‘Captain America’ star Chris Evans ready to quit acting to direct

On-screen, he’s Captain America. But what Chris Evans really wants to do is direct.

Evans, the star-spangled, shield-toting hero of “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” and “The Avengers,” said in a recent interview with Variety that he’s ready to leave acting behind and focus on directing once his six-film contract with Marvel is up.

“I’ve known for a while I wanted to direct,” Evans said. “But [time] never really opens up. There’s another movie to do, there’s another acting job. It just got to a point where I was like, ‘You know what -- I have to do this.’ ”

The 32-year-old actor spent his winter break from the Marvel Cinematic Universe directing his debut feature, a love story tentatively titled “1:30 Train.” The film, which was shot in 19 days for $3 million on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, stars Alice Eve as a woman who misses her train home at Grand Central Terminal and befriends a street musician (played by Evans).

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Going forward, Evans said, “If I’m acting at all, it’s going to be under Marvel contract, or I’m going to be directing.” He continued, “I can’t see myself pursuing acting strictly outside of what I’m contractually obligated to do.”

Evans, who initially turned down the role of Captain America multiple times, has completed three films as the iconic superhero -- “Captain America,” “The Avengers” and “Winter Soldier” -- and will head to London to shoot the sequel “The Avengers: Age of Ultron” shortly, after the press tour for the April 4 release of “Winter Soldier.”

That leaves him with at least two additional big-screen appearances as Cap. The actor guessed he’d finally hang up the shield by 2017.

Evans credited his Marvel gig for enabling him to make his own films. “Without these movies, I wouldn’t be directing,” he said. “They gave me enough overseas recognition to greenlight a movie.”

He also admitted that he could change his mind about acting. “For all I know, in five years, I might say, ‘I miss acting,’ ” he said. But, he added, “Right now, I just want to get behind the camera and make movies.”

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