Jeremy Strong almost played pre-serum Steve Rogers in Captain America: The First Avenger. Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) was introduced to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2011 with his solo film, which kicked off a trilogy for the character. A classic origin story, Captain America: The First Avenger saw Steve emerge from humble beginnings in the 1940s to become a war hero. A core aspect of his character which shapes the way he views the world and his responsibilities is the fact that before he was given super-soldier serum, he was small in stature and had several health problems, making him a prime target for getting picked on and underestimated.

Though pre-serum Steve had Evans' face in the film, a body double was used before the character's transformation. The body double in question was Leander Deeny, whose face was then overlaid with Evans' using CGI. While Deeny's face never appeared in the film, he remained an essential part of the character throughout Steve's MCU run. However, before Deeny was chosen to portray pre-serum Steve, Jeremy Strong, who plays Kendall Roy in Succession, was reportedly considered for the part.

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During a conversation with The Times, Strong discusses the difficulties he faced getting started in the industry, which included the tough decision to turn down a part in a Marvel project, Captain America: The First Avenger. He came close to playing Steve's pre-Captain America body. See what the actor has to say below:

“They told me there was a top-secret film about Captain America...They needed someone to play Captain America’s young body, before he turns into a superhero. They said they needed a transformational actor and would use CGI to put the actual actor’s face and voice over my own. I was broke. I needed money. I considered it. But that’s my story of LA. It was just never going to happen for me here. It didn’t feel like what I had to offer was valued. And the next day I went back to New York and did a play about a veteran from Afghanistan in a wheelchair during the blackout of 2003.”

How Jeremy Strong Revitalized His Career After Turning Down Marvel

Though the MCU wasn't the behemoth in 2011 that it has become, it was likely intimidating for Strong to turn down a big franchise role, no matter how small, while starting out. Despite the inherent fear in passing on a job opportunity while broke, Strong clearly made the right decision in making the call to focus on opportunities that appealed to him more. The actor's experiences on stage paid off as he began to star in gritty dramas based on historic events such as Lincoln, Zero Dark Thirty, and Selma. His success in those roles led to Strong being cast in Adam McKay's The Big Short, which paved the way for his Emmy-winning turn in Succession.

Strong's catalog of roles shows that he has a specific idea of the parts that appeal to him, and he seeks those opportunities out. His wealth of experience on the stage has given him a capacity for intensity and dramatic acting that have translated perfectly to his Succession character. While saying yes to Marvel over a decade ago wouldn't have necessarily harmed his career, it may have delayed the trajectory that got him to where he is now. Luckily for fans of Succession, Strong doesn't seem to share his character's insecurity. His story about turning down the body double role in Captain America: The First Avenger mirrors many aspirational narratives from once-struggling actors who remained confident in what they could bring to the table in the face of career obstacles, and serves as an interesting tidbit for fans of the film.

Next: Why The MCU Didn’t Show Steve Rogers’ Captain America Transformation

Source: The Times

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