Chris Evans’ acting career got a major boost from his time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and one of his best projects after leaving this connected superhero universe is a crime drama TV show. Chris Evans’ acting career began in 1997 in an educational film, but he made his proper big screen debut in 2000 inThe Newcomers. That same year, Evans made his first TV appearance in the teen comedy drama seriesOpposite Sex, followed by the action drama seriesThe Fugitive. Evans got his big break in 2005 when he played Johnny Storm/Human Torch inFantastic Four.
Six years later, Evans joined the MCU inCaptain America: The First Avenger, and continued to play Steve Rogers/Captain America until 2019, inAvengers: Endgame. Since joining the MCU, Evans only served as narrator in TV documentaries and documentary series, but made his big return to acting on TV in 2020. While still riding the wave of the success of the crime movieKnives Out, Evans stayed in that genre for a little while with the TV seriesDefending Jacob, which became one of his most underrated projects post-MCU.
Chris Evans returned as Johnny Storm in a surprise appearance in 2024’sDeadpool & Wolverine.
Chris Evans Played Jacob Barber’s Father
Warning: spoilers for Apple TV+’s Defending Jacob.
In 2020, Chris Evans starred in Apple TV+’s crime dramaDefending Jacob. Directed by Morten Tyldum and based on the 2012 novel of the same name by William Landay,Defending Jacobtells the story of the Barber family, formed by Assistant District Attorney Andy (Evans), his wife Laurie (Michelle Dockery), and their 14-year-old son, Jacob (Jaeden Martell). The events ofDefending Jacobkick off when Jacob’s classmate, Ben Rifkin, is found stabbed to death in a park near their school. After questioning students and more,the initial investigation leads to Jacob, turning him into the prime suspect.
Defending Jacobwas well-received by critics, who praised the performances of the main cast.
Because of that, Andy is removed from the case, and soDefending Jacobfollows the efforts of Andy and Laurie to clear their son’s name, while also struggling with their own beliefs on the case, as the more they learn about the case and Jacob himself, the more they question their son’s innocence.Defending Jacobwas well-received by critics, who praised the performances of the main cast as well as the show’s tone and ambiguity, andit currently holds a 70% critics score onRotten Tomatoes, next to an 86% popcornmeter score.
Why Defending Jacob Only Lasted One Season
Defending Jacob Is An 8-Episode Miniseries
Defending Jacobis only eight episodes long, but it was more than enough to cover the whole story and development of Jacob’s case, as well as how it impacted his parents. Surely,Defending Jacobends on an ambiguous note, with Laurie purposefully crashing her car while riding with Jacob, resulting in Jacob falling into a coma and Laurie being badly injured and not remembering the day of the accident. Andy refuses to testify against Laurie and maintains that the crash was an accident, and so she’s cleared.
Defending Jacobends with Andy returning home alone as both Laurie and Jacob stay in the hospitaland sitting in Jacob’s room, reflecting on everything they have gone through in the last months. While this leaves the door open for asecond season ofDefending Jacob, where Jacob’s fate could be confirmed and all the questions about his possible involvement in Ben’s death could be answered, the show was meant to be a miniseries.
Defending Jacobwas ordered and developed as a miniseries, so the plan from the beginning was for it to be a one-season TV show. In addition to that, the novel doesn’t have a continuation, and its ending is very similar to that of the TV adaptation, though a lot darker, as Jacob dies in the car crash, while Laurie is critically injured but survives.Defending Jacobleaves it open to the audience’s interpretation if Jacob dies off-screen due to his injuries, while Andy wonders if his son was truly innocent and what his future could have been like.
Defending Jacob Is One Of Chris Evans' Best Post-MCU Performances
Chris Evans Has Done A Variety Of Projects Post-MCU
Chris Evans risked being typecast after years in the superhero genre, but he has taken part in a variety of projects during his time in the MCU and after it that have successfully helped him avoid typecasting. All the attention has gone to his film projects, and with good reason, but unfortunately, that led toDefending Jacobmostly falling under the radar.
Evans showed his acting range inDefending Jacob, delivering one of his best dramatic roles to date, as well as one of his most mature performances.Defending Jacoboffers a different look at Chris Evans, and it’s all the more enjoyable thanks to the story and the performances of his co-stars.
