Chris Evans has shared new details about his relationship with wife Alba Baptista in an interview conducted months before their private nuptials.
The Captain America star, 42, made rare comments about the Portuguese actor, 26, in a cover story for GQ published 19 September. Speaking to the fashion magazine, Evans revealed that he took a break from acting last year as his relationship with Baptista was heating up.
“I haven’t worked all year and I don’t plan to, which has been lovely,” Evans explained. “My girlfriend that I’ve had for a while, when we began dating I was like: ‘Yeah, I do one movie a year. I try to never work now.’
“And then, after like a few months of dating, boom, guess what? We’re living in Atlanta for a year. Get ready. And even when that year was happening, I was like, man, never again,” he said.
Elsewhere in the interview, Evans discussed how his Marvel action star past has influenced Hollywood writers to place him “in one particular box” when it comes to future acting roles. However, he revealed how his then-girlfriend has a different approach to first impressions.
“My girlfriend’s really big into people’s energies and first impressions,” he said about Baptista. “I’m not so much, because I feel that I don’t always give off the same thing out of the gate. So I try to really reserve judgement.”
A few months after his sit-down conversation with GQ, it was reported that Evans and Baptista had tied the knot in front of friends and family at a private residence in Massachusetts. The wedding, which reportedly took place earlier this month, was attended by Hollywood actors such as Robert Downey Jr, Chris Hemsworth, John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, and Jeremy Renner.
A source told Page Six that the wedding was “locked down tight,” as guests were made to sign non-disclosure agreements.
The married couple first sparked romance rumours in November 2022, when they were spotted walking together in New York City. Reports emerged at the time that Evans and Baptista had been dating for “over a year” and that their relationship was “serious”.
“They are in love and Chris has never been happier. His family and friends all adore her,” a source told People at the time, as photos obtained by Page Six also showed the couple holding hands. However, fans quickly pointed out the 16-year age gap between the pair.
“Another middle-aged man dating someone in their early twenties. Nothing says I’m ready for marriage like dating someone who couldn’t legally drink four years ago,” one person wrote.
“I just... wish he hadn’t turned out to be a Hollywood cliché,” another said.
“If he’s happy then I’m happy, who cares about their age difference love is love,” a third fan said.
Despite some of the criticism, Evans has previously shared glimpses into his relationship with Baptista. In January, the Ghosted star made their relationship Instagram official when he shared a series of videos of his girlfriend to his Instagram Story.
The Knives Out actor also shared a sweet Valentine’s Day tribute to Alba on his Instagram Story, which included snaps of them hiking together and a clip of Alba playing a Nintendo video game. “I introduced her to Mario Bros 3… She hates this video but I LOVE it),” he wrote.
Just days before news of his romance with Baptista broke last November, Evans opened up about his dating life and how he became a “much better” romantic partner over the years.
“You spend a lot of time learning what’s been helpful and what hasn’t been,” he told People at the time. “We all have patterns, hang-ups or baggage that repeat and echo, so I’ve really been able to kind of identify where I need improvement and what works.”
The Lightyear star also revealed that when the time comes, he “absolutely” wants to start a family of his own. “Wife, kids, building a family,” he said.
