Chris Evans has brought his foster dog, Dodger, to set — but what about a red carpet?
“I don’t know how he would do on a carpet. He would probably love it,” Evans, 43, exclusively told Us Weekly while promoting his partnership with high-quality dog food brand Jinx. “[Being on set] might be one of his favorite places just because every single person is saying how Dodger is a little social butterfly. So anywhere he gets to go, getting to say hello to 100 people in a row is a good day for him.”
The close bond between Evans and Dodger still melts Us’ heart years after the actor adopted his furry best friend.
“The second I saw him, it was just like, ‘Oh, I guess I’m getting a dog today.’ We were filming a movie and one of the scenes was at a shelter. There was no plan to get a dog that day, and I was just walking up and down the rows of dogs and saw Dodger and it just clicked,” Evans recalled. “I said, ‘I guess you’re coming home with me.’ He was just such a beautiful dog. He is so sweet and so happy. Every other dog — understandably — was jumping up in their cage and desperate to see people and desperate to get out. It was really heartbreaking. Dodger was trying very hard to sit still, but he was wiggling his tail while trying to stay seated.”
Evans couldn’t help but fall in love with Dodger right then and there. “There was something really sweet about that. It’s one of those moments where you just know that this is the beginning of something really meaningful and important,” he noted. “I think I posted it years ago just seeing him for the very first time. And he hasn’t changed from the second I saw him. He’s still a puppy at heart and he still has a lot of energy. He’s a special dog.”
Since giving Dodger his forever home, Evans couldn’t be more thankful for how Dodger’s presence has changed his life — and being a dog dad has even taught him some important lessons.
“[I’ve learned] to stay present. I think all of our brains are noisy places and all of our minds analyze the past and worry about the future. And all Dodger thinks about is right now,” he explained to Us. “And what a beautiful way to exist. When I’m having a particularly noisy day in my own head, spending time with him just washes all that away. So, he’s an unintentional teacher.”
A dog as special as Dodger deserves access to high-quality food, which is why Evans partnered with Jinx. Since 2022, Evans has been highlighting Jinx’s mission to ensure all dogs have access to nutritious food that is good for them without breaking the bank. This month, 5 percent from every purchase of Jinx at Walmart goes to supporting the USO for the work they do every day for active military members — including the USO Canine Program.
“I’m always looking for partnerships like this outside of the film industry. It has to make sense for me personally. It shouldn’t be just something that I would use, but the people behind the company — the impact and the mission statement — is important too,” Evans shared. “This just checks all those boxes. I think rich dogs shouldn’t be the only ones that have good nutrition. It just made sense.”
He continued: “Dog health matters. Anyone who is a dog owner wants their dog to live a long happy life. And what they eat is the No. 1 cause of health issues. So, this was just something that I was proud to be a part of.”
While Dodger has become his trusty sidekick in real life, Evans doesn’t think fans will see the pup on screen with him anytime soon. “I don’t think so,” he told Us. “I think I don’t want his ego to get out of control.”
Evans has a lot on his plate with upcoming projects, including his Christmas movie Red One. In the action-comedy, Evans plays bounty hunter Jack O’Malley, who’s tapped by North Pole security to help find Santa Claus (J.K. Simmons).
“[My character] is a bit of a rascal. He’s on the naughty list, so he’s a real bad boy. But I had such a good time making that movie. And it’s intimidating, because I love Christmas and I love Christmas movies,” he detailed. “You want every movie you make to be good — but making a bad Christmas movie would really be a bummer. Thank goodness it’s incredible. … It’s everything I wanted it to be and more.”
With movies like Red One, Evans is excited about what the future holds for his career. While some fans are holding out hope he’ll return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Evans has no current plans to reprise his former superhero role.
“Those were wonderful times and [Captain America] is probably the dearest role to my heart. But it might be better just to let those times be those times,” he told Us before teasing his recent cameo as Johnny Storm in Deadpool & Wolverine. “It was so great. I love that role. I have a lot of love in my heart for Johnny Storm and so getting that call from Ryan [Reynolds] — I would do anything for Ryan — but getting to yell “Flame on” again was just really special. I really loved every second of it.”
With reporting by Amanda Williams
