Before Captain America, Chris Evans Starred in a Sci-Fi Thriller With 3 Future Marvel Stars

The Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to grow to levels that nobody could have predicted when it began back in 2008. In those early days, it would be surprising to find movies where several actors from the franchise share the screen outside of the series. That has become much more commonplace now, thanks to so many films and TV shows getting released in the MCU each year. One of the most fun things to do is to find a movie from before the start of the MCU that features multiple actors who went on to join the franchise. Chris Evans, most famous for playing Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, in the MCU, has a filmography that has seen him work with several fellow future Marvel stars over the years. One of those projects has gone down as a fantastic hidden gem sci-fi movie that everyone should see, especially if you’re a fan of Marvel films.

Not many people know about it, yet Sunshine should always be mentioned when discussing the best films from Chris Evans’ career. The movie was released in 2007, four years before Evans had truly broken out with Captain America: The First Avenger.

Sunshine Is One Of The Best Sci-Fi Movies From The 2000s

Even before you watch Sunshine, you should know that it is a sci-fi movie worth checking out because of the people involved. The cast is stellar, with Chris Evans, Rose Byrne, Cliff Curtis, and Cillian Murphy standing out, while the director, Danny Boyle, is one of the best. The film was also written by Alex Garland, who went on to direct Ex Machina and Annihilation, showing that his penchant for great sci-fi has continued. In fact, this was the second of three collaborations between Boyle and Garland, with the others being 28 Days Later and 28 Years Later.

Sunshine is set in the year 2057, when a global freeze threatens the population of the human race. Facing extinction, humans send a team into space on a mission to deliver a bomb to the sun that would reignite it. It’s a wild premise on its own, yet it works because of how well-crafted everything is by Boyle and Garland. The movie does a good job of making you care about the people on the ship and whether or not they can succeed in this longshot of an endeavor.

Although Sunshine only grossed around $35 million on a budget of $40 million and was overlooked by many, it has become something of a cult classic. Critics appreciated the film, as it sits at an impressive 77% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It was praised for the twisty story and dazzling visuals. Not everyone is a fan of where the story goes in the final act, yet experiencing that is part of the fun.

The Sunshine Cast Has Several Future MCU Actors

As noted, the cast of Sunshine is fantastic. Chris Evans as engineer James Mace is among the most recognizable stars included, but along with the aforementioned Murphy, Byrne, and other cast members, there are three actors who went on to appear in notable movies in the MCU. First, there’s Benedict Wong, who plays a navigator named Troy. The actor has gone on to portray Wong, the Sorcerer Supreme, in various MCU projects, from Doctor Strange to Avengers: Infinity War to She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.

Sunshine also features Michelle Yeoh as Corazon, the team’s biologist. Yeoh has an interesting history with the MCU. Her biggest role came in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, where she plays Ying Nan, a guardian of Ta Lo who is also Shang-Chi’s aunt. However, she also previously appeared in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 in a cameo as Aleta Ogord. Hiroyuki Sanada plays the ship’s captain, Kaneda, and is the third future Marvel actor in Sunshine. He’s in Avengers: Endgame as Akihiko, who fights Ronin in an early scene.

Chris Evans Had A Long History Of Working With Future MCU Stars

Sunshine is certainly not the only movie where Chris Evans works alongside future MCU actors. In fact, it’s not even the only film where he does that from 2007. That year, he appeared in The Nanny Diaries alongside Scarlett Johansson, who he often shared the screen with in the MCU. The two even starred in 2004’s The Perfect Score together as well. Evans also lent his voice to TMNT in 2007, which had Patrick Stewart, who played Professor X in the MCU, in the cast.

Evans also worked with Forest Whitaker (Black Panther) in Street Kings, with Djimon Hounsou (Guardians of the Galaxy) in Push, and with Zoe Saldaña (Guardians of the Galaxy) and Idris Elba (Thor) in The Losers. There’s also Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, where he appears with Brie Larson (Captain Marvel) and Aubrey Plaza (Agatha All Along). Working with future Marvel stars is a trend for Evans, though Sunshine has a case for the best film in which it happens.

Sunshine is currently available to rent on Prime Video and Apple TV.