playing the squeaky-clean Steve Rogers, Evans decided to appear in Rian Johnson’s Knives Out as the vulgar jerk, Ransom Drysdale.
What helps make Chris Evans such a delight in Knives Out is how much he revels in being a bad guy. He’s playing against his type, so watching him disparage each of his family members as a murder mystery goes on in the background is simply delicious. It’s a great showcase for his range, with Evans often shifting from a snarky nepo-baby to a man who genuinely cares about Ana de Armas’s Marta, even if it’s only to spite his family. Ransom is one of the best written characters in a movie that already has a great script, so if you’re looking for a classic whodunnit, Knives Out is a great choice. It takes its cues from some of the all-time great murder mystery films like Murder on the Orient Express (1974) and The Nice Guys (2016) to make a murder mystery that’s both fun to watch and fun to suss out.
1. Materialists (2025)
It would be safe to say with hindsight that following his tenure in the MCU, Chris Evans’ time as a blockbuster superstar was over. He would star in an action film here or there, but Evans now appears to be more interested in exploring more thoughtful and meaningful character dramas. Case in point, Materialists. If you’re the kind of person who swoons just thinking about Chris Evans, then you need to see Materialists right this second. It’s a modern-age love story that will charm people who love movies like Past Lives (2023) or The Worst Person in the World (2021). It’s a film about the imperfections of dating and how people don’t always know what they want in a relationship.
Materialists does a wonderful job portraying Evans as a man who is still hopelessly in love with his ex, but he wants what’s best for her, even if the answer isn’t him. There’s a sincerity and vulnerability to Evans’ performance where you believe wholeheartedly that he still loves her, making him the emotional core of the film. It’s a long-overdue change of pace for an actor who, for nearly a decade, was typecast as the strong action hero. If you’ve been looking for a romance aimed at adults and the all-too-real problems of dating in the modern age, then I can’t recommend Materialists enough.
