Captain America: The Winter Soldier is the third chapter of Phase 2 in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it is one of the most pivotal ones yet. Set two years after the events of The Avengers, Captain America: The Winter Soldier finds Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) still fighting the good fight despite the drastic changes of morality, government, and freedom that has occurred during his absence. However, when a new threat takes out one of the top S.H.I.E.L.D. operatives, he starts to realizes that the world isn’t as black and white as he would like to think, there are many shades of grey.
We were invited to attend the film’s press day, and had an opportunity to sit down with fellow journalists to talk to the cast and crew of the film. In this interview, film stars Scarlett Johansson and Chris Evans talk about what it was like to reprise their roles again, does the physical demand of these roles get any easier, who they trust, working with new co-stars, and more. Hit the jump to read our interview.
This film is full of people not trusting, you know, wondering who they can trust and I wondered that in both of your lives, what does somebody have to do if they really want to be your friend? What is the – the trust issues that you might have?
Chris Evans: They always offer money. No, well, it takes time, you know, and it takes time and experience. You need to earn trust and that’s not something that happens overnight. I really don’t have that complex of an answer besides that.
Scarlett Johannson: I trust no one. No, I only trust whoever Sam Jackson trusts. That’s my barometer right there. I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know how…
Do they have to prove themselves?
Johansson: I don’t think people have to prove themselves in order for me to trust them. I think I’m pretty – mostly trusting by nature and usually I would say I guess I wait for people to prove me wrong and then I don’t trust them I would say after that.
Evans: You start with an A.
Johansson: And you never get it back. Yeah, once I don’t trust you, you’re out of the circle.
What do you think about being a role model for girls out there who want a female onscreen who helps out her costar who’s a guy?
Johansson: I think Natasha is a bit of a reluctant superhero. She doesn’t necessarily have this really kind of strong golden moral compass. Let’s not forget, she started out her career as essentially a mercenary, but – so I don’t know if that makes role model material, but she – in some ways, I will say Natasha – I think one of the things that’s very attractive to me about the character is that she uses her feminine wiles as kind of a part of her job, but she doesn’t rely on her sexuality or kind of appeal, physical appeal to get the job done. She’s extremely smart. She thinks on her feet. She’s a leader and she is – I think has a lot of foresight. Those are all qualities that I think it’s wonderful to celebrate for young women and, of course, it’s really rad for me to have my friends’ kids kind of look up to that character and dress up like her at Halloween and play with the boys and be rough. I always say, “The widow always wins.” And it’s true. And that’s a nice sentiment.
Chris, you spoke to us three years ago, when the first film came out and you were very candid about concerns you had – not about the role itself, but about it’s impact on you, a loss of anonymity, feared concerns about typecasting and now this is the third time through with the Captain and more to come. How do you feel that process has evolved and how do you feel about…
Evans: Had I not done the movies, it would’ve been the biggest mistake of my life. It really would’ve been the biggest regret to date and there are plenty. It’s changed everything for me. I mean not just what it’s enabled me to do outside of these movies, but it’s so comforting knowing that you’re making good movies. It would be a nightmare to be trapped in this contract and be making films that you’re not proud of, but Marvel has the Midas touch, so every time you suit up, you know that you’re making something of quality. It’s rewarding on every level, so thank God I had the right people in my life pushing me to make the right decision.
Chris could you could comment about working with Anthony Mackie?
Evans: Well, I’ve known Anthony for a while now. This is our third movie together. It’s funny. Everyone that I’ve worked with up here, it’s familiar and it’s old relationships, so – when I first met Anthony, it actually wasn’t on a movie set. We got along very well. We’re very similar people. So we hit it off very well offset and then this is like I said we just got along and so it was very easy having just kind of a repartee with him offset and I think that translates onset and it’s just he’s – you can tell right now, the guy is life, he’s energy – you know, onset, in the press conference, that’s character. He just brings a certain type of spark that you need on film and you need off as well.
Tell me about working with the great Robert Redford.
Evans: He’s amazing. It was pretty intimidating that day, because he is a living legend, but it’s always such a treat when someone you look up to that much lives up to the expectation. I mean he very easily could’ve come onset and hijacked the film, not just as an actor, but given his past as a director and his experience. He very easily could’ve taken over. He showed up with the utmost professionalism. He knew his lines. I think the first day we filmed, we shot until 1:00 in the morning and he stuck around for my off camera stuff. I mean it was like it was his first movie. So he really is such an example of what it is to be great.
Scarlett, I want to ask you real quick. You’ve done a lot of interesting roles lately. Is this a fun character to come back to? Does it feel very comfortable coming back to her?
Johansson: Yeah, I mean it’s – I’ve never really had the opportunity to do something – you know, it’s an interesting challenge to keep coming back to this character and I think one of the – you know, I have the good fortune of playing a character that’s sort of evolving with each kind of installment that you see her in, so I mean, of course, I know – going in to the play the character, of course, I have to understand who this character is and where she comes from and have this sort of rich back story and I think the exciting thing is just scraping away at a little part of that each time to reveal kind of a small part of the bigger picture of her and it’s a very complex character, which is wonderful for me, because over the period of time that I’ve played her, I’ve also grown – obviously, it’s been like six years – as you do in your career, your work, your life, so I feel that this story is sort of becoming – the character’s story is more enriched as my own experiences are.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier opens in theaters on April 4.
