Chris Evans may have put down Captain America鈥檚 shield but he鈥檚 got a new badge of honor: he鈥檚 been named People magazine鈥檚 Sexiest Man Alive.

Monday night on Stephen Colbert鈥檚 late night show and on the magazine鈥檚 website. Evans, who for nearly a decade played Captain America in Marvel鈥檚 sprawling superhero films, takes the baton from another Avenger, .

鈥淢y mom will be so happy,鈥� he told the magazine for its cover story, which hits newsstands on Friday. 鈥淪he鈥檚 proud of everything I do but this is something she can really brag about.鈥�

He also knows that he鈥檚 likely to be teased by close friends. 鈥淩eally this will just be a point of bullying,鈥� he joked in an interview. 鈥淚t鈥檚 ripe for harassment.鈥�

Among those likely to heckle him are co-stars and previous Sexiest Man Alive winners like Rudd, Ryan Reynolds and Chris Hemsworth. (Hemsworth, who plays Thor in the Marvel films, was the first Avenger to win People鈥檚 annual honor, which was first handed out to Mel Gibson in 1985.)

Other past honorees include John Legend, Dwayne Johnson, Idris Elba, Adam Levine, Richard Gere, Channing Tatum and David Beckham.

People interviewed Evans, 41, at a Georgia farmhouse, where the actor talked about finding a better work-life balance. 鈥淭he most enjoyable aspect of my career right now is feeling secure enough to take my foot off the gas,鈥� he said.

Evans鈥� first film role came in 2000鈥檚 鈥淭he New Comers鈥� and he played superhero Johnny Storm in two 鈥淔antastic Four鈥� films released in 2005 and 2007. But he gained widespread fame in 2011 with the release of 鈥淐aptain America: The First Avenger.鈥�

Since then, he鈥檚 played the wholesome superhero in 10 Marvel films, laying down his shield after saving the universe in 鈥淎vengers: Endgame鈥� in 2019.

Evans has become a highly bankable star, voicing the Buzz Lightyear character in Pixar鈥檚 鈥淟ightyear鈥� film and playing a sadistic assassin trying to kill Reynolds in Nextflix鈥檚 鈥淭he Gray Man鈥� 鈥� both released this year.

The actor told People he鈥檚 thinking about marriage and having a family, saying, 鈥淭hat鈥檚 absolutely something I want.鈥�

He said he didn鈥檛 expect to talk publicly much about his private life though. 鈥淪ome things you want just for you, or just for my family and my friends.鈥�

The Boston native also continues his involvement with the civic engagement site A Starting Point, which he .

As Evans charts the next part of his life and career, he fully expects People鈥檚 honor will be a milestone.

鈥淚t鈥檚 something that as I become old and saggy I can look back on and say 鈥業 remember then鈥︹�欌�� Evans said. 鈥淚鈥檓 lucky to be in the discussion in any capacity.鈥�

The Associated Press

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