The 'Captain America' actor clears the air on the viral photo that shows him signing what appears to be a missile, dismissing claims that he signed the weapon used in Gaza.
- Jun 1, 2024
AceShowbiz - Chris Evans, known to many as Captain America from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, recently addressed a viral photograph that created quite a stir online. The image showed Evans signing what appeared to be a missile, leading to false accusations and misunderstandings.
To set the record straight, Evans took to Instagram Stories on Thursday, May 30, to explain the true context of the photograph. "There's a lot of misinformation surrounding this picture," Evans, 42, noted.
"This image was taken during a USO tour in 2016. I went with a group of actors, athletes, and musicians to show appreciation for our service members. The object I was asked to sign is not a bomb, or a missile, or a weapon of any kind. It's an inert object used for training or display purposes only. You can read the quote from the Air Force in the next story," added the actor.
The photograph in question was taken in December 2016 while Evans was visiting the Incirlik Air Base in Turkey. During the visit, which aimed to spread holiday cheer among U.S. troops, Evans was accompanied by notable personalities such as Scarlett Johansson, retired NBA athlete Ray Allen, country singer Craig Campbell, and former Olympian Maya DiRado.
An official spokesperson from the U.S. Air Force confirmed the nature of the object Evans signed. "The object Chris Evans is signing in the USO tour photo from 2016 is an explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) inert training aid. The object is meant to model an artillery shell and is for display and training purposes only," the spokesperson said.
The United Service Organizations (USO) backed up Evans' statements, noting that the photo was taken by a Department of Defense photographer. The USO clarified, "While on the ground, the group met with an explosive ordnance disposal team, got to see multiple military aircraft, spoke with operational maintenance crews and a missile brigade, and participated in a security forces K-9 demonstration."
Evans often uses his platform to engage in political discourse and encourage young people to vote, but is surprisingly silent about the conflict in Gaza, that led to the bombing of the Palestinian refugee camp in Rafah. "The fact Chris Evans came online to 'debunk' a known controversy people have been addressing for years yet is silent about a genocide says so much," shared a user.
As the entertainment industry continues to intersect with global issues, Evans opts to steer clear of the topic and keeps busy with upcoming projects like "Red One," slated for release on November 15.
