Chris Evans has built a powerhouse career packed with heart-pounding action movies that go way beyond his famous role as Captain America. These films showcase his knack for playing tough guys who can throw punches, dodge bullets, and lead the charge in high-stakes chases and battles, all while keeping things grounded and exciting for everyday viewers.
One of the standout action flicks where Evans shines without the shield is Push from 2009. In this one, he steps into the shoes of Nick Gant, a guy with psychic powers who’s on the run from a shady government group called Division. Nick’s not your typical hero at first—he’s bitter, reluctant, and just trying to survive after losing his dad. But Evans brings this raw edge to the role, showing flashes of the gritty leader he’d later perfect. The movie kicks off with intense street fights in Hong Kong, where Nick teams up with a girl named Cassie who can see the future and a telekinetic powerhouse named Kira. They dodge Division’s hunters, who have their own wild abilities like mind control and super strength. Evans gets to unleash in brutal hand-to-hand combat scenes, flipping over cars and using his powers to shove enemies through walls. What makes it pop is the practical effects mixed with early CGI that feels fresh even today—think objects flying at high speeds and psychic blasts that actually look painful. The plot twists keep you guessing as they hunt for a serum that amps up powers, leading to a massive showdown on a rooftop with explosions and psychic showdowns that leave the city in chaos. Evans’ chemistry with co-stars Dakota Fanning and Camilla Belle adds heart to the mayhem, making you root for these underdogs against a faceless evil.[1]
Then there’s The Losers, a 2010 gem based on the Dark Horse comic that feels like a buddy-cop action movie on steroids. Evans plays Jensen, a wisecracking hacker and ex-Army Ranger who’s part of an elite squad betrayed by their CIA handler Max. Framed for a massacre in Bolivia, the team—led by Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s Clay—goes rogue to clear their names and get revenge. Evans steals scenes as the comic relief with serious skills: he’s cracking encrypted files mid-gunfight, driving motorcycles through jungles at breakneck speeds, and laying down suppressive fire with an M4 carbine like it’s second nature. The action ramps up fast with a raid on a Bolivian village gone wrong, then explodes into revenge plots involving double-crosses and high-tech gadgets. Picture this: a boat chase on the Amazon where Evans is hanging off the side, shooting rocket launchers while dodging machine-gun fire. Or the finale in a Los Angeles high-rise, complete with zero-gravity knife fights in an elevator shaft and a massive explosion that levels a dock. Evans’ Jensen is the glue—funny one minute, deadly the next, flipping from hacking drones to brawling with mercenaries. The film’s got that old-school vibe like The A-Team but grittier, with practical stunts that make every crash and punch feel real. It’s pure escapism, proving Evans can carry a team in chaotic, bullet-riddled fun.[4]
Snowpiercer from 2013 takes Evans into dystopian action territory, directed by Bong Joon-ho in a wild train ride through a frozen apocalypse. Here, he’s Curtis Everett, a tough survivor leading a revolt on a massive train that’s the last refuge for humanity after a climate disaster froze the world. The poor folks cram in the back cars, starving and fighting for scraps, while the rich elite party up front. Evans bulks up for the role, sporting a scruffy beard and a steely glare as he rallies his crew for a bloody push car by car. The action is claustrophobic and savage—think axe-wielding massacres in tight corridors, where Curtis bashes heads with fire extinguishers and rips open hatches amid gunfire. One brutal sequence has his team charging through a car full of armed guards, bodies piling up in slow-motion horror as blood sprays the icy windows. Evans sells the desperation, revealing layers of guilt and rage as they uncover the train’s dark secrets, like kids forced into labor making protein bars from bugs. The fights escalate to a high-speed derailment threat and a face-off with Tilda Swinton’s creepy minister, complete with axes, guns, and improvised weapons. By the end, it’s a polar bear-sized twist outside the train that flips everything. Evans’ performance anchors the frenzy, turning a simple train siege into a commentary on class warfare with non-stop thrills.[1]
Knives Out in 2019 might sneak in some mystery, but its action bursts make it a sneaky pick—Evans as Ransom Drysdale, the black-sheep heir in a whodunit packed with chases and confrontations. While it’s more thriller than pure action, Ransom’s schemes lead to car crashes through gates and tense standoffs with knives flashing in a mansion brawl. Evans plays the smug rich kid with a vicious streak, speeding off in luxury cars and plotting twists that explode into physical showdowns. The film’s got high-energy pursuits where he rams vehicles and dodges family ambushes, blending wit with sudden violence.[1]
Red One from 2024 cranks the holiday action to eleven, with Evans as Jack O’Malley, a skeptical bounty hunter teaming with Dwayne Johnson’s Callum Drift to rescue Santa Claus from mythical beasts. Kidnapped by rogue elves and a witch, Santa’s world unleashes orc armies, minotaur fights, and yeti stampedes in the North Pole’s hidden realms. Evans dives into the chaos shirtless at times, wielding swords against goblin hordes and riding mechanical reindeer through aerial dogfights. The plot races from a mall ambush to underground lairs with trap-filled mazes, exploding toys, and a massive battle royale where Evans backflips over trolls while firing enchanted guns. It’s got that Raiders of the Lost Ark energy with Christmas flair—think cracking whips on frost giants and a sled chase at Mach speeds. Evans’ cocky charm clashes perfectly with Johnson’s straight-man vibe, leading to laugh-out-loud brawls amid the spectacle.[2]
Don’t sleep on Cellular from 2004, an early Evans actioner where he’s Ryan, a carefree surfer dude whose phone gets hijacked by a kidnapped scientist’s call. Played opposite Kim Basinger, Ryan plunges into a conspiracy involving corrupt cops and a biotech plot. He races through Los Angeles in stolen cars, smashing through traffic for high-octane pursuits, and throws down in parking garage fistfights with tasers sparking everywhere. Evans’ wide-eyed everyman turns hero fast, hacking doors and outrunning SWAT teams in a non-stop sprint that builds to a warehouse shootout with automatic weapons blazing.[3]
Sunshine from 2007, directed by Danny Boyle, puts Evans in space action horror as Mace, a engineer on a mission to nuke the dying sun. Facing mutinies and solar flares, the crew battles oxygen shortages and hallucinatory killers in zero-gravity knife fights. Evans grapples intruders through airlocks, his faceplate cracking under pressur
