Perhaps one of the best scenes inAvengers: Endgameis when Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) meets an old man version of Captain America (Chris Evans), and is given Cap’s shield, a plot line explored in the TV showFalcon and the Winter Soldierand is set to be explored further inCaptain America: Brave New World. It was a touching scene that signaled the closing of the door on Chris Evan’s Captain America, and the dawn of a new age potentially led by Sam Wilson’s Captain America.
Clearly, we were not the only ones to feel this way, as in an interview withEsquire,Chris Evans revealed that his old man Captain America scene inAvengers: Endgamemade his mother crydue to the fact that he looked so much like his grandfather. It’s a testament to how good the makeup and effects job on Evans was in this scene. Not only this, but considering how goodChris Evans' performancewas in that scene, it’s a shock to discover that using Chris Evans wasn’t the filmmaker’s original intention.
Chris Evans Wasn’t Going To Be Part of That Captain America Scene
The original method of creating an older version of Captain America didn’t even include Chris Evans originally, asAnthony Mackie explainedonTheJess Cagle Show. Three actors were brought in to audition for the role of old man Cap, but according to Mackie, none of them looked like an old Evans, with Mackie stating that Evans would look “like George Clooney. He’s going to be 95 and still handsome.” It’s odd to think what that scene would have looked like with a different actor in Evans' place,considering how Cap and Chris Evans are such a cornerstone of the MCU. In fact, having anyone else in the role of Steve Rogers almost feels like heresy. Even odder is the idea that Evans somehow wasn’t originally deemed right to pull it off. After watching the touching scene, it’s clear Evans had to be part of it in order for it to feel authentic.
Chris Evans and a Body Double Were Used for That Key ‘Avengers: Endgame’ Scene
In the end,the company Lola VFXcreated the image of old Steve by having Chris Evans perform the takes,while wearing prosthetics and VFX dots on his face, before a double,Patrick Gorman, re-did the scene in Evans’ place. As stated in an interview withBefores and Afters, Evans was given “an old neck and crow’s feet,” though the crow’s feet were removed in post-production. Perhaps even more impressive than Evans' performance is Gorman’s doubling of Evans. VFX supervisorTrent Clausexplained how he would “direct” Gorman, telling him to “Hold this pose, hold that pose, that sort of thing” in order to “try and get the angles” necessary for when it came to post-production. Having to create a performance is hard enough, but to then have to replicate it as close as possible without stumbling into over-acting or mimicking is very impressive. Claus went on to say that Gorman is “a really phenomenal actor.”
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In the same interview withBefores and Afters, it’s explained that the process for making Evans older was very similar to de-ageing. However, “unlike de-ageing where you are aiming towards a reference, with ageing there’s nothing to go off of,” which meant trying to keep as much of Evans’ performance untouched as possible. The effects team committed to simply “manipulating the main plate, which is the Chris plate” and only bringing in Gorman’s plate for texture reference. In the end,the result is a great example of ageing a character and making it look believable.
The use of practical prosthetics and VFX shows how one should not be used without the other, and how difficult it can be to blend the two together to create something never seen before. Patrick Gorman had a tremendous task in replicating Evans' movements, and was a great tool as a reference for texture. In years to come, this may bean example that stands out as the golden standardof ageing characters and actors.
Avengers: Endgame
After the devastating events of Avengers: Infinity War (2018), the universe is in ruins. With the help of remaining allies, the Avengers assemble once more in order to reverse Thanos' actions and restore balance to the universe.
Avengers: Endgameis available to watch on Disney+ in the U.S.
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