Avengers: Endgame’s Chris Evans Was Top Choice For Avatar

If things had gone differently, James Cameron would have had a very different lead star for his 2009 blockbuster movie Avatar.

Speaking in a new interview with Empire, the filmmaker revealed that he the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Captain America star Chris Evans was actually one of his top contenders to play the lead human role of Jake Sully. However, the Clash of the Titans star eventually beat Marvel's favorite Avenger with his voice and intensity.

"Chris Evans, and Sam, and Channing Tatum. That was my choice," Cameron told the publication, "I really liked Channing's appeal. I liked Chris' appeal. They were both great guys. But Sam had a quality of voice and a quality of intensity."

The director went on to explain why he picked Worthington over Evans and Tatums, saying that Worthington had this charisma when he said the final speech for Avatar.

"Everybody did about the same on all the material through the script, except for the final speech where he stands up and says, ‘This is our land, ride now, go as fast as the wind can carry you,'" the filmmaker explained, "That whole thing. I would have followed him into battle. And I wouldn't have followed the other guys."

Of course, with how everything turned out, it's hard to imagine how Cameron would have turned down Evans for the role. Still, while the Marvel star went on to have a massive career in the MCU, Sam was still the perfect choice for the part.

Now, the actor is set to reprise his role together with Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, Sigourney Weaver, Joel David Moore and Giovanni Ribisi in Avatar 2. The film is set to premiere on December 18, 2020.

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