‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Star Chris Evans Reveals Why Playing Johnny Storm Again Felt like “A Piece of Cake”

Marvel fans have spent years debating which past roles they’d most love to see actors slip back into, but few comebacks landed with quite the same surprise factor as one particular cameo tucked inside 2024’s biggest superhero mashup. What made that appearance so memorable wasn’t just the surprise itself, but how effortlessly the actor seemed to fall right back into character.

That ease has now been confirmed directly from the source, offering fans a genuinely candid look at just how naturally the whole thing came together.

Chris Evans opened up about returning as Johnny Storm in ‘Deadpool & Wolverine‘ during a recent appearance at Fan Expo Boston, saying, “Slipping into the role was a piece of cake. I don’t know what that says about me, that that character is so readily available to me at all times, but I loved that role. It was actually kind of a dream.” The comments add another layer to what’s already become one of the most talked-about surprise cameos in recent Marvel history.

Evans first played Johnny Storm, also known as the Human Torch, across two Fantastic Four films released in 2005 and 2007, years before he took on the role of Captain America within the MCU. His surprise return as the character in ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ became one of the film’s most talked-about moments, with the actor previously explaining to Entertainment Weekly that agreeing to the cameo was an easy decision once Ryan Reynolds reached out personally, describing the whole process as “real quick” and “pretty easy” given how little time it actually required on set.

Evans’ comments at Fan Expo Boston echo sentiments he’s expressed before about how much affection he still holds for the character. Following the film’s release, he shared a behind-the-scenes photo on Instagram thanking Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, and director Shawn Levy, writing that playing Johnny again was “a dream come true” and that the character would “always have a special place” in his heart.

That emotional connection stands out given how brief and, notably, how brutal Johnny’s actual screen time in “Deadpool & Wolverine” turned out to be. According to Slash Film, the character’s fire powers are extinguished almost immediately after facing off against Pyro, followed by one of the film’s most shocking sequences, in which Johnny is gruesomely killed off entirely, a stark contrast to the nostalgic warmth surrounding his return.

Evans’ Fan Expo Boston appearance also touched on his upcoming return to the MCU as Steve Rogers in ‘Avengers: Doomsday,’ with MovieWeb reporting that he described the character’s comeback as “brutal” and revealed he’d spent years reading pitches to bring Steve back before finally being convinced by Doomsday’s script. That contrast between his easy, comfortable return to Johnny Storm and his more carefully considered decision to revisit Captain America offers an interesting glimpse into how differently Evans approaches each of his most iconic roles.

Given how warmly fans have embraced both of Evans’ Marvel returns this year, it’s clear his connection to these characters runs far deeper than a simple career footnote. Whether audiences are watching him reignite as Johnny Storm or preparing for his next chapter as Steve Rogers, Evans’ comments suggest these roles remain genuinely personal to him well beyond the cameras rolling.

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