The Real Reason This Star From The Boys Didn't Play Captain America

Prime Video has assembled a masterclass roster of actors to spearhead "The Boys," arguably the most popular superhero program on television. While the cast was born to play their respective roles, many might not know that one of the show's biggest stars was once in the running to play Captain America. In a recent chat with Rolling Stone, The Deep actor Chace Crawford opened up about how he lost the opportunity to play Marvel Studios' star-spangled hero thanks to his headlining "Gossip Girl" role. "But then they were like, 'He's on a TV show?'" the actor exclaimed. "'Wait, he's contracted on a TV show?' They had no idea."

"Gossip Girl" debuted in 2007 and pretty much became a cultural phenomenon the moment it arrived. The extremely popular teen series, which typically produced 20+ episodes per season, featured Crawford in one of the lead roles as Nate Archibald. "That kind of killed [the Marvel deal] last minute. But I guess they had a screen-test suit made," Crawford recalled.

Considering how well-received his performance is on "The Boys," one can't help but imagine how great the actor would have been as Captain America. But, as he points out, he was cut from the running early into the casting process, and the studio had its eyes set on around 10 to 12 other actors at the time.

With "Gossip Girl" in the rearview mirror, Chace Crawford is now best known as the Deep to legions of superhero fans across the world. A dark and twisted riff on DC's Aquaman, The Deep has emerged as one of the most fascinating and morally dubious characters in the satirical series. Appearing as a superhero isn't exactly all fun and games, though; one key "Boys" scene gave Crawford a panic attack during production, and the actor also has one specific thing he dislikes about filming the hit Prime Video series.

Still, the actor loves playing the morally corrupt character, even though he's often treated as a joke (both by fans and the Seven). If anything, playing The Deep has allowed Crawford to flex his comedy chops, showing just how charming he can be. "I've always felt pretty confident in comedic timing no matter how big I go," he told DiscussingFilm. "But at the end of the day, it usually ends up being funnier when it's real."

It seems like Crawford isn't mad about losing out on the Marvel role, however. The star told Rolling Stone that he probably wasn't old enough to do justice to Steve Rogers' patriotic alter ego. "I was probably too young at the time," he said. "I still looked pretty baby-faced." The Marvel gig ultimately went to the slightly older Chris Evans, who initially had one major worry about playing Captain America. Things worked out for Crawford in the end, as he continued to spearhead "Gossip Girl" for six seasons and would later get an opportunity to suit up as a "hero" on "The Boys."

"The Boys," Season 4 is streaming on Prime Video.