Many of you may not remember this, but when Marvel Studios was looking to cast Steve Rogers for 2011's Captain America: The First Avenger, Supernatural star Jensen Ackles was a fan-favourite choice to play the hero. His commitments to that series always meant it was somewhat unlikely, though fans campaigned hard in an effort to get Kevin Feige and company to take note.
Rumours have persisted for years that Ackles was on Marvel Studios' radar, and ahead of making his debut as a twisted Captain America-type character in The Boys, the actor has finally set the record straight.
"Did I audition for Captain America? No, I did not," he confirmed during an interview with Entertainment Weekly. "I don't necessarily know, was that an auditioning kind of a thing? I feel like they just met with people on that."
"I was not available, anyway. So, I don't think they were going to work around my schedule. Doesn't seem like a kind of property that would do that," he added. "I would've loved to have been in the mix on that because Chris [Evans] and I used to go against each other for quite a bit on a lot of different things back in the day. But, unfortunately, I didn't get to fight him on that one."
As for how Soldier Boy compares, Ackles added, "It's Captain America on his ass. It's as if Captain America gave up super-heroism and was just your drunk and inappropriate uncle."
It's a real shame Ackles missed out on Captain America because he could have done amazing things with the role. These days, it's admittedly hard to imagine anyone other than Chris Evans playing Steve Rogers, but given what great decisions Ackles is making with his career following Supernatural's conclusion, we're sure that a major comic book role is somewhere on the horizon.
Remember, the actor has confirmed that he's developing something with Warner Bros. and DC, with the hope among fans being that Ackles might finally get to suit up as Red Hood.