It doesn’t take much for Chris Evans to make people swoon with his movie star looks alone, but his heartwarming performances in romantic films will have anyone blushing!
Years after his Captain America said goodbye to the MCU in Avengers: Endgame in 2019, Chris Evans returns to the franchise looking as handsome as ever. He’s the epitome of the male lead movie star, fitting right in romantic movies as he does in superhero flicks. And he’ll make you swoon in the same way Steve Rogers will make you smile.
Funnily enough, most of his romantic films feature him playing ordinary guys who are out to get the girl. Be it as a musician neighbor in What’s Your Number? or a struggling actor in Materialists, he plays these romantic leads with as much earnestness as he does as Captain America.
1. Not Another Teen Movie (2001)
Though not strictly a rom-com, Not Another Teen Movie is nevertheless romantic, albeit in a wacky, slapstick way. The movie is a parody of all the teen flicks and rom-coms that came before it, inspired by their high school tropes and romantic storylines. Evans plays Jack Wyler, the stereotypical popular jock, who makes a bet with his buddy to turn the nerdy Janey Briggs into the prom queen.
If that plot sounds familiar, it’s because it’s a direct spoof of the 1999 hit, She’s All That. Evans takes on the Freddie Prince Jr. role from the film, and he’s just as swoon-worthy as the 90s heartthrob!
2. The Nanny Diaries (2007)
Before Captain America and Black Widow, there was the “Harvard Hottie” and the nanny. Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson had already collaborated in a couple of films before portraying their respective Marvel superheroes, and among the most memorable was The Nanny Diaries in 2007. Johansson plays the titular nanny, Annie Braddock, to the “X” household, taking care of their son, Grayer.
Hayden, the “Harvard Hottie,” is a neighbor of the X’s, serving as both a confidant and a romantic interest to Annie. It’s a cute and charming chick flick that perfectly showcases Evans’s romantic lead chops.
3. What’s Your Number? (2011)
Those who prefer a sexier rom-com starring Chris Evans will love What’s Your Number? from 2011. In it, he plays womanizing musician Colin Shea, neighbor to Anna Farris’s Ally Darling. When Ally reads a magazine article claiming that the number of partners one has had can dictate one’s fate in finding “the one,” Colin helps her track down her exes.
Evans’s movie star magic is on full display here, delicately toeing the line between lovable jerk and charismatic lover. And who could forget that famous strip basketball scene that has the A-list hunk showing off his pre-Captain America physique? He already had that superhero body even before getting into the MCU!
4. Playing it Cool (2014)
Ready to get meta with this one? Not only does Chris Evans star as the lead in the 2014 rom-com, Playing it Cool, but he also plays a screenwriter pressured into writing a rom-com. Unfortunately for him, he prefers to write action movies and doesn’t believe in love. So, what does he do? Fall in love, of course!
Evans’s unnamed protagonist’s life turns around when he meets “her,” played by Michelle Monaghan. The once-cynical screenwriter now has to navigate his growing feelings for “her,” especially after finding out that she’s engaged to another man. All of this and he has to write an entire rom-com, too!
5. Before We Go (2014)
Chris Evans made his directorial debut in Before We Go in 2014, right at the height of his Captain America era. It was a bold move for the actor at the time, not only starting his foray into directing, but also pivoting from his highly successful run of superhero action flicks to a more serious, romantic drama. Take note that one of his other movies in the same year was Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
In what’s obviously a Before Sunset-inspired film, Evans stars as Nick Vaughn, a street musician who meets the stranded Brook Dalton, played by Alice Eve, in New York City’s Grand Central Terminal. They keep each other company and wander through Manhattan all night, talking about personal regrets, relationship woes, and of course, falling in love.
6. Ghosted (2023)
A few years after what was believed to be his final film as Steve Rogers in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, Chris Evans starred as kind-hearted Virginian farmer Cole Turner in Ghosted. It was a hilarious about-turn from his superhero days, since this time around, he’s the one who needs rescuing!
Evans’s Cole Turner falls in love with Sadie Rhodes, played by Ana de Armas. When she suddenly stops responding to his messages after an amazing first date, he assumes she ghosted him and decides to go to London to surprise her. Once there, he discovers that Sadie is actually a CIA operative on a dangerous mission, and he gets caught up in all the action but without his signature Captain America heroics.
7. Materialists (2025)
It’s weird how well and how often Chris Evans plays ordinary, struggling guys in romantic movies. He has the looks and the physique of the modern Hollywood movie star, practically set the standard for it, yet he excels in playing the everyman trying to get the girl. In the 2025 Celine Song-directed flick, Materialists, he plays waiter and struggling actor John Pitts, ex to Dakota Johnson’s Lucy Mason.
Lucy is a high-profile professional matchmaker, expertly pairing New York singles according to their backgrounds and preferences. The film finds her in the middle of a love triangle between her poor ex John and the suave, wealthy, perfect-on-paper Harry Castillo, played by Pedro Pascal. It’s the ultimate fantasy having to choose between Chris Evans and Pedro Pascal, that’s for sure!
These awesome rom-coms and romantic dramas will help tide you over as you wait for Chris Evans to reprise his role as Steve Rogers, Captain America, in Avengers: Doomsday. This latest MCU film is set to premiere on December 18, 2026.
Sources: Sara Komatsu / WikiPortraits, Sony Pictures Entertainment Official YouTube Channel, 20th Century Studios Official YouTube Channel, Voltage Pictures Official YouTube Channel, Apple TV Official YouTube Channel, A24 Official YouTube Channel
